Situation in Syria Through the Eyes of Witnesses

The Syrian Army has been at war for the fifth year in a row, it is exhausted. But despite the temporary territorial losses about 80% of the Syrian population lives on territories under the control of the government.

On July 24-25, Damascus hosted the International Media Conference for Confronting Takfiri Terrorism. The Syrian Ministry of Information gave participants of the conference, including Russian experts, an opportunity to visit different districts and facilities in order to see what is really going on in the country.

Military expert Vladimir Yevseyev, Head of the Caucasus Department, Institute of CIS Countries, took part in the recent round-table conference in Moscow. He noted that about 7 million people were suffering from the crisis and military operations, equating with about a third of the Syrian population. 3.5 million people found refuge in neighbour states, Lebanon and Turkey.

Despite the temporary territorial losses, according to official UN data, about 80% of the Syrian population lives on territories under the control of the government. In the expert's words, it is important to have a clear understanding that the government is legitimate because people flee to the territory controlled by the Syrian National Army.

Yevseyev sees great significance in the realization of the Syrian Electronic Army project on repelling information attacks. 85-90% of all Arab media condemn Bashar Assad, yet, nonetheless, the Syrian Electronic Army is capable of reaching out to people in such complicated conditions. Nothing can cushion the truth: neither money nor political resources, it breaks through the information wall created by the West.

The expert said that he had visited Syria and Europe. It seemed outrageous to him that, for example, all the Swiss newspapers were depicting the hard life of Syrian refugees and disregarding the hard life of Syrians in Syria itself.

In the most severe conditions, Syria took the courage to host a large conference attended by 210 foreign delegates. It is impossible to name any other country that assembled 210 foreign representatives and guaranteed their security in a state of war. The residential area the guests visited was located near a battlefield. Nonetheless, Syrian authorities were confident that security could be enforced in such conditions. It means that the government believes in its victory.

As a military expert, Vladimir Yevseyev could not miss the opportunity of pinpointing the military aspect of the situation in Syria. The Syrian Army has been at war for the fifth year in a row, it is exhausted. The army is going through tough times indeed. The problem is not only that the Syrian army is low on weapons - in any case they can be delivered. There is also a shortage of people who could protect the Syrian nation. The economy is at a standstill. It used to rely on extraction of oil, which is currently under the control of the Islamists, on tourism, which was put out of existence, and on agriculture, most of which has been devastated. These are the conditions Syria has been struggling through in a war ongoing for the fifth year.

The expert believes that the problem is not only that the forces are uneven: the Islamists are constantly reinforced by weapons; dual standards; attacks that go beyond deserts and, finally, the fact that the US suppliess the Islamists with weapons. In such conditions, withstanding the pressure is exceptionally arduous for Syria, it needs support from friendly states, including Russia. Syria seeks for humanitarian and financial assistance. Syria needs at least a billion dollars to overcome the hardships.

Yevseyev said that he had been to Ankara a few weeks ago and had often heard some Turkish experts sharing opinions about the possible aftermath of Bashar Assad's resignation, about the role of Iran and about those who would be in control of the territories. There are active debates about formation of a buffer zone. This raises many questions: who will control the zone, would Turkey deploy its forces there? Turkey wants Americans to deploy their troops, but the US wants Turks to send its own. In the current state of affairs, none of them has made such a move. Good intentions to form a buffer zone would be fruitless, because they would mean a de facto occupation of the Syrian territory.

The expert reckons that Turkey would be forced to correct its foreign policy towards Syria, giving Syrian people an additional chance for victory over terrorism and external forces dead-set on destroying it. The idea that some government could substitute Bashar Assad is absurd. If the government of Damascus is ousted, we will get Libya in its worst-case scenario. 

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