Assad Takes Fight to Syria's Western Front: Hezbollah, Militias Aligned With The Syrian Nationalist Party, And Local Gangs
29 April 2013By
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
The massacres and sieges that are taking place in the
western suburbs of Homs and the villages surrounding
Qusayr are the result of attacks by several Lebanese
and Syrian forces.
Organized attacks, launched by regime forces, using
warplanes to strafe and bombard these areas.
Hezbollah, militias aligned with the Syrian
Nationalist Party, and local gangs that support the
regime on a sectarian level have also participated in
these attacks.
What is the reason for such violent mobilization in
rural areas—mostly villages and farms? President
Bashar Al-Assad explained to a Lebanese delegation
that visited him a few days ago that his strategy for
the current phase of fighting is focused on cleansing
Homs and the surrounding countryside.
The westward trend is indicative of how the war in
Syria is developing. The rebels have seized control of
several areas in southern and eastern Syria, and the
fight for Syria is now taking place in Damascus. Assad
will be preparing to flee to loyal areas, such as the
Mediterranean coast and Homs, should the capital fall
into rebel hands. Another possibility is that he will
retain control over roughly one-third of the country.
This would consist of Damascus, Homs and the
Mediterranean coast. Therefore, his troops are
fighting to secure the route between Damascus and Homs,
since from there they can gain and control access
between Lattakia, Baniyas, Al-Qaradha, Tartus and the
aforementioned cities.
The term "cleansing" that Assad chose to use has a
disturbing meaning that infers the elimination of
unwanted groups. It implies that the regime could be
preparing to commit new massacres, involving
premeditated murder and razing towns in order to
terrorize citizens and force them to leave—as the
Serbs did in the 1990s in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By evacuating hundreds of thousands of unwanted
residents from towns and cities, Assad would have
"cleansed" the land. He could then declare his new
republic, which he considers capable of combining
Alawite, Christian, Druze and Shi'ite minorities, in
addition to Sunni groups that are affiliated with the
regime.
Theoretically, all that is required for Assad to
create a new republic is to burn the land and cleanse
it of its inhabitants. Then they can be replaced by
"eligible" citizens from Damascus, along with the
remaining cities that will later be lost. Practically,
however, his republic is implementing a strategy that
will allow for a longer war and larger massacres.
The dictator's dream is to hold on to power—even until
he rules over only a little village at the top of a
mountain. It is for this reason that he wants to break
up Syria and establish his own separate state. Does it
make sense that his chosen citizens should genuinely
accept being ruled over by an abusive, immoral and
evil regime?
It is too early to say what will come after the
current war. What is most important now is protecting
the people's lives and preventing massacres. Such
events were previously unknown outside of Cambodia,
however, unlike today, the world did not see or hear
the events that were taking place.
The world has not yet heard of the Qusayr's distress.
This will grant Assad and his military leadership the
confidence they need to "cleanse" from Homs to the
coast. It will also allow Hezbollah militias—and most
likely armed Iraqi and Iranian groups that have been
fighting with Assad's forces since last year—to
continue fighting alongside Assad's forces, as they
have done for the last year.
All we can do is imagine the gravity of the upcoming
tragedy for millions of Syrians in these areas,
whether they are being intentionally targeted with
planned massacres or forced to evacuate their homes.
The international community, including Syria's
neighbors, will be unable to adequately respond to the
horror and magnitude of the attacks, and likewise to
the sheer numbers of those fleeing from them.
We call on Arab governments and international
organizations to put an end to this massacre in Qusayr.
We insist on deterring this criminal regime through
support for the opposition and the Syrian people; we
are determined to reduce Assad's air and ground
forces, including his heavy weaponry. The genocide in
Syria, which puts numerous forces against unarmed
civilians, has adopted a frank and systematic
approach. Armed opposition groups do not have the
means to defend their areas or the populations
therein. The regime only dares to commit further
massacres because it has seen that no one has even
attempted to stop it. So far, all condemnations were
only made by humanitarian organizations with nothing
more than a conscience with which to voice rejection.
Al Rashed is the general manager of Al -Arabiya
television. He is also the former editor-in-chief of
Asharq Al- Awsat, and the leading Arabic weekly
magazine, Al Majalla. He is also a senior Columnist in
the daily newspapers of Al Madina and Al Bilad. He is
a US post-graduate degree in mass communications. He
has been a guest on many TV current affairs programs.
He is currently based in Dubai.
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EsinIslam.Com
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