Syria 10 years later: war, peace and reconstruction

By Stephen Sahyuni,

Syria has been at war for almost10 years since the conflict erupted in Deraa in March 2011, where protests served as a cover for a planned, sponsored and foreign-run attack on Syria to change power.

The Syrian conflict does not fall under the definition of civil war, as groups from all over the world are represented at the frontline.

But it can hardly be called an interfaith war, although some of its features were present, for example, when the Free Syrian Army chanted: ‘Alawites to the graves, Christians to Beirut’.

The most recent US-backed rebel group in al-Tanf includes the jihadists who previously operated as the Allah Akbar Brigade.

In 2010, Ahmed Salkini uttered words that now sound prophetic about what happened: "A mixture of brutal occupation, foreign intervention, economic and intellectual decline has split the region, creating fertile ground for extremist recruitment."

The US is seen as the main instigator of the USA-Nato-Persian Gulf scheme: destroy, invade; take over resources; establish a puppet government as the case has been in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Tunisia.

In July 2011, US Ambassador to Syria Robert S. Ford traveled to Hama to intensify the process.

Now that the US war over Syria has failed, members of the Obama administration and then Trump have admitted that they underestimated the support and strength of the Syrian government and army.

They thought that there would be a split in the ranks of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA, SAR) and the president would have to leave. They relied on the fact that Syria is predominantly a Sunni Muslim country.

 They forgot that Syria has had the only secular government in the Middle East for decades.

Syrian culture prides itself in accepting all faiths and the diversity of their heritage. The Jewish community once flourished in this country, while 13 Christian denominations, and their Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors lived, studied and worked side by side.

 A strong, secular Sunni majority kept the country from splitting. They resisted the "new political Islam" that famous preachers preached on television.

They clung tightly to perennial core values, refusing to be drawn into what some have called the "death cult."

At the end of September 2015, the SAA found itself in a perilous position: the enemy was strengthening its positions and approached close to the coast. According to the stories of the soldiers, the militants with whom they fought wore the uniform of the Turkish army and had military cards.

 They faced an unpleasant reality, realizing that they were fighting not just against jihadists, but also against trained soldiers of NATO's second largest army.

President Assad flew to Moscow and met with President Putin. After the Russian air force arrived in Latakia, the balance of power in the game changed. Iran and the Lebanese resistance army were also invited to assist the SAA. Now the CAA controls 80 per cent of Syrian territory.

The Russian Air Force was instrumental in saving Syria from defeat of the US-sponsored jihadists.

In the midst of the conflict, a mysterious group from Iraq emerged: IS. These militants conquered the territory, but only to later be defeated.

Western media have played a huge role in misleading people about this conflict. Video reports were fabricated to prove war crimes.

 They interviewed the “only remaining doctor” at the “only remaining hospital,” without bothering to talk to dozens of other doctors who worked with patients nearby.

 Some passer-by with a mobile phone in England suddenly became an eyewitness in Syria. A group of terrorists, played by actors, became Hollywood stars, exploiting the theme of children's suffering.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have benefited from the fact that Germany has provided them with housing and work. They paid hundreds of euros to take advantage of such an offer. Some return home, while others remain hostage in the camps.

Ten years since the start of the war, there are still two hotspots in Syria: a terrorist-held zone in Idlib and a Kurdish-controlled area in the northeast.

 Russia and Turkey are working to free Syrian citizens held hostage by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in Idlib, as well as a peace agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Kurds.

 This document should prevent an attack on the Kurds by Turkey, which considers them terrorists.

The hostilities have destroyed Deraa, Homs, East Aleppo, Rekka, Deirez-Zor and East Ghouta.

Although much of the country was not affected by the war, the war zones fell into ruins. These areas will have to undergo a restoration.

 Over the years1,153 buildings and structures have been restored, in Hama and Deirez-Zor.

The UN has estimated the cost of rebuilding the country at $ 388 billion. Trump during his presidency said America would not pay to rebuild Syria because the Syrian war was initiated by President Obama, who served the interests of multinational corporations.

It is well known that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey financed terrorists and therefore must participate in reparations for the damage caused by the war.

 President Assad said that priority in contracts for work to rebuild the country will be given to countries whose citizens have shed their blood for Syria and fought against terrorism.

Until 2011, the Syrian society was in hibernation. Usually the Syrians complained about the problems in the country, but did not actively participate in solving them. One of the results that the Syrian conflict has brought is that the Syrian people have ceased to be silent.

 People  have began to take an active role in civic issues, to participate in the discussion of important issues in various forums in social networks, to act energetically in defense of their previous way of life.

The restoration of peace in the country drastically affected by US sanctions and its allies, attempts to slow down the process of economic development.

There are efforts to influence the Syrian Diaspora and investors willing to contribute to Syria’s reconstruction.

This is because Middle East countries are afraid of ruining relations with Washington and are forced to follow the lead of the White House, forcibly ignoring the opportunity to develop good-neighborly relations and their business in Damascus.

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Stephen Sahyuni, political commentator for the Middle East