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Since 2014, the US has maintained a direct military occupation of large parts of Syria, primarily in the oil-rich northeastern region, where it is aided by local proxy militias.

When Donald Trump was president for the first time, he withdrew some of the US troops but a reported 900 remain.

Dana Stroul, then a fellow at the AIPAC-affiliated Washington Institute for Near East Policy, co-chaired the bipartisan “Syria Study Group” setting out goals for US policy. She explained its recommendations in 2019 and how the US would aim to weaken the Syrian state and immiserate its people.

The first goal, Stroul said, was to maintain the US military occupation of the most “resource rich” one-third of Syrian territory, encompassing its oil fields and its “agricultural powerhouse.”

In addition to “diplomatic and political isolation of the Assad regime,” Stroul emphasized the importance of US economic sanctions and preventing the war-torn country from rebuilding.

Most of Syria, Stroul said , “is rubble.”

The commission she co-chaired recommended, as she put it, that the United States use its enormous international leverage to “hold the line on preventing reconstruction aid and technical expertise from going back into Syria.”

From 2021-2023, she had a direct hand in implementing these policies as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East – the Pentagon’s top civilian official for the region.

Stroul is now back at the Washington Institute, the Israel lobby’s most influential think tank, as director of research.

The US has for years been working hard to dominate Syria’s material wealth.

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Paulo Kirk's avatar

DOA . . . Russia under Putin and Gang:

https://slavlandchronicles.substack.com/p/making-sense-of-syria-helps-us-understand

Fun stuff,

Yes, we must give credit to the Russian creator of cunning plans - during his rule, he managed to lose to Turkey everywhere possible.

Turkey, from a NATO backwater, with eternal economic problems and an endless war with the Kurds, has turned under Erdogan into a serious regional power.

Under the guise of a partnership and dialogue with Putin, Erdogan threw us out of Transcaucasia - Azerbaijan after the Karabakh triumph is almost a new Turkish province, Armenia waved goodbye to Moscow and left the CSTO, Georgia and Abkhazia are under the closest geopolitical and economic attention of Ankara. There is nothing to say about Central Asia - it has completely fallen under the US, Great Britain and Turkey within the framework of the "Greater Turan" project.

Now the Turkish sultan has driven us out of Syria, concentrating the fate of our Syrian group in his hands and receiving an effective lever of influence on Moscow.

Worst of all, Turkey with its project has already penetrated Russian soil and is strengthening its positions in the Muslim regions of our Motherland.

Judging by how openly and aggressively the Islamization of Russia is proceeding, Moscow is clearly counting on joining this project itself on the rights of a raw materials appendage and junior partner, which are customary for the Russian "elite".

In their opinion, there is nothing else left for liberal Russia - the West gave it a kick in the ass and closed the gas trough, China is twisting its arms, knocking down prices for Russian raw materials. Maybe at least they will give it a place in the "Great Turan", and at the same time a loophole to the West...

Here it is - the price of betrayal of the Russian Spring and the deliberate destruction in 2014 of the Russian project for the revival of an independent great power.

Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and all the Saints, have mercy and save Holy Rus', the coming Orthodox Russian Tsar, the cathedral and His army! Grant us a victorious Tsar, liberation from the Jewish yoke and victory over the devil and his army!

+--+

Syria was not killed by terrorists, but by endless, long-term lies at all levels. In all industries.

Bashar al-Assad was probably informed 24/7 that the army was happy with everything (here is a survey) and fully provided for (here is a piece of paper). The population is happy (here is a table), the country's course is supported by 99% of voters (here are the statistics).

As a result, the persecution of the dissatisfied intensified, the degree of lies increased. And so on for years. There were fewer dissatisfied people who openly spoke about problems. There were more bravura reports.

And two Syrias appeared. Virtual and real. In the virtual one, everything was fine, the terrorists were defeated, there were bright prospects, development. And the real one, made of shit and sticks, was already tottering. And one kick was enough to fall apart to the ground.

The Syrian authorities lied too much and too often to themselves and to each other. And as a result, they completely lost touch with reality, with what was happening "in the field".

This is an extremely important lesson for the whole world, not just Russia. But for us, given our confrontation with the US and NATO, such things need to be eradicated even more mercilessly. And they objectively exist. For example, the national projects "Volga Recovery" and "Protection of Baikal" for hundreds of billions. Or the "defeated and thrown back" sabotage and reconnaissance group of Ukronazis in the Kursk region on August 6, remember?

Well, returning to the video. Objectively, in such a situation, neither Russia, nor Iran, nor anyone else could do anything. The number of the Syrian army at the beginning of 2024 was 130,000 people with equipment, artillery, air defense and aviation. In reality it was 0 (ZERO).

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