The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

SOHR exclusive | Syrian politicians and military men: Regime and proxies bear full responsibilities for situation in Daraa… Iran ambitions in region are tremendous

Conditions in Daraa city, cradle of the revolution, haven’t been clam since it has been controlled by the regime three years ago. Syria still lives on hot plate and has witnessed severe retreat at the health, education, service and social levels, and also escalating security chaos which is attributed by observers to the regime’s revenge of the city, which is the birth place of March, 2011 revolution.

Daraa which is the real center of the Syrian revolution which made it a special place, the regime has been attempting always to break that city as it did in other Syrian cities and towns, especially that Daraa has refused eve the past presidential elections despite the arrests and the forcible disappearance of the civilians.

SamerKaakrly, leader in the opposition’s Syrian Democratic leftist party, said in an interview with SOHR that the regime has demanded the deportation of several fighter, which wasn’t’ mentioned in the deal that has been concluded between Russia and the Central Committee in Daraa. If deportation is a must, so the regime has to send green buses enough for transferring 50,000 families, then the regime can take Daraa al-Balad as evacuated of population, which is very difficult to be accepted by the regime that couldn’t even dare to think about it.

The leftist party leader explained what is happening in Daraa by saying, “Iran is insisting to enter and control Daraa completely for several reasons including the long borders between Hawran and Jordan which made Daraa a center for exporting drugs to the Gulf via Jordan, especially after Jordanian authorities have closed all the illegal border in al-Suwyidaa area, which is the region controlled by Iran.”

Generally, smuggling from al-Suwyidaa is very difficult for Hezbollah because it doesn’t have regular roads or crossings between Syria and Jordan in al-Suwidaa lands, he said.

“Iran wants to control Daraa as being a wide front with Israel to stay has an upper hand in the Israeli file likewise what happens in southern Lebanon,” Kaakrly said.

Hezbollah and Iran aren’t concerned with fighting Israel, but they want to put their hand over all the linking areas with Israel to remain tackling the resistance file, he said, adding that the recent deal that has been reached between the Russians, led by the Russian officer Assad Allah, and the Central Committee that has stipulated handing over 50 rifles and establishing three security checkpoints that are run by member of Daraa, was not admired by Tehran because that deals means losing Daraa.

Accordingly, the 4th Division, under direct control of Tehran, has been encouraged to conflict the deal and demand of establishing six checkpoints inside Daraa al-Balad that are only composed of the 4th Division, the demands that have been rejected by Daraa population who have protested against it, the leftist opposition leader said.

He reiterated that, what has happened was that Russia hasn’t interfere to back the regime or hasn’t used its aircrafts and moreover, it most likely has prevented the regime from using its planes which led to the collapse of the regime-held security checkpoints swiftly and Daraa was completely liberated of the regime forces.

Later on, the regime has demanded ceasefire via the Russians who have asked for a meeting, but Daraa population refused and said “who wants to negotiate shall come to us,” and a Russian-mediated delegation has already went for holding a new meeting. But information revealed that Daraa population has aborted the old deal by saying, “withdrawing the personal weapon is a red line, and also entering Daraa al-Balad by the regime is also a red line,” Kaakrly added.

On the other hand, brigadier Ahmad al-Rahal told SOHR said the regime and Iran have different agenda compared to the Russians which indicated that the disagreement between the 4th Division that is represent by HossamLukka from the security committee for Maher al-Assad and the 1st Corps that is represented by general Moufeed Hassan where differences between the two leaders are noticed.

He added that another difference exist between Russia with bother Iran and al-Assad regime where the regime has been seeking to revenge for what happened with regard to the presidential elections in Daraa, the boycott and the rejection of putting the balloting boxes beside going out in protests which have naked and embarrassed  the regime.

He reiterated that it has been agreed to deploy three security posts and then the people were surprised that the regime forces have entered with eight tanks and 300 soldiers, where the regime has sought to deport the population in Daraa while the inhabitants were against such policies and in one voice said, “either deport 11,000 families, which means 50,000 persons or we shall stay together, and we don’t accept handing over the light weapons.”

Al-Rahal believed that the regime plays today a dirty game that seeks to completely control the region without Russian cover, which indicated differences between both sides, adding the coming days might carry new developments.

It seems that Israel isn’t satisfied with Moscow, al-Assad regime and Iran in addition to its worries about smuggling drugs on the borders, he added.

However, Syrian Kurdish feminist political activist, Sobiha Khalil, told SOHR that the Syrian regime wrongly believes that he beat the Syrian regime and ended his opponents, given his legitimacy is still crippling in the corridors of the UNSC with support of its allies, which has pushed for running al-Assad absurd elections, despite the Syrian geographic catastrophic scene of extreme poverty that has been increasing along with the escalation of the US economic sanctions and the spread of COVID-19 as well as the shortage of resources, the destruction of the infrastructure, the migration of minds and the diversified occupations.

