The House of Assad Lays in Ruins; Hazaras Seized as Slaves for Iran-Backed Militias: Syria Watch (Updated)

Rachel Brooks is an independent journalist affiliated with Frontsight Media. The following report was generated by Brooks independently and does not necessarily reflect the views of Frontsight. For more information on Frontsight Media, visit the main site or on Youtube @frontsightmedia.

The Bottom Line Upfront 

Rebels have moved to siege Damascus, in what The Wall Street Journal described as being a "lightning offensive". In a recent update, the rebel forces say they have seized control of Syria, and Syrian army command has reportedly informed officers that the Assad regime has ended.

The advance of rebels to take Damascus has been described by analysts of the offensive as "blistering." The rebel group, known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group described as a "radical group with Turkish-supported allies", has already stormed the cities of Homs and Aleppo and effectively tipped the scales of power, in a way that Western diplomats did not foresee, Middle East Eye wrote.

At the time of this report, images obtained by The Guardian from the scene showed residents of Hama coming out in support of the rebellion's move to overthrow Assad.

The Breakdown

The offensive has reportedly been underway since a shaky ceasefire was reached between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel. At the time of this report, the rebellion has asked for foreign support in disabling the Assad regime's chemical weapons.

The Middle East Eye analysts wrote that the United States was "blindsided" by the revolution of HTS, inspire of satellite surveillance in the region. The motion of revolutionary power has disrupted the balance of power in the area, and has pulled the so-called "lynchpin" of Russia and Iran's claim to power in the Levant.

The air in the Middle East is heavy with the shifting of power. Citizens spoke to Agence France Presse describing the congestion on highways, and a quiet terror pushing masses to withdraw money from ATMs and stock up on supplies. 

The press of forces around Damascus follows the capture of the key city Hama, which Reuters reported on December 5.

The people of Damascus look on in quiet dread. War is well-known to the people of Syria, but there are things about this war that are different than the decades before. 

Human Rights Note: Pressganged Hazara Afghans Tossed Into the Chaotic Mix  

The reignition of rebellion and mayhem in Syria does not affect only the people of Damascus. For the Afghan people of Iran, Iran's interests in material support of the Assad regime means slavery.

Shabnam Assadollahi, a political commentator whose works have been featured by the Gatestone Institute International Policy Council, and is a well-known voice of the Iranian pro-democracy movement, explained to Brooks that witnesses within Iran had seen firsthand how Iran had approached support of Assad in an indirect way. On the one hand, Iran has motioned to force Hazaras into impressment, or forced military enlistment, to support pro-Iranian forces within Syria, while at the same time removing Qods force (IRGC) combatants from Syria.

This account followed media reports that Iran had warned it would send reinforcment, although no witness of a “major mobilization effort” had been seen. In this conflict, Iran supports the Assad regime, which rebels are mobilizing to overthrow. 

“The Islamic regime in Iran has reportedly been forcibly taking Afghan residents, including refugees, from their homes and workplaces in cities across Iran and deploying them to Syria as frontline soldiers,” Assadollahi wrote, citing sources within Iran, as well as members of the Afghan community of Canada, who have corroborated this practice. 

Relatives of the community were direct correspondents who said they had witnessed this press-ganging. One such relative identified only as “a Hazara witness” explains that his brother was taken to Syria from Iran. Witnesses explained that all the forced conscripts were Hazaras and that you could “see the fear in their eyes” as they were kidnapped. 

al-Assad's Family Flee, as the Doha Forum Calls For Violence To End

Meanwhile, "rampant speculations" about Bashar Al-Assad's whereabouts continue to circulate as rebels close in, with Assad making last efforts to hang on to power by making overtures of diplomacy to foreign powers, including U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump, The Guardian reported. The Syrian government denies that Assad has fled the country, Newsweek reported.

Meanwhile, reports circulate that the Kremlin has refused to come to Assad's rescue, as his cling to power begins to dissolve. The United States likewise is resigned that the Assad regime could likely fall "within days," CNN wrote.

The Wall Street Journal reports that al-Assad's wife and children have fled to Russia, and his brothers have gone to the United Arab Emirates. As al-Assad's power crumbles, a meeting of the Doha Forum has urged for rebels to end the violent press to take the capital.

An Outlook on the State of Foreign Interests

Russia and Iran are now being observed as leaving the nation, and negotiations are ongoing. This had followed al-Assad's proposal to force Russia and Iran out, and to negotiate with the United States and Israeli diplomats. The Institute of the Study of War writes that Iran is anticipated to send weapons support to the Syrian government, and with that potential shipment, political analysts have noted the impressment of the Hazara Afghans who appear to be a choice to send in support, rather than new numbers of Qods forces.

As of the time of this report, political analysts of the region had estimated that roughly 40 percent of the nation was controlled by Kurdish forces. Earlier today, Turkey and Russia had been demanding an "immediate end" to the fighting in the region.

"What Western leaders orchestrated in Iran in 1979 is now being mirrored in their current strategy for Syria," Assadollahi wrote, explaining that Trump will not intervene in Syria when he transitions to power, replacing the lame duck administration of incumbent Joe Biden. Trump has been quoted addressing the fallout in Syria as "not our fight" explaining that supporting Syria does not, in his view, benefit the American people.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan appears poised to encircle Syria, and continues to voice his support for the radical insurgency, voicing hope that the offensive would continue "without issues". Turkey will protect its interests in fending off Kurdish-led groups in Syria that Ankara believes to be terrorists. In the wake of the rebellion, Erdogan has stated that a "new reality" has taken over in Syria, speaking as the rebels broke into Homs, and carved out the path to Damascus, Reuters reported.