Idlib: Haven for Terrorism

Idlib has been turned into a hotbed for multi-national terrorists from tens of countries! The unwavering backing by foreign countries to the terrorists operating in Syria do add fuel to the fire of terrorism.

According to Prometheus, the Cyprus Mail, If no solution is found, the troubled Syrian province could turn into an Al-Qaeda caliphate

Idlib is bleeding. The terrorists,who lost the war in Syria, are trying to retain power in the country’s north-western province at the cost of civilian lives. This is the final obstacle to attaining peace in the country.

Brett McGurk, US Special Presidential Envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State speaking at the American Institute of the Middle East, three years ago, said: “Idlib province is the largest Al Qaeda safe haven. It borders with Turkey and it is Ankara whom we should talk to about it.”

The Syrian-Turkish border existed then only on paper. In fact, it was utterly permeable resembling a block of Swiss cheese. Uncontrolled crossing points were a common occurrence. The most important of which was located near the Turkish border town of Reyhanli.

Over time, this porous border turned into a real transit camp, through which terrorists from all over the world penetrated into Syria. Weapons were supplied via the ports of Alexandria province, also on Turkish soil.

A year later, the US entered the frame under the CIA operation codenamed Timber Sycamore. The Americans, supported by the special services of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan, illegally sent military advisers, equipment and funds to Syria – with the consent of neither the Syrian government nor the international community.

By 2013, Washington satisfying the wishes of Tel Aviv gave the go-ahead for the supply of weapons to several thousand Islamic militants. The latter operated under the clear order of overthrowing the Syrian government.

In 2014 and 2015, the terrorists, who by now possessed state-of-the-art weapons including anti-tank missile systems, pursued a hard-fought offensive on the province’s capital, Idlib, which was then controlled by Syrian government forces.

After the fall of the province’s major city, thousands of militants of the Islamist Army of Conquest, aided by Turkey and the Gulf states advanced to Aleppo.

They were stopped by the Syrian army at great sacrifice of life. The turning point of the war occurred in late 2016 with the complete liberation of Aleppo from the armed gangs.  All terrorists flocked to Idlib – groups of foreign mercenaries and a medley of local jihadists from the ranks of Al-Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra.

A new bloody drama unfolded in Idlib – a struggle for power between various gangs. The “moderate Syrian opposition”, closely connected with Turkey and the Gulf countries, started creating its own political structures – the “Salvation Government” – with its own security services and police.

Those “moderates” decided to establish a new command system to dismember the country and cut off Idlib from Syria in the future.  In turn, Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists, renamed by that time Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), suggested that the new territory be under their patronage!

At this point, we need to revisit Turkey’s role. A year ago, in September 2018, an agreement was reached on a ceasefire in Idlib coupled with the creation of a 20 kilometre de-escalation zone.

The Russian military police prepared humanitarian corridors for all those civilians wishing to leave while under Turkish supervision all heavy weapons were to be taken away.

Ankara had six months to fulfill its part of the deal. Yet, before the Turkish military’s very eyes the HTS terrorists intruded into the buffer zone with weapons consolidating their position.

They increased the number of attacks across the dividing line. The Russian Khmeimim military base in Latakia suffered drone attacks. The problem of Idlib requires an urge

nt solution. The situation is rapidly deteriorating.

Dr. Mohamad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

alibrahim56@hotmail.com