Foreign Digest: Syria, Romania and Cuba

Syria: The United States conducted a major round of airstrikes against Islamist al-Qaeda and Islamic State terrorists and also Iranian-backed militias in Syria after the tyrannical Assad regime’s fall last week. There are around 900 American troops in northeastern Syria, in the areas held by the Kurds and their allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces to assist against the Islamist terrorists. Israel conducted many raids in Syria, targeting chemical weapons and conventional weapons that pose a threat, destroying much of the Syrian armed forces’ remaining assets. The Turkish-backed Islamists who brought down Assad only control a small part of Syria, although it includes the capital and the three next largest cities. They are ending Syria’s status as a narco-state, having discovered several captagon factories that produce an illicit narcotic I posted about last month. In addition to removing the threat from drug abuse, the effects of the fall of the Assad regime that had oppressed Syrians for more than fifty years are profound for the region and the world. It was the last remaining Ba’ath Socialist party-led State. It will lead to more independence for Lebanon, which Syria had dominated for decades. It makes Israel safer, as it cuts off the Islamic Republic of Iran’s arms supply to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization, and to the Mediterranean. And it deprives Russia of a key ally and undermines the Russian image as a strong and reliable ally, just as its failure to protect Armenia had suggested. The fall of Assad validated American and allied support for Ukraine, which weakened Russia, and U.S. support for Israel, which weakened Hezbollah and Iran, thereby reducing the threat from the two rogue States and their allies. It also proved the effectiveness of U.S. and allies' economic sanctions, that also weakened the regime. The Iranian and Russian support for Assad and the tyrant’s targeting bombing of civilians and his use of chemical weapons against them had caused millions of Syrians to flee, some of whom are already beginning to return. Moreover, the fall of yet another dictator, especially one that seemed secure for the last few years after appearing to have won the Syrian Civil War, gives hope to oppressed peoples around the world. Meanwhile, the U.S. indicted for torture and visa fraud the head of Syrian prisons who has resided in South Carolina since 2020. He had led Syria’s prisons from 2005 to 2008. It is hoped that that other Syrians responsible for atrocities and torture will be brought to justice, and that Syria will be peaceful, free, representative and inclusive of all ethnic and religious minorities, and prosperous, and no longer a military, terrorist or narcotics threat to its neighbors. Romania: After the Romanian parliamentary elections earlier this month, the pro-Western parties agreed to form a coalition government, including conservatives, to keep the far-right pro-Russian parties out of power. The ruling center-left party, which had received the most votes, the two main center-right parties (one Christian democrat and the other reformist), and a party that represents ethnic Hungarians, will comprise the grand coalition of pro-European parties. They also agreed to back a pro-European presidential candidate versus far-right pro-Russian parties in elections that will be rescheduled early next year after the results of the first round were annulled because of heavy Russian interference. As I had posted, a little-known far-right pro-Russian candidate with no party who had not made any campaign expenditures came in first. The candidate of the reformist center-right party came second. Cuba: The U.S. is keeping Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism for harboring Colombian terrorists.