In an article published here in November 2018, I referred to the statement of the UK representative of a UN organisation named the International, Impartial, Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011.

I will repeat that statement because it is relevant to the current situation in Syria. That person stated,

The United States have secretly armed its main proxy group in northern and eastern Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems, Sputnik reported on January 5.

The Russian news agency said that the U.S.-led coalition delivered BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and unidentified man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADs), possibly FIM-92 Stingers, to the Kurdish-led group in mid-December.

The US base located in the Konico gas field, in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor, was hit by a rocket strike, considered the most violent recorded to date, various media reported.

Unidentified gunmen launched more than 10 projectiles at the enclave; alarms went off and the sound of ambulances was heard, while reconnaissance planes and helicopters intensified their flights after the action, according to activists.

The curtain is coming down on the brutal 11-year old Syrian conflict, which former US President and Nobel Laureate Barack Obama initiated, as the Arab Spring swept through West Asia two decades ago. The United States has suffered yet another big setback in West Asia as the year 2022 draws to a close. The unfolding Turkish-Syrian reconciliation process under Russian mediation is to be seen as a saga of betrayal and vengeance. 

News about the impending removal of foreign forces from Syria that you will not get…from Western mainstream

Happy New Year 2023 to one and all. With some luck we may all make it through the next 12 months intact.

Israel launched more missile strikes on Syria early Monday, targeting the Damascus International Airport and putting it out of service as Israeli strikes against Syrian airports have become more frequent.

According to the Syrian military, the missile strikes killed two Syrian soldiers, wounded two more, and caused material damage in a nearby location. Israel rarely comments on its operations in Syria and has not acknowledged the strikes.