this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2024
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[–] [email protected] 46 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

HTS has changed a lot in 7 years. Back then they were essentially an al-Qaeda front group, but now they have explicitly separated from them and are more focused on Syrian national politics than religious theocracy.

Time will tell whether that holds up, and what Syria looks like is definitely a big unknown. But seven years ago HTS was quite different than it is now.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Holy shit you mean organizations can change over time, and that geopolitics has nuance that requires historical context?????????????

Nahhh get outta here with that bullshit, we're here to shit on the US clearly

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Don't think that absolves an organization from past crimes

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

How does an organization make amends then? HTS has been governing Aleppo for some time now. They’re reaching out to groups they have been fighting to organize into a coalition. Even the former US ambassador to Syria has nice things to say about them. Whether HTS is a force for good or not remains to be seen - governing a country is different than rebelling obviously - but I don’t really agree with the premise of your statement. I think the way to absolve yourself is to do good works and to own your past.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

From the US' POV, having Syria devolve into a theocracy is a small price to pay for the harm this inflicts on Russia (most notably losing their only port on the Mediterranean and forcing them to transit through the Hellespont, subject to the whims of Turkey)

[–] wildbus8979 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Don't forget that it also greatly benefits Israel!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

A minor price to pay.

Biden, 2024

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Not really. Al-Assad was a known quantity and the relationship, while certainly not friendly, was at least stable (by Middle-Eastern standards). These guys on the other hand are an unknown, and that lack of predictability makes neighbours uneasy.

[–] wildbus8979 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Israel literally already annexed some new territory out of Syria. Al-Assad supported the Palestinian resistance and Hezbollah through weapons transfer. This is an undeniable less for Palestine and Lebanon.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They've been trying to grab that last slice of Golan for decades — don't conflate opportunism with long-term policy. There's absolutely no reason to believe that HTS would support Palestine less than al-Assad did. You may enjoy this analysis: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241209-is-the-overthrow-of-assad-good-for-the-palestinians/

[–] wildbus8979 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

There's absolutely no reason to believe that HTS would support Palestine less than al-Assad did

Come again?

HTS officials order Palestinian resistance factions to disarm, close bases in Syria: Report

https://thecradle.co/articles-id/28069

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

I'll withhold judgment until I can find a source that doesn't trace back to that obscure blog.There's nothing else online regarding this.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Okay, and how are they not still terrorists? They sure seem like a gang who overtook the country and toppled a government.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

Kind of like the States founding father's?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I mean terrorists implies terror, right? Toppling a brutal authoritarian dictatorship and releasing thousands of people from abhorrent conditions and torture doesn't seem like terror.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

But they asked the female news hosts to wear a headscarf /s