A British diplomatic source tells me that “President” al-Jolani aka al-Sharaa has assured the UK that Syria will “normalise relations” with Israel, recognise the State of Israel and exchange ambassadors, by the end of 2026. This is part of a deal in exchange for substantial Western financial support and the lifting of sanctions on Syria.
I asked whether the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Syria was part of the deal, and surprisingly this was not raised by either side. The UK regards it as a bilateral matter between Syria and Israel, and al-Jolani does not appear to prioritise Israeli withdrawal.
I was also told that the European Union’s External Action Service (EEAS) and Directorate General for International Partnerships has decided that al-Jolani’s Syrian cabinet of ministers does meet the promises he gave to the EU Pledging Conference in Brussels on 17 March, through “foreign minister” al-Shibani, to form an inclusive government, specifically including Alaouite and Christian communities and also female ministers.
The conference pledged 5.5 million euros to Syria in grants and loans, half of it from the EU itself. The condition of an inclusive government was stressed by the EU in its public statements.
Subsequently on 27 March al-Jolani announced his “inclusive” cabinet of 24 ministers. There are 21 male Sunnis, including all the key posts – Finance, Interior, Defence, Foreign Affairs. There is just one woman, who is also the token Christian (and is Canadian). There are three minority representatives, all in minor ministries – one Christian, one Alaouite, one Druze. There is no Shia representation. One of the Sunni ministers is a Kurd.
I am sure when you look at this image, like the EU you immediately think “oh good, a diverse cabinet”.
That this is an “inclusive” government is a farce – only the most flimsy nod to tokenism detracts from the fact that it is a Sunni regime with strong theocratic leanings. It was German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock who made the most public song and dance in Brussels about the need for an inclusive government, yet it is she as one of a triumvirate of women – along with EU Commission President von der Leyen and external affairs head Kaja Kallas – who has insisted that al-Jolani’s cabinet is acceptable.
Of course, al-Jolani’s pro-Israeli credentials trump every other consideration.
This has caused much disquiet among staff at the EU External Affairs Service and there is enormous discontent at the blatant pro-Israeli agenda of von der Leyen in particular. The playing down of massacres of minorities in Syria, on top of the genocide in Gaza, is causing real concern both in the EU and within the UK at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, my old department.
A final snippet from my source. Al-Jolani has the support of both MI6 and UK special forces within Syria. A key part of their role is to guard against any potential revolt by his own militants who fought their way through from Idlib.
Chechen, Uzbek and Uighur militants are very happy for now with the spoils of victory, but may not take kindly to the notion of recognising Israel.
To be clear, this next did not come from my diplomatic source. But I strongly suspect that the game is for al-Jolani and his pro-Zionist regime, installed with Western backing, to strengthen its paid forces until the time comes for a night of the long knives, where al-Jolani’s own most fanatical supporters will be eliminated. That however is merely my reading of his most practical next step. I do not see how he is to reconcile the roles of Islamic fundamentalist and US/Israeli puppet otherwise.
This game is not over yet.
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The enemies of Iran will be so happy. A hard rain is going to fall.
This kind of puppet government installation has been going on for centuries and is largely how colonialism and empire has operated. Israel, the UK and the US are merely reverting to a type we all had hoped, and were fooled into thinking, was consigned to history. Instead it has been resurrected, but now with even more malice, destruction and genocide – because of the massive disparity in wealth and arms technologies, of the type which of course Israel has made, more or less, its entire raison d’être, and which is slavishly emulated and envied by the puppet masters in the West. It is, broadly speaking, about the elimination of any opposition, either there or here, to the vast resources and land theft, in the pursuit of unlimited wealth and power for the minority, in a crumbling world. See the reference I posted on the last thread.
All left wing and anarchists use qubes os how to in detail: https://xmppomemoqubes.blogspot.com/2025/04/use-uleway-dumbphone-along-with-qubes.html
@Kes – The advice on that page sounds like total crap, like most advice that is available on “security”.
“First buy a Uleway G180 “dumbphone” and use instead of a smartphone – doesn’t come with wifi/internet will reduce attack surface. I also recommend putting a block on online transactions on your account to make harder to steal, and become physically strong, learn BJJ and other martial arts, and know your rights. This will help you “turn tables” on the intelligence services.”
“Second, install Qubes OS on your computer. WARNING: Qubes OS will delete any OS already on computer and files etc and will encrypt hard drive as a security measure with full disk encryption will a password of your choice. Qubes will be on a USB Stick and from there boot on USB will install Qubes OS on the hard drive of your computer. After this don’t need the USB!”
If you want to send secure messages, compose them offline and encrypt them using PGP, also offline. And USB sticks can be your friend if used sensibly, even if the USB stick was invented in Israel by a guy called Dov Moran.
Perhaps reminders would be useful too that
* Tor was developed by the US government
* Proton has Timothy Berners-Lee on its advisory board
* EFF has had close relations with Apple. (https://thebaffler.com/salvos/all-effd-up-levine)
Craig wrote: “But I strongly suspect that the game is for al Jolani and his pro-zionist regime, installed with western backing, to strengthen its paid forces until the time comes for a night of the long knives, where al Jolani’s own most fanatical supporters will be eliminated.”
