Homs, city of ruins. This destroyed city is the fruit of Western "humanitarian" intervention and Islamic "Jihad." West: stop your "humanitarianism." Islam: stop your "Jihad." Good intentions almost always lead to bad results. The people of Syria did not ask for either humanitarianism or Jihad. In Homs these two dangerous philosophical, political, and religious forces have produced destruction, strife, and hatred. It's up to the people of the area now to rebuild their society and set an example for the rest of Syria.
An excerpt from, "Thousands of Syrians enter Homs after rebels leave" by Albert Aji and Diaa Hadid, AP, May 10:
Residents from Homs' smashed ancient quarters scavenged what they could from their homes, mostly clothes, dusty mattresses and some burned gas canisters, carrying them away in plastic bags and trolleys."My house was completely destroyed and burnt, but I found some photos," said Sarmad Mousa, 49, a resident of the old Hamidiyeh district. "They will remain a memory for me of the beautiful days we had here."Some accused rebels of looting and burning their homes. Smaller crowds made the journey Friday.Other residents were already making plans to stay in their homes, sweeping them clear of rubble and broken glass."God willing, we will sleep in our homes tonight, not tomorrow," one man told Lebanese television station al-Mayadeen. "Even if the homes aren't ready, we are going to help each other build our homes," he said.Hundreds of rebels surrendered their stronghold in Homs to government forces in exchange for their safe passage to the nearby northern countryside as part of a deal that began Wednesday.
Negotiations on the liberation of Homs began in early March. That was two months ago. It was implemented from May 7 to 9. Combatants and civilians who supported them, a total of 2,250 people, were allowed to leave the city on buses. They could take with them small arms and personal belongings. The document states that the windows of the bus should be tinted or covered by curtains. An Iranian representative was on board each vehicle. The convoy was escorted by police to a rebel area twenty kilometers to the north.An excerpt from, "Syrian Conflict: The Battle for Homs" by Tony Cartalucci, Land Destroyer, May 7:
Homs, described by NATO and GCC propaganda as the "heart of the revolution", is returned to the authority of the Republic, without blood being shed. Its liberation marks the end of the takfisriste project in Syria. Upon entering the old town, Syrian soldiers discovered several mass graves in which the jihadists threw their victims.
Curtains hid fighters from news reporters. We do not know how many were foreign officers. The only thing certain is that they are French and Saudis, with some Americans. They abandoned their heavy weapons. They were to continue their journey and be exfiltrated by Turkey. The Syrian government is committed not to speak publicly about the presence of foreign officers, but it is an open secret for journalists who approached civilians.
If the presence of Saudis is not surprising, that of the French and Americans is. Paris had formally severed contacts with jihadists in Syria since its intervention in Mali, in January 2013 , against other jihadists. So much for severing, although these contacts were more discreet. As for the Americans, they have a reputation for leaving the ship to their allies when the weather turns bad. Yet there they were.
Henceforth, the question is what is the intention of NATO and the GCC. It seems that the Nicaraguan style war is over. Perhaps because the Republic resisted, perhaps because it was becoming increasingly difficult to find candidates for jihad. Washington would fall back on simple support for its Syrian employees. From this point of view, the liberation of Homs corresponds to an escalation against Damascus. For the past week, rockets rain down on the capital, causing many casualties. Given the balance of power within the population, the outcome of the war leaves no doubt and will be speedy. Bashar Assad should be democratically elected by a large majority of his fellow citizens on June 3, and the war should slowly end, its funding being provided only until September.
Homs has been passed off by the Western media as the symbolic capital of the so-called "revolution." Its liberation by the Syrian Arab Army would therefore be not only a tactical and strategic victory, but an immense psychological and political gain for Damascus as well.An excerpt from, "Is Homs deal ‘turning point’ in Syria crisis?" by Samir al-Aita, Al Monitor, May 12:
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For Syria and its allies however, regardless of the narratives penned by the Western media and espoused from the podiums of Western politicians, the process of rebuilding and reconciliation will be entirely theirs to decide. Such rebuilding and reconciliation will most likely reflect the same patience and perseverance exhibited throughout the last three years of Western subversion, provocations, and acts of war visited upon the besieged Middle Eastern nation.
Certainly, this agreement was not sudden or swift. It was time-consuming given the large number of actors involved. Also, it is hard to imagine no US engagement, otherwise a visit of the National Coalition’s delegation and the inauguration of a bureau in the United States while the Homs deal was being sealed cannot be understood. Otherwise, this deal would have seemed as though it was surrender.
This means that the tragedy of Homs has laid the foundation for the first large-scale local, regional and international negotiation. Homs, the capital of the revolution, was also the heart of the Syrian crisis in its military, political and sectarian dimensions.
This negotiation will lay the foundation for post-Homs Syria. This deal is a lot more important than the release of the Maaloula nuns because in this case the bet was on what would happen next in Qalamoun so that Lebanon would not erupt in crisis. In fact, there is an implicit regional and international agreement to keep Lebanon away from the crisis, and for Syria to control its borders.
Following [the recent agreement in] Homs, all parties will follow up on the return of residents to their destroyed houses and neighborhoods, and the behavior of the pro-regime militias in Homs after their rivals were sent away, in addition to the relationship between the latter and the army and security forces. The restructuring of the armed opposition factions, and the battles in Aleppo and its surroundings, will also be followed up.
