Ina Rehema
inarehema.bsky.social
Ina Rehema
@inarehema.bsky.social
Reposted by Ina Rehema
Efforts to document war crimes and ensure accountability in Syria, which previously seemed marginally relevant at most, now suddenly have great potential, forcing a rethink of strategies.

Story by Sondos Asem for @middleeasteye-rss.bsky.social:

www.middleeasteye.net/news/fall-as...
December 12, 2024 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Ina Rehema
After occupying new areas in southern Syria, the Israeli military ”stressed that the move was temporary, but also acknowledged that troops would likely remain inside Syrian territory for the foreseeable future.” (So, not temporary.)

@manniefabian.bsky.social

www.timesofisrael.com/idf-troops-w...
IDF: Troops will stay in Syria buffer zone and strategic Mount Hermon as long as needed
Israel says move to capture territory is defensive, intended to be temporary; army says it will hold new positions until situation clears up after fall of Assad regime
www.timesofisrael.com
December 10, 2024 at 11:27 AM
Reposted by Ina Rehema
This, right here, may be the rarest of all political creatures: a Syria analyst who holds the same view of the humanitarian impact of sanctions regardless of which regime is in power in Damascus.
Many of the sanctions-related challenges now facing Syria are the same ones that faced the country two weeks ago: Humanitarian exemptions are not sufficient – aid alone cannot feed and sustain Syria's people. They need a functioning economy and public institutions. Need sanctions relief ASAP.
After the fall of a brutal dictatorship, the West needs a plan for sanctions relief. #Syria is one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world. Leaving severe #sanctions in place will be like pulling the rug out from under Syria just as it tries to stand. 🧵1/
December 9, 2024 at 8:19 PM
Reposted by Ina Rehema
HTS fatwa channel, asked about religious permissibility of parliament, says nothing forbids it so long as it's shari'ah-compliant – just another form of shura. jihadology.net/2024/12/08/n...
New fatwā from Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s General Administration of Islamic Guidance: “What Is the Ruling On What Shaykh al-Jawlān Said About Parliamentary Rule?”
jihadology.net
December 9, 2024 at 8:14 PM
Reposted by Ina Rehema
Relatedly, I think Lebanon & Israel-Iran friction was probably a far more important factor than Ukraine, since Hezbollah was Iran’s most agile, quickly deployable force.

Also, because the initial, decisive collapse in Aleppo seems to have been in part a result of HTS speed-eating IRGC-led militias.
December 9, 2024 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by Ina Rehema
On the issue of why Russia and Iran failed to aid Assad, it seems to me there’s maybe too little focus on how constraints linked to Ukraine and Lebanon interacted with the extremely tight time frame after Aleppo, by creating inertia and imposing delays (as opposed to absorbing resources in general).
December 9, 2024 at 9:52 PM