By Agid Meshmesh
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian people initially welcomed protests calling for freedom in Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, hoping they will bring a better future for the country. Little did they know that those protests would spiral into a 13-years-long violent conflict. The Syrian conflict resulted in the killing of hundreds of thousands of the population with a similar number gone missing, in addition to causing the displacement of millions to various regions in the world.
Four major powers intervened in Syria, each having different interests and agendas in mind. This intervention prolonged the war without regard to the suffering of the Syrian people.
On the one hand, Russia intervened in Syria to support the Syrian government that had lost control over half of the country’s territory.
Meanwhile, Turkey controlled over areas in northwestern Syria by supporting Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), for many purposes, the most prominent of which is to fight the Kurds.
On the other hand, Iran said it intervened in the conflict in response to a request by the Syrian government to protect Shiite shrines.
Additionally, the U.S. became involved in Syria to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) after the group attacked the city of Kobani, northern Syria.
The situation complicated when Russia waged a war on Ukraine two years ago, and it headed towards further complication when the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out in October, 2023. The Syrian conflict soon shifted into a conflict between major powers as Russia and Iran sought to draw out U.S. forces present in Syria.
Adnan al-Kinani, a retired Iraqi brigadier general and expert on security, told North Press that Russia poses a threat to the U.S. in relation to the war on Ukraine and its agreements with Iran, China, and North Korea. Such actions could harm U.S. interests in the region and potentially signal a third world war that would impact the entire world.
Al-Kinani asserted that Russia aims to achieve what the former Soviet Union aspired to and strives to balance power in the region through all available means.
Whereas Turkey’s primary concern and fear is the establishment of a Kurdish state and the recognition for Kurdish national rights in Syria, al-Kinani emphasized.
Russian and Turkish interests have aligned and differed in various places and times to the extent of direct conflicts when Turkey downed a Russian plane near its borders, and Russia killed dozens of Turkish soldiers in Idlib Governorate, northwestern Syria.
Al-Kinani indicated that Iran got involved in the region, seeking to implement its plans and impose its influence.
Given these complex issues, the expert ruled out any immediate chances for the implementation of a solution in Syria, suggesting the country might eventually be divided.
Al-Kinani believes some projects aim to divide the region targeting Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon under religious and ethnic slogans, which made these countries, particularly Syria, an arena for settling international conflicts.