# Manbij car bomb and Kobane without water
Another car bomb detonated in Manbij killing 21 people, mostly women. SNA blames SDF, but SDF denies it and attributes it to SNA factions. SDF condemned the attack and called for an investigation, offering support to find the perpetrators.
Heavy clashes between SNA and SDF continued, with constant bombings of turkish air force on positions near Tishreen dam and Qereqozah bridge.
Turkish attacks rendered the main water station of Kobane out of order, leaving more than 200,000 people without drinking water. DAANES calls for international human rights organizations to condemn the attacks, calling it a war crime.
# US Making Plans for Withdrawal
With President Trump in office, the Department of Defense (DOD) is drafting plans for a possible withdrawal of all 2000 US troops on Syrian ground. Several proposals are being drafted, considering different time schemes of 20, 60, and 90 days. Pentagon officials stated that for now there is no order to evacuate, but that their work is to have plans for any possible situation.
# Syrian-Turkish ‘Deep Strategic Partnership’
Following a visit of Al-Sharaa in Ankara, both presidents vowed to establish a close partnership. Al-Sharaa emphasized pressure of Israeli withdrawal, Erdogan cooperation on combating terrorism and pushing back on PKK in Syria. Announcements of a formal defense pact are not officially made yet, but there are clear indicators of Turkey willing to make us of air bases in Syria, as well as offering military support to rebuild a new Syrian army. This will include retaining influence on SNA forces that are expected to joint the new Syrian army.
# New deployments of HTS in SNA areas
The military operations command, linked to the transitional government of HTS, increased it’s deployment of forces in SNA controlled areas. This followed the announcement of SNA joining the new Syrian army, as well as the promotion of several commanders of SNA to high ranks. Among those promoted there is Abu Amsha, leader of the joint forces (hamza and Suleiman Shah brigades), who was behind the assassination of the kurdish polititian Hevrin Xalef in 2019.
# New air raids of Israel and UN assessment
UN delegation arrived to Quneitra region to asses the situation after Israel forces organized a partial withrawal from the region. Israel air forces also re-started bombing campaigns, targeting different locations around Damascus, declaring that those are attacks directed to Hamas and weapons that Hamas may use against Israel.
# Common delegation PYD-ENKS
ENKS, political organization connected to KDP in Rojava, announced their intentions to have a common delegation with PYD to Damascus, with the objective to negotiate the political status of the kurdish regions of northern Syria. ENKS stated that rejects any proposals of autonomy for north-east Syria and calls for a federal model.
# Negotiations and new Political Council in Suwayda
Political, military and religious entities created a new council together, pledging to “fill the political void, unify perspectives, and mobilize efforts in line with the evolving needs of Syrians in the upcoming phase.” The transitional government sent a delegation and held meetings with druze authorities, negotiating the process of integration of druze armed forces in the new Syrian army, allegedly in exchange of some political benefits, but seems no definite agreement has been reached yet.
# Expectation for the message from Ocalan
According to DEM-Party, Ocalan prepares historic call for the February 15th, the day that will make 26 years of his imprisonment.
# People’s Tribunal on Rojava vs. Turkey
At the Free University of Brussels, jurists, human rights activists, affected people and witnesses take part in the 2-day event to investigate and publicize the human right violations in NES. Turkey declined the invitation.
# Analysis
Now it’s two months since Bashar al-Assad left Syria, marking the collapse of the regime and the beginning of a new phase for Syria. Since then, HTS had been gradually taking more and more control of the state apparatus, culminating with the self-proclamation of al-Sharaa as president of Syria. The provisional government, originally announced for three months, legitimized it’s authority with a staged “victory congress” where only military commanders could assist, announcing now a period of 4 or 5 years before any elections can take place in Syria. Western support for the new regime kept the press away from calling it a military coup, but it is clearly what happened. This new administration counts with full support of the Turkish state, undermining any constructive agreement with the DAANES to joint efforts and build a democratic Syria.
Negotiations between the new administration in Damascus and the SDF continue, but it is clear that any agreement is out of reach, specially after SNA forces (turkish proxies) are being promoted inside the ranks of the new Syrian army. With Trump on the white house and his calls for US forces to withdraw, the future of the autonomous administration it’s very uncertain. Other minorities in Syria are slowly being bent under the authority of the new centralized rule, as international states support and assist the new government to establish it’s power. Any dreams of democratization and revolutionary steps for Syria fade away, as the new administration gets integrated into the ranks of capitalist nation-states.
The imperialist influence that Russia and Iran had over the Assad regime are being exchanged for the imperialist influence of Turkish neo-otoman dreams, with support of Turkish NATO partners of western countries. The islamic fundamentalist politics of the self-proclaimed president of Syria are now kept hidden, waiting to consolidate their power grip before to start any moves that could scare their newly acquired western partners. The promises of protection for ethnic minorities and women rights probably will last until economical sanctions are lifted, but after that nothing will remain between the new centralized state and any resistance against their authoritarian measures.
The revolution of northern Syria is funneled into a very difficult position, forced to accept the integration into a new Syrian state under the rule of an islamist force, or the annihilation under the bombs of the Turkish army. But after more than a decade of revolutionary developments in Syria, and more than four decades of efforts and struggle of the kurdish liberation movement, a promise of an historic announcement is now brought to the table by Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned leader of PKK. In less than a weak will be 26 years since we was imprisoned in the prison of Imrali, and this fifteen of February is the date that this historic announcement is expected.
At the same time, many anarchist from all around the world are also coming together in solidarity with the Syrian revolution, organizing events in memory of Omar Aziz. On the sixteen of February will be 12 years since he died in the brutal prisons of Assad regime, regime that after more than 50 years of brutality finally collapsed. We will commemorate his legacy as a revolutionary example, building bridges of solidarity over all Syria and all around the world. Now more than ever revolutionary forces must stand together to face the darkening times ahead of us. We remember our sehids, as well as all revolutionaries that gave their lives fighting for a better world.
Revolutionary greetings!