Syrians poured out into the streets across Syria and around the world, jubilant at the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

A number of European countries, including the UK, have suspended the processing of asylum applications for Syrians, after the downfall of former president Bashar al-Assad.

Austria’s caretaker government has stopped all asylum claims from Syrians and says it is making plans to to repatriate or deport people back to their homeland, arguing that the situation in the country has changed fundamentally.

Germany (home to a million Syrians), the United Kingdom, France, and Greece have all said they will halt asylum decisions for now.

The moves leave many in the Syrian diaspora in limbo, following the collapse of the Assad regime after 50 years of brutal rule.

Since 2011, the UN says more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety.

Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer, a conservative who is a hardliner on immigration, said in a post on X that the government would « support all Syrians who have found refuge in Austria and want to return to their home country ».

He added that the « security situation in Syria must also be reassessed in order to make deportations possible again in the future ».

In a statement, Austria’s Interior Ministry said « the political situation in Syria has changed fundamentally and, above all, rapidly in recent days ».

Around 95,000 Syrians live in Austria, many of whom arrived during the migrant crisis of 2015 and 2016. A backlash against them has fuelled support for the far right and conservatives in Austria.

We will not dispense with the old regime, says al-Jolanipublished at 20:1120:11

The leader of the main Islamist rebel group in Syria has met the former prime minister to co-ordinate the transfer of power.

Footage released by the rebel’s military operations command shows Abu Mohammed al-Jolani saying the transition would benefit from the experience of the old government.

“The young men have gained a lot of experience, » al-Jolani says. « They started working from nothing.

« Idlib is small and has no resources, but thank God, we were able to achieve something big during the past period. You will see experience, it’s not zero. In certain areas, they had varying high levels of success.

« However, we will not dispense the old status, it is essential that we take advantage of its existence.”

Hamas ‘more isolated than ever’ after al-Assad’s fall: Netanyahu

Netanyahu tells reporters that Israel is using “all the tools it has” to ensure its security after the change in leadership in Syria and says the fall of al-Assad is the “direct result of the heavy blows [Israel] landed on Hamas, on Hezbollah and on Iran”.

The Israeli prime minister also said Hamas is “more isolated than ever” after the fall of al-Assad.

“It expected help from Hezbollah – we took that away. It expected help from Iran – we took that as well,” Netanyahu said. “It expected help from the Assad regime – OK, that won’t happen anymore.”

Netanyahu added that Hamas’s growing isolation would potentially “open doors” for a captive release deal although he added that it is “too early” to say whether a deal will succeed.

Netanyahu reiterated that he will not stop the war now.

World Opinions + Agencies

L’article Joyous celebrations across Syria after al-Assad’s fallJoyous celebrations in Syria.. Video est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

In a recent article, the Turkish pro-government media outlet Daily Sabah introduced the concept of the “Aleppo model” — a scheme to make areas in northern Syria safe, secure and livable in order to encourage the repatriation of Syrian refugees. This follows a survey by the UN refugee agency UNHCR that showed 70 percent of those displaced are unwilling to return for at least five years despite the difficult conditions and discrimination they face in host countries. Refugees cited security concerns, as well as lack of basic services and work opportunities. What does the Aleppo model mean for Syrian President Bashar Assad?

The refugee question was a main point of contention in the recent Turkish elections. The opposition focused on the issue, accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of maintaining an open-door policy, and proposed normalizing relations with Assad as a solution to the problem. However, Erdogan’s efforts in this regard have yielded little, mainly due to the rigidity of the Syrian regime, which has based talks with Turkiye on the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the northwest of the country, a totally unrealistic demand since it would leave opponents to the regime at the mercy of Assad.

Turkiye also cannot leave its borders unprotected and vulnerable to terrorist attacks and drug trafficking. Here, Erdogan faces a dilemma. He wants to ensure the return of refugees, one of his main campaign promises. However, returning them is almost impossible while Assad is in power. Ahmet Uysal, head of ORSAM, a Turkish research center focusing on Arab countries, recently published an article in which he said that Assad is unwilling and incapable of securing the refugees’ return, adding that those who have returned have been subject to arbitrary arrest, torture and rape. Assad does not want to see the people who opposed him come back home.