The presidential elections that have passed without punishment or serious stance by the international community has pushed the regime to reconsider the position of some regions for security consideration and redirecting its policies towards controlling the some areas gradually, she said adding that the logic of the reconstruction for the regime means re-imposing its security and military grip.

Khalil added, “Because Daraa constitutes a symbolic reference, the regime wanted to prove fakeness of a prophecy that said the Spring revolution would reach the regime palace.”

The escalation in Daraa is a desperate bid to restore the regime prestige that has been spoiled by the Syrians males and females in Daraa, given the city has restored its activities clearly during the absurd presidential elections, she added.

The recent challenge for the regime wasn’t expected, because it demolishes al-Assad fake victories and impacts his security grip. So, the regime has imposed siege on Daraa al-Balad in an attempt to dismantle Daraa that constitutes the most important pillar for the Syrian popular movements that conflicts with the sectarian interests and projects of Iran that finds in Daraa geography neighboring Israel and Jordan a similar project to Hezbollah in south Lebanon, definitely, after rehabilitating the region by deporting its populations.

She added that such moves increase the military and political investments of Iran in Syria that would be later used as bazaars for serving the Iranian project in general and the nuclear deal in particular, referring to the Russian embarrassment that is attributed to the being a mediator for the settlement operation in Daraa. But the situation for the Russians is far from that explanation and has more to do with the project of the reconstruction that is in turn connected to the return of refugees and other related details.

Khalil added that what has been happening in Daraa and the military conflicts don’t only hit Russia attempts in this regard but also puts the entire Syrian issue outside the normal path and leads the hesitated international community to the impossible renormalize ties with the Russian regime.

The political activist also has highlighted the catastrophic human conditions that threat life of 11,000 families or 50,000 persons who suffer severe shortage of food materials and medical supplies, where many have lost their lives because of the deteriorating services and not allowing them to cross for receiving medication, while others were deprived from education by imposing compulsory isolation or slow death.

She explained that the regime and is main ally, Iran, were bringing some solutions that are close to be committing suicide like either surrendering to conditions of security grip or uprooting and deporting them from Daraa such as what has happened in other Syrian areas starting with Homs, Aleppo, Reef Dimashq and at the border with Turkey like Afrin, Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain.

The feminist political activist has deemed Daraa issue along with the deportation policy has been happening amid suspicious international silence that depended on regional and international interests for trading the blood of the Syrians and divisions and differences in Syria that help each party to take part of the cake turning the dignity and freedoms of the Syrians into tools for running the projects of the others.

She confirmed that the resistance of Daraa people and supporting them with all the peaceful, civil and political ways by all Syrians don’t only mean reproduction of the popular movement inside Syria after years of maneuvers, but will also shake regional and international balances that are involved in Syria topped by Astana tripartite and put the international community ahead of its responsibilities in accordance with the UNSC resolution number 2254 and not jumping on the aspirations of the Syrian people in achieving the political transition to modern, civil and democratic countries where sovereignty goes for the country that promotes dignity and preserves public freedoms for all.

In his turn, Adnan Hassan, representative of Amargy Movement, said what the regime forces violations in Daraa aren’t surprising as the forces have besieged the population to huger them, deeming the regime and it proxies in Daraa al-Balad is a clear message that the Russian guarantors and the neighboring Jordan and all the forces in Syria that the regime is the winner and is the player who decide and control.

Hassan added that “it is shameful that the international community will stay silent with regard to the regional tragedies especially the deportation, murder and demographic change starting from the north in Afrin to Daraa.

He believed that Washington as an occupying country is controlling the strings of the game and the conflict and is the main player who exhaust the other conflicting occupying forces either Russia, Iran and Turkey adding that the conflicts among the foreign forces in Syria will increase the conflict severity among the Middle East and the Syrian society components which is a situation that is rejected by Syria as has dangerous repercussions on the peace, security and stability.

Hassan stressed the international society and its humanitarian organizations should stand silent against the foreignoccupaitonsand the regime crimes of violating the deals and killing his people.

He called on the UNSC and the concerned international organizations to apply the resolutions of the UNSC number 2118 and 2254 that which would enable the international institutions and expand hope for the people of better free and safe life.

From it side, the SOHR called for stopping bloodshed of innocents and not to involve the population of Daraa in the conflicting equation stressing that each of the involved players in Syrian should bear the responsibility for not shedding a drop blood of all innocents in Syria.