Yes, that would fit the historical pattern. The Gulf Monarchies raise these fanatical warriors; some are inevitably produced by those states’ religious indoctrination. They are very useful for progressing towards victory but then become a liability, so they are massacred, one way or another. The memory of betrayal helps raise the next wave. Abhorrent.
The ‘liberal’ states’ method of indoctrination through ‘entertainment’ i.e. round the clock violence via commercial media is equally abhorrent. They don’t massacre the expended ones; they abandon them to homelessness, drug addiction and prison.
Someone did a scarily effective job on Syria last December, and it seems (no surprise) that the plan is to push further on, but I wonder whether they really have the resources.
Von der Leyen views herself as similar to Prince Henry the Navigator, Robert Clive, or the Stroganovs. I’m not saying she had anything to do with the job on Syria, but she sees herself as this great colonial figure – going back to when she was German defence minister.
Ursula von der Leyen (née Albrecht) got where she is because of her family connections.
She has them through her father (descended from cotton merchants and German business interests active in places that included Russia, and from slaveowners in the USA) and her husband (who is also descended from rag trade and production interests). See the Albrecht, Knoop, and Von der Leyen families.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Knoop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_der_Leyen_(family_from_Krefeld)
I’ve been watching her for a long while. She wants to be a combo of Disraeli and Kissinger.
Personally I think she’s going to f*ck up, big time.
Al Jolani will fall once Israel moves further into Syria. Won’t be too long and IDF will start another genocide blaming Palestinian refugees, and as always women and children first.
Israeli settler tours are already being organised.
“The conference pledged 5.5 million euros to Syria in grants and loans, half of it from the EU itself. The condition of an inclusive government was stressed by the EU in its public statements.”
Typo! They promised 2.5 billion euros for 2025-26.
5.5 million is peanuts.
The EU, and the rest, mandates degeneracy as part of its foreign aid packages imposed on strict religious societies to enable them to be undermined and defeated. At least Al Jolani still won’t shake the hands of the nazi diversity hires.
Thank you for an informative article.
Part of the reason for 7 October may have been the impending recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia, which the uprising effectively put a brake on. Stopping Syrian recognition of Israel might not be considered as important, because of the much poorer and weaker Al-Jolani regime. Iran would be another matter, however. If, in the future, Iranian recognition of Israel before apartheid ended were to be impending, that could be a casus belli for another “slave rebellion”. But who knows?
“Part of the reason for 7 October may have been the impending recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia, which the uprising effectively put a brake on.”
I don’t think there’s any evidence for the “impending recognition” then. And I’m not certain there is now. That is, outside of Israeli propaganda. The Israelis are desperate to have Saudi recognition, and are daily feeding stories about Saudi’s impending signature into the media. But it hasn’t happened. MbS might be open to it, but his population is firmly opposed. Many of them live just opposite to Palestine, can see what’s happening themselves, and no doubt they communicate their distaste to various princes of the royal family, who have the real influence on the crown prince. (recall that Saudi is totally different from the Gulf states in having a real national population, whose opinions have to be taken into account).
I put this question to ChatGPT:
What evidence is there of the impending recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia prior to October 7 2023 that might have been a casus belli for Hamas?
The response:
Before October 7, 2023, several developments indicated that Saudi Arabia might be moving toward normalizing relations with Israel, which could have contributed to the tension leading to Hamas’s actions. Here’s some of the key evidence:
1. U.S.-Saudi-Israel Diplomacy (2023)
– **Middle East Peace Process**: In 2023, the U.S. led intensive diplomatic efforts to broker a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. In exchange for recognizing Israel, Saudi Arabia sought certain commitments from the U.S., including security guarantees, advanced military technology, and support for a civilian nuclear program. This was part of the broader effort to reshape the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape.
– **Official Statements**: Both U.S. and Israeli officials publicly discussed the prospect of Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden also hinted that Saudi recognition could be imminent, especially after years of warming ties between the two countries.
– **High-Level Meetings**: Senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, publicly expressed optimism about the Saudi-Israel rapprochement, with several behind-the-scenes meetings taking place between Israeli and Saudi diplomats.
2. Saudi Openings to Israel
– **Low-Level Diplomatic Engagement**: Saudi Arabia had already been engaging with Israel on security matters and through back-channel communications. The two countries shared common concerns over Iran’s growing influence in the region, which facilitated informal cooperation.
– **Saudi Government Statements**: Though officially rejecting normalization without Palestinian statehood, Saudi officials had become increasingly open to the idea of relations with Israel, especially in the context of shared regional security interests. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) had made statements in the past indicating the possibility of normalization if certain conditions were met, notably the creation of a Palestinian state.
3. Regional Developments
– **Abraham Accords**: The normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries (the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco) had shifted regional dynamics. Saudi Arabia had been careful not to openly join the Abraham Accords, but there were signs that it was moving in that direction. The normalization of relations between Israel and other Gulf states was seen as a precursor to Saudi Arabia’s eventual recognition.
