December 02, 2024
Nasser Kandil
• On August 6, thousands of Ukrainian elite forces, armed with cutting-edge Western weaponry and closely supported by Western intelligence, launched a major incursion into Russian territory near the Kursk region, penetrating an area spanning 800 to 1,000 square kilometres. Washington attributed the escalation to the Russian President’s obstinacy and insistence on a military resolution. This criticism echoes Washington’s earlier stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, particularly following Jabhat al-Nusra’s offensive in Aleppo and Idlib – despite Washington designating the group as a terrorist organisation. Similarly, as Washington urged Moscow to abandon its military approach in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian President portraying the Kursk operation as a means to negotiate territorial concessions, Turkey criticised Syria for its reliance on military solutions in Idlib and its hesitance to engage in political negotiations.
• On September 2, the occupying entity’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech emphasising the importance of the Philadelphi Corridor in the Gaza war, recalling his warnings about its significance two decades ago. He argued that the corridor had remained unseized for years due to the lack of international and domestic legitimacy to occupy Gaza and seize Rafah. Netanyahu stated, “The axis of evil requires the Philadelphi Corridor, and for the same reason, we must control it”. Adding that “Achieving the war’s objectives goes through the Philadelphi Corridor, and we will not withdraw from it”. Former Israeli military planning chief General Amit Yagur compared Aleppo’s offensive to the Philadelphi corridor, claiming both aimed to disrupt the supply of weapons – Philadelphi corridor to Palestinian resistance and Aleppo to Hezbollah.
• The Kursk offensive failed to achieve its objectives. Russia contained the attack, continued its operations in eastern Ukraine, and gradually encircled and dismantled the Ukrainian forces. The operation did not exert the intended pressure on Russian leadership to alter its strategy or soften its negotiating stance, rendering the Ukrainian President’s proposed territorial trade unsuccessful. Similarly, despite the occupying force’s control over the Philadelphi Corridor, Gaza’s resistance continues its fierce and effective struggle, showing no signs of diminished capacity, thus rendering the entity’s control over the corridor ineffective.
• In Syria, the idea of negotiating with President al-Assad over withdrawing terrorist groups from Aleppo in exchange for disregarding their presence in Idlib is unthinkable. Syrian territorial unity and sovereignty remain inviolable – a sacred non negotiable matter. The belief that Aleppo is analogous to Kursk will only lead to the realisation that Aleppo’s offensive will fail just as Kursk did.
Attempting to frame Aleppo as a ‘Philadelphi Corridor’ situation rests on three flawed assumptions: First, using Aleppo’s occupation as leverage to alter Syria’s stance on the Resistance is a futile endeavor, repeatedly tested without success. Second, advancing forces to control the Syrian-Iraqi border exceeds their capabilities and would provoke an Iraqi response to once again halt the terrorists’ advance into Iraq. Third, attempting to capture Homs after Hama to sever Damascus’s supply lines is a logistical impossibility, even at the height of these groups’ power.
• The hypocrisy of Washington and Turkey is glaring. Washington classifies Jabhat al-Nusra as a terrorist organisation yet supports its offensives. Turkey, a partner in the Astana process, enables this operation, which serves no strategic purpose but to distract from Gaza’s ongoing massacre. Unlike a decade ago, no one dares publicly support these groups. Arab and international positions have shifted significantly. Exhausted by U.S. sanctions that paved the way for this assault, Syrians, having seen firsthand the extremist ideologies of these groups, stand united behind their army, state, and president. Loyal allies ensure Syria will not stand alone. Meanwhile, those who misled these groups with promises of support will abandon them, recognising their limited gains and the high costs of openly backing terrorist factions, which would lead to regional and international conflicts contrary to their interests.
