🔴 The language of “eternal protection for minorities” is powerful: it can promise “safety” according to the narrators, but also justify separation and fragmentation.
A 🧵 on Syria, and on global cases where this rhetoric has been a double edged sword ⤵️ 1/ In Syria, terms like “eternal protection of the sect/minority” have become central tools in militia propaganda to justify demands for secession or autonomy, especially in areas marked by social tension.

🧵1/ Just finished reading the Alma Center’s report on the “New Syrian Army.” It’s definitely packed with info, but analytically, it feels more like a window into Israeli anxieties than a clear picture of what’s really happening in Syria.

Here are some thoughts 👇 2/ Right off, the report keeps hammering on the traditional concerning keywords:

Salafi (mentioned 9 times)
Jihadist (mentioned 12 times)
Extremist (mentioned 8 times)
ISIS (mentioned 9 times)
Turkey (mentioned 25 times)

1/ 🧵
While the streets of Damascus are filled with festivals and “new Syria era celebrations,” not a single event includes Raqqa, Hasakah, or DeirEzzor countryside.
These provinces have been written out of the official liberation narrative, as if they were never part of Syria. 2/
The authorities claim they’ve “liberated” the country, yet handed these regions over to the separatist SDF project under the guise of vague “administrative integration” agreements.
What kind of integration excludes the national flag and keeps SDF security forces in place of state institutions?

1/
Farhan al-Marsoumi, a key figure in Assad’s Captagon production and smuggling networks, has received a license from the new Syrian government to open a “tobacco company”.

This isn’t an average businessman. The dirty deals behind it all, in this thread 🧵

#Syria #Corruption 2
The tobacco trade is a goldmine in Syria.

So how did a man with deep ties to smuggling networks and Assad/Iranian militias get state approval for such a lucrative venture (which could be used as a cover to continue drugs producing and smuggling)?

🧵1/
As U.S. troops withdraw from northeast Syria, the Kurdish-led SDF is digging in, literally.
In Raqqa, a city 80% destroyed by war, SDF forces are tunneling beneath collapsing neighborhoods while arresting activists who support Syria’s revolution.

Here’s what’s happening👇 2/
On March 10, the SDF signed what was described as “a landmark deal” with Syria’s new government in Damascus, one meant to ease tensions and coordinate security after Assad’s fall.
But 2 months later, SDF appears to be walking away from the deal, especially in Raqqa and Hasakah.

🧵 1/18 When Assad criminal empire fell in late 2024, the new Syrian authorities didn’t inherit a state, they inherited its ruins.
Among the most dangerous legacies: a sprawling network of cross-border smuggling.
#Syria #PostAssad 2/ These networks didn’t just survive the war.
They thrived under it.
Especially along the borders with Iraq 🇮🇶 and Jordan 🇯🇴 , they became a key feature of Assad’s war economy.
#WarEconomy #Smuggling

Russia 🇷🇺 waded into Syria to save Assad, only to get stuck in his muddy political chaos.
After Assad’s fall, Moscow now waves old legal deals to salvage its influence in a country it helped destroy.
How did Putin’s Syria 🇸🇾 gamble turn into a long, costly trap?
A thread 🧵
1/ When Russia intervened militarily in Syria in 2015, it aimed to reassert itself as a global power redrawing the Middle East.
But nearly a decade later, Moscow finds itself bogged down in the Syrian quagmire, with no clear strategic gains in sight.
How did it get here?

🧵1/ Trump states he’ll fully lift sanctions on Syria tomorrow. On the surface, this looks like a lifeline to a war-ravaged country. But it’s really a strategic U.S. exit from the Syrian file; a handoff, not a helping hand.
Here’s why that matters ⬇️ 2/ First: lifting sanctions means unlocking trade, aid, and reconstruction funds. Syrians after 14 years of war and devastation desperately need it. But don’t mistake this for a re-engagement. It’s the opposite.

🧵1/
A highly consequential and controversial diplomatic moment is unfolding today.
#AlSharaa, the military leader of #HTS and de facto head of post-Assad #Syria, is in #Paris to meet President Emmanuel #Macron.
This thread breaks down what’s happening and why it matters. ⬇️ 2/
AlSharaa rose to power after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime, assuming control through military force. Backed by HTS and other military groups, he declared himself Syria’s president, without an election through the constitution or international recognition.

🚨 Syria's Supreme Iftaa Council has been recently restructured, a move that reshapes the country politically even more than religiously.

Why does this raise concerns about control?
Let’s break it down ⬇️🧵1/10

#Syria #Iftaa #MiddleEast 2/ In Syria, religious perspectives heavily influence how people judge their leadership.

