Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
On November 29, Aleppo fell into the hands of an Islamist group from Idlib, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. It took just three days of fighting for the second largest city in Syria to fall to an invasion of Turkish-backed fighters.
Leaders of Arab countries were quick to call Damascus and pledge their support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Since 2011, some Arab world leaders have had stormy relationship with Assad at times, while others have always stood by Damascus. Much of that feeling of solidarity now is based on the realization that their country could next in line to be targeted by a foreign intervention using radical Islamic fighters.
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the UAE's solidarity with Syria and its support in combating terrorism and extremism when he called Assad after the Aleppo invasion.
King Abdullah II of Jordan emphasised Jordan's solidarity with Syria, reaffirming its support for Syria's territorial unity, sovereignty, and stabilit
On Sunday, both Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held phone talks with their Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh.
Safadi expressed Jordan's concern over the developments in Syria, stressing the importance of eliminating terrorism.
Hussein said destabilizing the security and stability of Syria poses a threat to the security of Iraq and the region in general, urging regional cooperation to address security challenges and combat extremism.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty has reiterated Egypt's unwavering support for the Syrian state and its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
During a telephone conversation with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bassam Sabbagh, Abdelatty stressed the importance of Syria's stability and security, with implications for the entire region. They discussed the support of the Syrian state within the Arab League.
On December 1, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. The unplanned meeting was in response to the invasion of Aleppo.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been leading efforts to normalize ties with Assad, reinstating Syria to the Arab League and hosting the Syrian leader on rare trips abroad. After Aleppo's fall, Assad called MBZ, with the UAE emphasizing a peaceful resolution to the conflict, while Syria highlighted counter-terrorism cooperation.
Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Dr. Ahmad Alderzi, the noted microbiologist and political activist, to gain more insight.
1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): On November 29, the industrial capital of Syria, Aleppo, was attacked and occupied by extremist Islamic terrorists supported by Turkiye. In your opinion, how did the terrorists manage to seize the city so quickly?
Ahmad Alderzi (AA): A combination of internal and external factors contributed to the easy fall of Aleppo. The internal factors relate to the severe exhaustion of the Syrian economy due to harsh Western sanctions on Syria, along with poor internal economic management, which reflected on the Syrian military's capabilities and morale.
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