Reem Rifai
@ReemRifai_
Strategic Comms and Policy Analysis. Careers in IGO, NGOs and Research Consultancy. LSE, Harvard, GWU and AU educated.
Syria is for Syria’s Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Circassians, Turkomen, Alawites, Sunnis, Shias, Christians, Druze, Ismailis, Yazidis, and when they come back, our Jews too. We are stronger together and we are beautiful together. Syrians, guard our unity. The opportunity we have…
The video of an STG soldier executing a Druze man is horrific.
This is a horrific video. No one should have to see it. But the central exchange before the summary execution by STG soldiers is the chilling part. - What sect are you? - I am Syrian. - What does “Syrian” mean? Fellow soldier says, “He’s a Druze, kill him”. So he kills him.
هدوء في كافة محاور السويداء وانسحاب تدريجي لمقاتلي العشائر باتجاه درعا لإعطاء المجال لقوى الأمن العام لتنفيذ بنود الاتفاق فيما لازالت قوات الأمن العام منتشرة في بلدات الريف الغربي للسويداء والآن يتوقف الأمر على الدول الضامنة ومدى جدية الضغط على ميليشيات حكمت الهجري بتنفيذ الاتفاق
Following the Suweida Bedouin woman’s call to the Arab tribes to save them following Hijri’s attacks on them, the tribes responded stating, with all due respect to the State, we are not against the State but it is our duty and right to protect our tribes and people in Suweida. We…
حقوقنا أن نحفظ أبناءنا وعشائرنا وسوف نحمي أبناء قبائلنا وسنكون سداً منيعاً أمام عصابات الهجري التي تهدف لقتل وترحيل أبناء العشائر #الإخبارية_السورية
There is a lot of noise about what drew the tribes of Syria to Suweida following the withdraw of Syrian government forces. This video may hint to what drew them. This Bedouin woman that was displaced and fled after GSS withdrew and Hijri’s gangs attacked, brutally massacring them…
مناشدة النساء من عشائر البدو.. من بين الصخور عائلات تفترش الأرض بعد تهجيرها من منازلهم في السويداء على يد ميليشيا الهجري
And for more context, there are an estimated 1 to 2 million Bedouins in Syria. This may explain the tone and language Al Sharaa used when addressing them in his speech and asking them to withdraw. Our region is not Europe and America.
As context, prior to the fall of the regime, it was believed that HTS had around 30-60k fighters. Also, unrelated, but prior to the fall of the regime, reports suggest the SDF had 100k. So 200k is a ton.
His death is yet another confirmation of the deep involvement of former regime operatives within the ranks of al-Hijri’s militias, who now continue their crimes under a new guise. Hadi Abu Assi was a remnant of the criminal Assad regime and a former bodyguard of Issam…
هادي أبو عاصي من فلول نظام الأسد المجرم ومرافق عصام زهر الدين سابقاً وأحد أعضاء ميليشيات حكمت الهجري وقد قتل خلال معارك السويداء على يد مقاتلي العشائر باليومين الماضية
What is missing from this analysis is the economic dimension. Suwayda is not agriculturally or industrially self-sufficient and has no banking system. Jordan is hostile to the Captagon trade and Israel can't bail Suwayda out. Suwayda is not viable economically without Damascus
Syrian government didn’t have a lot of choice, it wants to keep support from Washington and doesn’t want to have to deal with Israeli airstrikes; it has been told basically not to secure Suwayda and instead remove Bedouin from the area and separate them from the Druze. If it lets…
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كما أني أنا لا أقبل بأن يُقال عن أهل السنة دواعش فإني لا أقبل بأن يِقال عن أهل السويداء عملاء لإسرائيل ولا أقبل بأن يُقال عن العلويين فلول ولا أقبل بأن يُقال عن الكرد انفصاليين. في كل منّا صالحه وطالحه والتعميم لغة الحمقى. هذا الوطن لم يعد يحتمل المغامرات والمقامرات وتصفية…
Part of the Syria Sanctions Accountability Act that would extend Syria’s sanctions for a couple more years, which would be indescribably catastrophic for the Syrian people, and that will be debated tomorrow includes requiring the new Syrian government to combat Captagon…
1/ Tomorrow, the House Financial Services Committee will vote on H.R. 4427, the so-called Syria Sanctions Accountability Act. At first glance, it appears noble—protecting minorities, combating Captagon. But read the fine print—and you’ll see the truth. @FinancialCmte @FSCDems…
Exactly! My cousin Reem nailed it on Israel’s and Iran’s interest intersect in Syria! 👇
Israel waged a military war on Syria. Iran waged an information war on Syria. And Israel joined them in that too.
If this bill to extend the sanctions on Syria for two more years passes, Syria will sink further into an abyss. The Syrian people will suffer. Stop punishing the people of Syria.
📣We’ve done it before—and we can do it again. Congress is advancing H.R. 4427, a bill that would deepen harmful Syria sanctions with no path forward. Take just two minutes to send a letter to your representatives. Let’s speak in volumes and show that our voices matter.…
Pained to see the attacks on @fkontar78. He was with the revolution. He has lost loved ones these past few days. Please, Syrians, we need each other more than ever. Anger is justified. Everyone’s is. But turning against each other is not just sad, it’s the end of us. We don’t…