The Communist Party sends solidarity to the Syrian people in the wake of the fall of the Assad Government and the seizure of Damascus by Islamic fundamentalist and jihadi forces. These are forces which have been armed, funded, organised and directed by the United States, Britain, NATO, Turkey and Israel for more than a decade.
The imperialist powers have orchestrated the tragedy that has unfolded in Syria since 2011 and which has featured massacres, the displacement of millions of people and the rise of jihadist groups including the so-called Islamic State. The aim of the imperialist powers is to dismember Syria and ensure that a compliant state is in place to guarantee their control of Syria’s oil wealth and the country’s strategic location in the Middle East.
Eastern parts of Syria have been occupied by the USA and its proxies since 2015 up to the present day. The timing of this new offensive clearly coincides with Israel’s genocide in Gaza, its war on Lebanon and Israeli goals in the region. Israel’s bombardment of Syria over recent weeks was clearly intended to soften up the advance of the jihadis. The fall of the Assad government was decided and planned in Washington, Tel Aviv and Ankara, not in Syria.
The use of barbarous Islamic fundamentalists is well established in the imperialist playbook, from Afghanistan to Libya and now Syria and other places besides. The United States, Israel and other NATO allies create and arm these groups with no care for the massacres and other crimes they commit.
The despicable propaganda featured in the state and monopoly media in the last week talking of ‘moderate jihadis’ should comfort no one. It is an insult to all those who have been slaughtered or made refugees by these ‘moderate groups’ in Syria for more than a decade. Rule by these groups will not bring peace and reconciliation to Syria. It is far more likely to produce a spiralling escalation in sectarian violence, a failed state, millions of refugees and even greater destabilisation in the broader region. And just as in Libya, the imperialist powers and monopolies will use the opportunity to plunder oil wealth.
The role of Britain in the tragedy that has unfolded in Syria since 2011, as a NATO member and junior partner of the United States, should not be overlooked. The British state has helped fund and arm the very terrorist organisations that have now stormed Damascus. Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, Britain has assisted the Syrian opposition to the tune of £215 million via 13 different projects which – according to one report – coincided with the resurgence of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (“HTS”), an al-Qaeda affiliated group, in Idlib.
The names of most Syrian opposition groups funded by Britain’s misnamed Ministry of “Defence” remain a secret; however it is known HTS affiliates Harakat al-Hazm and Jaish al-Islam are among the recipients.
While the peace and anti-war movement in Britain did prevent direct military strikes against Syria in 2013, we have failed to mobilise against British involvement in Syria and the use of British money to fund and arm jihadis. Too many people have swallowed the line that the British state has the right and even the duty to benevolently ‘topple dictators’ abroad. We have seen the consequences for the peoples of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere.
Millions of refugees have already fled the war in Syria, thousands of them desperately attempting to cross the Channel. New arrivals will be demonised and attacked by the same states who provided the weapons to jihadists that forced them to flee. When you export guns, you import refugees. Yet Keir Starmer applauds the victory of jihadis in Syria while claiming that ‘stopping the small boats’ is his chief priority.
The peace and anti-war movements must redouble our efforts to end the involvement of the British state in funding and arming conflicts in the Middle East and around the world. Preventing and ending the imperialist plots of our own ruling class is one of our most important duties.
The Communist Party of Britain calls for:
- An end to the involvement of the British state and other imperialist powers in the war in Syria.
- An end to violence and for self-determination for the Syrian people.
- Solidarity with the Syrian people, especially with women, ethnic and religious minorities, gays and lesbians and with our comrades in the Syrian communist parties – all of whom face violence and repression at the hands of the jihadis.
Imperialist hands off Syria! Join the struggle to end British imperialism!
Communist Party
London, Britain
8 December 2024
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For further information or to arrange an interview contact Johnnie Hunter, Communications Director, johnniehunter@communistparty.org.uk.