For example, if the Supreme Iftaa Council issues a fatwa challenging a ruler’s legitimacy, it could incite unrest or even lead to calls for rebellion.

THREAD 🧵: Behind the Headlines; The SDF, Damascus & a Deal Built on Silence

While the world focused on the 10 March “agreement” between the SDF and the Syrian new regime, something darker was unfolding: Raids, arrests, torture.
By the SDF, against civilians.

1/17 SDF Crackdowns Intensify:

Since December, the SDF has escalated its campaign of arrests, targeting civilians for raising the Syrian revolution flag, sharing posts, or calling for unity with Damascus.
From youth to elders to tribal leaders, no one is off-limits.

2/17

1/ After several conversations and clarifications, I must apologize for initially rushing to label the recent development as the “integration of the SDF into the new Syrian state.”

Explaining why in this thread🧵⤵️

https://twitter.com/hussamhamoud/status/1899160801916670395

2/ While that phrase reflects the messaging both parties are trying to promote, it’s misleading. This is a long-term process, and what’s actually unfolding is far more complex.

#SyrianNationalDialogue

🔹 Final Statement of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference
Here’s a thread covering the key points as reported🧵⬇️:

(I’ll dive deeper into the details, pros, and cons in next posts) 1️⃣ Unity and Sovereignty: The conference reaffirmed the preservation of Syria’s unity and sovereignty over all its territory, rejecting any form of division or territorial concession.

🧵 1️⃣ Israel’s latest statements on southern Syria are shocking in their brazenness, not their strategy. The Israeli incursion didn’t start today, it began the moment Assad fell, after years of being Israel’s trusted arm in managing the region despite their public hostility. 2️⃣ Assad was actually containing Iran’s movements in Syria for Israel benefit, not through his battered army, but by feeding Israel intelligence. He provided coordinates and reports that allowed Israel to effectively bomb Iranian militias in Syria (likely in Lebanon too).

More Breaking Details 🚨🧵: Syrian authorities have arrested three individuals implicated in the #Tadamon massacre that occurred in Damascus 12 years ago. The director of Damascus security announced that the suspects confessed to their involvement in the horrific events.
1/6 ⬇️ 2/6 The confessions reveal that over 500 civilian men and women were executed without trial or charges in the Tadamon neighborhood. This sheds new light on one of the most horrific atrocities of the Syrian conflict, which took place in 2013.

🧵 Some Facts from Sources within Syria: Damascus Today, Two Months After Assad’s Fall ⬇️⬇️
1️⃣ Most Syrians who came to celebrate victory have now returned to their places of asylum or other countries. Al-Rawda Café, once a hub for activists celebrating, is now just another regular café…

Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s interview with @syr_television tackled key points that hadn’t been discussed in previous conversations. The sharp questions made it a truly Syrian-Syrian dialogue.
1/23 🧵⬇️ Here’s a translation of the most important takeaways from the 50-minute interview: 2/23 Al-Sharaa: The battle to topple Assad’s regime in just 11 days was the result of five years of meticulous planning in Idlib, uniting factions, and integrating various forces. #Syria #Idlib

🧵 AlSharaa’s First Address as President of Syria:

1️⃣ AlSharaa finally spoke to the Syrian people after 54 days, as their president. His brief speech focused on key points: 2️⃣ Syria was liberated thanks to the sacrifices of those Syrians in detention centers, refugee camps, and beyond, and those who fought for its liberation.

What happened yesterday at the so-called “Victory Conference” and the appointment of Sharaa as transitional president was disappointing on multiple levels: 1️⃣ A military council, not a revolutionary civilian body, approved it, resembling a coup rather than the revolution of a free nation.

The Path to Syria's Third Republic: An Analysis of the Upcoming National Dialogue Conference:

1/ 🚨 The Syrian transitional government is progressing with two main strategies, paving the way for the Third Republic. Here’s a summary of the developments occurring on the ground 🧵 2/ Strategy 1: Idlib Model
The government depends on HTS and the Salvation Government in Idlib for its stability. Appointments emphasize homogeneity, ensuring that individuals familiar with the system can function smoothly under rigorous scrutiny, as errors are closely watched.

#Syria

Thread 🧵: #AlJolani and #HTS

1/ Within grasp the character of Al-Jolani and Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), many skip straight from the beginning to conclusions, ignoring the four pivotal stages of the group’s evolution. 2/ Al-Jolani’s defining trait is pragmatism. He is now forced to present a positive model of governance, his project’s survival depends on it from the international community and the revolutionaries.