A Syrian Scorecard: Key Factions and Their Backers

This was initially drawn up by Two Majors and I edited extensively.

The factions are beginning to fight. There is also a resistance standing up in Syria. It is early days but this is all to be expected.

1. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)

– Background: HTS, formerly al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, has emerged as the dominant force in northwestern and central Syria, and is currently forming an Islamic government based on Sharia Law.
– Backers: Turkey, Qatar, CIA
– Goals: Establish an Islamic state under its control and secure pragmatic alliances to strengthen its position.

2. Remnants of the Assad Regime

– Background: After the regime’s collapse, remnants of Assad’s military, Alawite loyalists, and affiliated militias maintain control over very limited territories, particularly in coastal areas like Latakia and parts of Tartous.
– Backers: In theory Iran and Russia, though in practice not clear to what extent
– Goals: Maintain footholds for potential resurgence or protect remaining strongholds.

What is accurate here, is that we see this resistance standing up, but we have no idea why Russia is keeping its airfields.

3. Opposition Forces (FSA/SNA and Rebel Groups)

– Background: Turkish-backed opposition groups, including the rebranded Syrian National Army (SNA), played a key role in Assad’s downfall and now control areas in northern Syria.
– Backers: Turkey, Qatar, US State Department, CIA
– Goals: Secure power in liberated areas and counter HTS’s dominance.

4. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – Kurds

– Background: The Kurdish-led SDF controls northeastern Syria and remains focused on maintaining autonomy while combating ISIS.
– Backers: US Pentagon, European Allies
– Goals: Preserve Kurdish self-rule and resist Turkish military incursions.

5. Tribal Forces in Southern and Eastern Syria

– Background: Tribal groups have filled the power vacuum in southern and eastern regions, particularly in Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and parts of Daraa.
– Backers: United States: Provides indirect support to some tribes allied with the SDF in the fight against ISIS.
– Jordan: Engages with southern tribes to stabilize the border and counter extremist groups.
– Saudi Arabia: Offers financial backing to some tribes, particularly in Deir ez-Zor, as part of its broader anti-Iran strategy.
– Goals: Maintain autonomy, control local resources, and resist external domination by HTS, ISIS, or other factions.

6. ISIS (Islamic State)

– Background: While territorially reduced, ISIS continues guerrilla warfare, targeting tribal leaders and SDF forces in eastern Syria to regain influence.
– Backers: Presumably they still maintain some sort of relationship with CIA and MI6 but at this point they are supposedly largely self-Funded through smuggling, extortion, and black-market activities.
– Goals: Rebuild territorial control and destabilize emerging local authorities.

7. Israel

– Background: Israel aims to cut off Iranian and Hezbollah forces while maintaining stability along its borders. Though not offical public policy, recent actions do fit with the goals of Greater Israel held by many extremists in Israel and its government
– Backers: USA
– Goals: Ostensibly just to prevent hostile forces from reorganizing near the Golan Heights… In reality, the goal of Greater Israel.

8. Turkey

– Background: Neo-Ottoman aspirations coupled with backing SNA and HTS and a generation long conflict with the Kurds
– Backers: Not applicable
– Goals: Eliminate the Syrian havens of the Kurdish PKK. Syrian oil. Land acquisition?

9. USA

– Background: America occupies parts of eastern and southern Syria
– Backers: Not applicable
– Goals: Weaken the Axis of Resistance, keep the oil and grain thefts flowing

10. Russia

– Background: A major backer of Assad, Russia had troops deployed across parts of Syria and has 2 military bases in Latakia
– Backers: Not applicable
– Goals: Maintain its military bases, but why?

11. Iran

– Background: The biggest backer of Assad, now largely removed from Syria
– Backers: Not applicable
– Goals: Regain influence and attempt to find routes to resupply their allies in Lebanon

✨ Power in Syria, religion, geopolitics of course, nationalism (including Turkish and Israeli), economics (oil, wheat, smuggling, …), Lebanon and Gaza, …

To say complex would be a massive understatement.

There are reports that the zionists targeted Damascus overnight, but I cannot confirm this:

And this list tells the story.  First in the queue to open an embassy in Damascus:

• Egypt,
• Iraq,
• Saudi Arabia,
• UAE,
• Jordan,
• Bahrain,
• Oman,
• Italy,
• Qatar and Turkey.

Russia reports that their embassy will stay (for now I believe).  I am not sure of China.

So, there you have the traitorous alliance that worked on behalf of Israel to secure the removal of President Assad and the duplicitous policies that cleared the path for Al Qaeda and ISIS to take control of Syria – driving out or exterminating the “Iran-linked” minority sects in the country that now face ethnic cleansing pogroms or displacement.

This is interesting.  Some Takfiris want to work with the US, and others not, but it is clear they may not talk about it.

https://t.me/VanessaBeeley/34548

The illusion of victory will be short-lived.  The early stages of division are visible.  Some factions are singing against al-Joulani, calling him a rabbi and also a bastard.  Some of the factions are not satisfied with how al-Joulani is handling the situation in Syria, while israel is bombing infrastructure nonstop, over 400 times in a week while also being 20km away from Damascus.

Visible is:

• lashback against al-Joulani (jewlani),
• lashback against israel and
• lashback with some wanting to deal with the US and others not
• long-standing sectarian hatreds.

1… 2… 3… Takfirian civil war.  Just wait till the backers stop paying those salaries.