“The Europeans preferred to collaborate with Al Assad than support the Syrian rebellion”

Thirteen years of fierce struggle were necessary for the Syrians to put an end to the tyranny of the Assads. The regime’s roots in Syrian society and its international alliances have allowed it to maintain itself at the cost of bombs, chemical weapons and massacres.

Just a few weeks ago, Assad proclaimed his victory, and European diplomacy gave in to the sirens of “realpolitik” by appointing a representative of the European Union in Syria. Several European countries were preparing to follow this path; Italy, a pioneer in this area, had already appointed an ambassador at the end of July.

One might have hoped that, after the humiliation of collaborating with one of the greatest criminals in modern history, Assad’s fall would provide an opportunity to make amends. This is not the case. While humanitarian needs are immense and thousands of prisoners dying in the regime’s slaughterhouses have been released, none of the European countries have announced massive and urgent aid for the Syrians.

The Liberators of Syria

While concerns about the future of Syria, particularly given the presence of Islamist groups within the rebel coalition, are legitimate, there is something shameful about the reaction of many European decision-makers.

Crimes against the Sunni Arab majority have been ignored since 2011, often justified by the supposed need to protect minorities. And many in Europe have echoed the Syrian regime’s narrative of the protection of minorities that Assad claimed to offer while accommodating the massacre of the majority.

The radicalizations observed among certain Syrian fighters are the direct consequences of this abandonment. In 2011, it was students, intellectuals and civil society executives who led the first peaceful demonstrations. Many died under torture in regime prisons. Due to a lack of Western aid, the first rebel formations of 2012, under the aegis of the Free Syrian Army, had no chance against a regime supported militarily by Russia and Iran. By not providing them with any aviation, air cover or resources, Western democracies organized their defeat, leaving the field open to the Islamist factions.

Obama’s renunciation

Obama’s renunciation after the chemical massacre in Ghouta in August 2013 is one of the many symbols of the Syrians’ abandonment in the face of barbarism. In 2015, Obama also signaled to Putin that he would not support the rebels in the event of a Russian military intervention, thus providing the necessary guarantees for a Russian intervention without major risks. This Western inaction has not only condemned millions of Syrians to forced exile, more than half of the country’s population, but also sent a favorable signal to Putin to invade Ukraine, with the consequences that we knows.

This Friday, December 13, millions of Syrians celebrated the fall of Assad in all the country’s major cities. The rebel coalition was welcomed as a liberator. The head of the HTC group, Al Joulani, known for his jihadist past, has undergone a transfer several years ago. Abandoning the ideology of international jihadism, he today seems to be carrying a conservative national project that he began to develop since 2017 in the province of Idlib.

If northern Syria is largely free of international jihadism, it is mainly thanks to the action of HTC, which led the fight in coordination with Western intelligence services. It shows signs of openness, universities in Idlib are open to women, Druze and Christian communities in the province worship freely. He sent reassuring messages to all minorities, recognizing their full belonging to Syria.

Celebrate the fall of Assad

It must be emphasized that the liberation of the towns did not give rise to any abuses against civilians and that all ethnic and religious components of Syrian society are celebrating the fall of Assad. However, distrust persists towards Al Joulani, particularly among young Syrians of all faiths, who aspire to a free society, far from any form of authoritarianism, whether religious or political.

Let the Syrians, who have shown incredible resilience and courage, judge and act for their rights and freedom. They don’t need paternalism. What they are waiting for is the reopening of embassies, the lifting of sanctions, concrete aid and recognition of their fight. They no longer want moral lessons from states that have abandoned them.

The abandonment of Western democracies is an affront for Syrians that will go down in history, testifying to the moral and strategic bankruptcy of liberal powers in the face of authoritarianism. This failure should push Europe to redefine a clear policy of support for populations fighting for their freedom.