Hello everyone, welcome to “Current Affairs Scan”. I am Jin Ran. Please subscribe to our channel, support us, like, comment, and share.
Today’s focus: Syrian rebels target China, Israel invades Damascus; new Syrian Prime Minister appointed, new policies surprise all sides; Israeli Army destroys Russian military base, Syrian Air Force completely wiped out; Lingyin Temple’s plaques mystify, Chinese netizens mock and satirize.
First of all, I want to thank our audience for the many comments on the previous episode of our program. It seems like many of you indirectly participated in that episode, with some insightful analysis about the situation in Syria, providing diverse perspectives and enriching the content of the program. A big thank you.
Some viewers expressed concerns about my excessive gestures, giving me a serious warning. Let me explain, my frequent movements have reasons behind them. I spent about twenty years as a news anchor, where I couldn’t move a muscle while on air. Twenty years of that made me stiff, so now I am going through a “retaliatory” stage of physical flexibility. Please bear with me for another 10 years, and I should return to a phase of more restrained gestures. Thank you for your understanding.
For viewers who are following the Syrian situation, I believe the most interesting aspect currently is the composition and policies of the new government. On December 10th local time, Mohamed Bashar was appointed as the interim Prime Minister of the Syrian transitional government. His tenure lasts until March 1st next year, mainly responsible for the handover from former Prime Minister Jalali and ensuring a smooth transition.
Both the new and former Prime Ministers are noteworthy figures. The new 41-year-old Prime Minister Bashar was originally the Prime Minister of the “Syrian Salvation Government,” a main faction within the Syrian rebels called the “Sham Liberation Organization,” established in northwestern Syria bordering Turkey in 2017. In other words, the rebels have their former Prime Minister as the new Syrian Prime Minister.
Before his political career, the new Prime Minister Bashar was an engineer, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Aleppo University, later obtaining an Honors Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law and Law, along with certificates in English and Public Administration.
On the other hand, former Prime Minister Jalali, during the rebel attack in Damascus on December 8th, chose to stay in his home in Damascus while most government officials fled. He expressed readiness to cooperate with any leadership selected by the people and provide all necessary assistance. This resulted in the scene of Jalali being taken away from his home by the rebels.
Initially, I was skeptical about the new Syrian government, but the initial actions on the first day in office surprised me. Let’s review the changes that have taken place.
Firstly, all government employees are required to return to their positions to ensure the functioning of the state mechanisms. The Central Bank has resumed operations, announcing that commercial banks will reopen starting Thursday, a step towards economic recovery. Additionally, Aleppo airport will immediately resume domestic flights. It appears that the new Prime Minister Bashar understands the importance of economic recovery for the country. Let’s delve into the more intriguing points.
Syrian officials announced that Syrian women are now allowed to dress freely as they wish. This seemingly small change serves as a litmus test for whether Syria is moving towards extreme Islamicization or a secular society. Can you imagine the appearance and street scenes of Syrian women in the 1970s and 80s from this photo?
Two other points caught my attention: Syrian officials announced that harming reporters will result in imprisonment. What better way to support the democratic foundation of a society than freedom of speech? Furthermore, a general amnesty is declared for all Syrian military personnel.
It seems that the previous statement by rebel leader Jalani about “national reconciliation” was not mere lip service. The amnesty for former Syrian government officials marks the beginning of “national reconciliation.” While some wrongdoers may slip through the cracks, the measure still serves as a shortcut to restoring normalcy in Syrian societal life.
The key external factor that may influence the future of Syria and the Middle East – whether to confront or seek peace – is Israel. Rebel leader Jalani’s statement brought relief to many.
Jalani stated: “We maintain an open attitude towards establishing friendships with all countries in the region, including Israel. Besides the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and Iran, we have no enemies. Israel is not an enemy either. Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah have greatly helped us. We will now handle the remaining issues.”
The statement “Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah have greatly helped us” sounds like an olive branch extended to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who just expressed a similar sentiment the day before: the success of the Syrian rebels this time was due to Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah and Iran. Jalani’s words should please Netanyahu.
However, Israel has navigated through the rough waters of the Middle East and heard it all, experienced it all. Therefore, good words may be listened to, but actions are unlikely to be softened by Israel.
On December 9th, Russian spokesperson Peskov said: “We are going through a transitional and extremely unstable period, which naturally takes time. We will engage in serious dialogue with the new Syrian government.” Surprisingly, Russia, who stands behind Assad, hopes to maintain its naval base in Syria. Israel likely thought: “Go have a good talk with the new Syrian government.” Consequently, they bombed the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria that day.
Russia urgently posted on its famous aviation social network requesting that Israel refrain from attacking the Syrian Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia, where Russian forces are stationed. Israel’s response might have been: “Who are you to tell us not to attack there? Just you wait.” That night, the Hmeimim Air Base was also engulfed in flames.
The next day, it was observed that Israeli ground forces had occupied the entire area of the Golan Heights adjacent to Syria and Israel and established a strategic buffer zone.
The Golan Heights lie in the border region of Israel, Syria, and Jordan, with a length of 71 kilometers north to south, and approximately 42 kilometers at its widest point east to west, totaling over 1800 square kilometers. Presently, Israel controls about 1200 square kilometers of the Golan Heights, roughly two-thirds of the area, with UN forces setting up a buffer zone in the northern border region. I previously mentioned in my program that Israel assisted UN troops in bombing the rebels a few days ago because the rebels had advanced into sensitive areas of the Golan Heights.
On December 10th, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke out, stating in a video: “We hope to maintain peaceful relations with Syria’s new rulers. However, if the Syrian government allows Iranian forces to reestablish themselves in Syria or permits weapons to be transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon, we will make them pay a heavy price, ensuring the fate of the new rulers is like that of the Assad regime.”
At the same moment of intense interest to various parties, Lebanese media reported on December 10th that Israeli Defense Forces tanks were moving north along the Lebanon-Syria border, just a dozen kilometers away from the Syrian capital, Damascus.
If I was surprised by the initial policies of the new Syrian government on the first day, what truly shocked me was the video footage of Uighur forces within the Syrian rebel factions threatening to use the captured weapons in the Assad government’s arsenal against the Chinese regime.
As the Syrian rebels, especially the Uighur faction, issue threats to the Chinese regime, dissension is brewing within Chinese cyberspace. Following Assad’s swift downfall, Chinese online platforms began featuring various videos mocking the Chinese government. Learning that Assad had a support rate within Syria exceeding 97.29%, some Chinese netizens commented, suggesting, “There might have even been a 99.8% support rate,” alluding to the 2018 amendment by the Chinese National People’s Congress approving the removal of term limits for Chinese President. Some remarked that over 90% support might signify a high-risk country, while others sarcastically compared the supposed 91% happiness index in China in 2023 to question if Syrian citizens’ happiness index also surpasses 90%.
One netizen posted a shocking revelation, claiming that the central position of the Longevity plaque in the main hall of Hangzhou’s Lingyin Temple is dedicated to the fate of the People’s Republic of China. Another netizen responded, “This is truly surreal, atheistic bandits making offerings to themselves; must be excellent, are Assad’s plaques also displayed there side by side?” calling it already an auspicious occurrence.
In response, a netizen even composed a couplet: “Numerous trials lead to success at Lingyin Temple, hammering out fate with Assad.” with the horizontal banner reading: “National Destiny” is coming!
That concludes this edition of “Current Affairs Scan”. We appreciate your support; please subscribe to our channel, like, comment, and share. Your direct financial support would be greatly appreciated. Until next time.
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