– **Saudi Reactions to Iran**: The growing threat of Iranian influence and its proxy activities, particularly in Yemen and Iraq, played a role in shifting Saudi calculations. The Saudi-Israeli alignment on this issue had become more apparent, with both countries seeing each other as key partners in countering Iranian hegemony in the region.
4. Hamas and the Palestinian Issue
– **Hamas’s Concern with Arab-Israeli Relations**: For Hamas, the prospect of Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, recognizing Israel was a direct threat to its political agenda. Hamas has long presented itself as the guardian of Palestinian resistance and the primary force opposing any normalization with Israel. It perceives such deals as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and an erosion of Arab solidarity on the Palestinian issue.
– **Statements from Hamas Leaders**: Prior to October 7, Hamas leaders made several statements denouncing normalization efforts. They warned that such moves would incite anger among the Palestinian people and could lead to violence. In the context of the Saudi-Israel talks, Hamas likely saw the potential recognition of Israel by the Saudi government as a provocation, potentially triggering a violent response to assert its relevance and commitment to the Palestinian cause.
5. Hamas’s Operational Plans
– **Preparedness for Violence**: In the months leading up to October 7, 2023, Hamas had reportedly been preparing for a large-scale military operation. The rising tensions over normalization, combined with a perception that the Palestinian cause was being sidelined by Arab states, could have been a motivating factor in Hamas’s decision to escalate violence.
– **Message of Resistance**: By launching an attack, Hamas could have been trying to send a powerful message to Arab governments that any rapprochement with Israel, especially without a resolution to the Palestinian issue, would lead to greater instability and violence.
In summary, the intensifying diplomatic efforts toward Saudi-Israeli normalization and the growing geopolitical shifts in the region, especially regarding Iran and the broader Arab-Israeli conflict, were key factors contributing to the heightened tensions. For Hamas, these developments represented a significant existential threat, likely fueling its decision to escalate its violent actions in an attempt to disrupt or derail any moves toward formal recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia.
This game is not over yet. Indeed. It is all going to hit a BRICS wall.
Great post Craig..Absolutely Heartbreaking what the Evil West is doing to Syria..And our other horrors..I hope we do comne up against a Brics Wall..
I seen a clip the other Day.. an IDF Bastard kickicked a young lady who had fall down..The Evil coward Kicked her in the head with his Full Force…Sickening..
And here – Max Blumenthal detail the Israeli control – and Bragging about of US –
https://thegrayzone.com/2025/04/09/aipac-access-trump-natsec-officials-leaked/
Techno-feudalism coming to the US, as detailed in the Project 2025 manifesto. The Israelification of the US, as an ethno-nationalist autocratic garrison state. Paranoid conspiracy or the way it is going? You decide:
https://medium.com/@aletheisthenes/part-3a-what-changed-my-mind-from-it-cant-happen-here-to-oh-shit-the-tldr-version-a78ef04e893f
https://keeptrack.substack.com/p/the-philosophy-behind-doge-curtis
Thanks for those links. Those are two well-written articles, but why oh why don’t they say more about the tech side of technofascism? I mean what the plan is for people’s lives, or at least the lives of people who are suffered to live. The judiciary or the legislature don’t really mean sheeyit. In practice they are both part of the executive already, unless one wants to engage in debate with supporters of the system on the basis of unspoken false assumptions. There is a saying that the law is whatever the rulers can get away with.
And now Saudi Arabia is to repay Syria’s debt to the World Bank (Reuters). They report it would unlock approval for millions of dollars in grants.
Is this usual? If not then why are they doing it? What has been levied in exchange and why?
Nukes. Are on the table. Deals within deals.
Saudi was grumpy with Biden that they were only getting second class weaponry from the US and not all the latest technology.
Everything to play for
Perhaps the Saudis want to dump their US dollars before they’re worthless?
Syria economically is all about drugs.
The West, and its Gulf State dictatorship buddies love the proscribed terrorist outfit HTS – they love it even more that its cozying up to Israel – those so called ministers posing in that photo, closely resemble those of the EU leaders doing the same with their jackets-off as if to look tough.
I can only imagine – how many innocent Syrians these evil monsters have butchered in Syria, since they attacked Syria with the help of the West, Turkey and the Israel – for me Syria is now a Sunni ran terrorist staging post – that will attack the enemies of Israel; and the EU is now ran by vile evil monsters – who support this and the Neo-Nazi dictatorship regime in Ukraine – and the Zio-Monsters genocide in Gaza.
The EU got this for 5.5 million euros? I read somewhere, that southern Syria is earmarked for the Gaza Palestinians. The Israelis plan to deport them all forcibly to sourth Syria. Presumably the Israelis are not withdrawing from Syria because they will continuing ethnic cleansing and murdering the Palestinians in the name of eliminating Hamas.
Discontent among the personnel in the EU External Affairs and the UK Foreign Office – hope they mount a revolution soon!
As an aside, when Trudeau left his position of PM of Canada, he announced he is a committed zionist.