Even areas loyal to Assad are witnessing protests demanding his departure due to the dire state of the economy

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

Assad is also incapable of providing them with their basic needs. Even areas loyal to Assad are witnessing protests demanding his departure due to the dire state of the country’s economy. Hence, the most logical step to take is to bypass Assad and negotiate with his patrons. Daily Sabah mentioned that Turkiye is in discussions with Syria and Russia. With talks between Turkiye and Syria at a standstill, Erdogan is probably banking on Russia to make the “Aleppo model” a reality. It is inconceivable that Assad will willingly cede territory to Turkiye, having asked the latter to withdraw before starting any discussion.

Any joint administration or the presence of Assad forces will also deter refugees from going back. As Uysal detailed, experience has shown that despite an amnesty and promises of safety, opponents of the regime who returned were subject to arrest and punishment. Also, Assad has not acted in line with Russian interests, which are to end the war and begin reconstruction. On the contrary, he has refused to make any concessions to the opposition. In this respect, he has skillfully played the Russians against the Iranians, positioning himself as the reference between the two.

Despite promises of safety, opponents of the regime who returned have been subject to arrest and punishment

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

However, due to the Ukraine war, Turkiye is proving to be of more importance to Russia. Meanwhile, all Turkish incursions have been approved either by Russia or the US. If Turkiye acts to put Aleppo under its control, it will be a fatal blow to Assad. Aleppo is the commercial heart of Syria. Losing the city will strengthen the protest movement across the country and, ultimately, force Iran and Assad to compromise. Hence, in addition to creating a suitable environment for a safe, voluntary and dignified return for refugees in accordance with UN resolution 2254, the Aleppo model can help break the status quo and force a solution on Syria.

If the Aleppo model succeeds — with Russia and Turkiye bringing stability, Qatar financing reconstruction, and refugees returning in large numbers — it will be a game changer. It could set an example for other arrangements. Why not have a Daraa model, whereby Russia enters into a similar agreement with Jordan? Despite normalization with Assad, Jordan has not seen any real improvement in the regime’s behavior, and is still vulnerable to illegal drug and weapons smuggling.

The Aleppo model is likely to garner Arab acquiescence, if not endorsement, since normalization with Assad led to nowhere. At the Arab League Summit in May, the Syrian leader was supposed to show some goodwill, but instead displayed only defiance. In a nutshell, the success of the Aleppo model will show that Assad is a burden for Arab countries as well as for his allies, and is very much dispensable.

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

L’article What does the ‘Aleppo model’ mean for Assad? est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Specialist rescue teams from countries all over the world are flying out to Turkey to help find survivors in the rubble.

Many are sending specialist firefighters, medics, equipment and specially trained dogs.

Turkey says 2,316 people have been killed and 13,293 injured in Monday’s earthquakes.

Emergency services said 7,340 people have been rescued so far.

Syrians call for help as hospitals fill with earthquake survivors

Syrian doctors are calling for help as hospitals in the country fill up with hundreds of survivors of Monday’s earthquakes.

Mohammad Hamza, a co-ordinator for the aid agency Islamic Relief, was in the small town of Ad Dana in north-west Syria when the earthquake struck in Turkey this morning.

Hamza, a father of three, described the moment of panic when he felt the quake.

“I found my children were sleeping, I didn’t know what to do. Shall I wake them up or shall I leave them sleeping? » he told the BBC World Service’s Newshour programme.

“We are dying anyway! This is what I was thinking. Shall I let them be scared by the situation?

Is it going to be better under the bed? Actually, I didn’t know what to do. I just froze, I stopped, I couldn’t move. »

Mohammad HamzaCo-ordinator, Islamic Relief aid agency

Syrian death toll increases to 1,293

At least 1,293 people have been killed and 3,411 injured in Syria in Monday’s earthquakes, the government and rescue workers say.

In government-controlled areas, the toll rose to 593 dead and 1,411 injured in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus, Syria’s health ministry said.

In rebel-held parts of the country’s northwest, at least 700 people have been killed and more than 2,000 injured, according to the White Helmets rescue group.

US says it will not engage with Assad gov’t to deliver aid

The administration of US President Joe Biden has said it is “committed” to delivering aid to Syrians, but it ruled out reaching out to the government in Damascus, which it does not recognise as legitimate.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that Washington will not engage with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes that struck Syria and Turkey on Monday.

“It would be quite ironic – if not even counterproductive – for us to reach out to a government that has brutalised its people over the course of a dozen years now … Instead, we have humanitarian partners on the ground who can provide the type of assistance in the aftermath of these tragic earthquakes,” Price said.

World Opinions – Agencies

L’article Turkey-Syria quakes: Thousands dead; searches ongoing est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.