Le Monde: Syrian Revolution Undermines UAE’s Plot in Syria

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, the decisive progress made by Syrian revolutionary forces in capturing major cities, culminating in the fall of Damascus and the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, has dismantled the UAE’s conspiracies in Syria.

The paper highlighted that Assad, in the final stages of his rule, relied heavily on Emirati support, viewing it as his trump card to avoid conceding to the Syrian revolution and Turkey. Before the initiation of the “Deterring Aggression” operation, Assad rejected multiple initiatives and calls to end the stalemated war, refusing to accept wide-ranging political reforms and implement the 2020 Astana Agreement, which included rejecting proposals to sit down with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a major supporter of the opposition.

Le Monde further noted that Assad believed he had strategic leverage to avoid compromise, particularly after receiving support from the UAE since 2018. This support included paving the way for Syria’s reintegration into the Arab League, which occurred in 2023.

The newspaper added that countries like the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq supported Syria’s “sovereignty” shortly after the fall of Aleppo. In fact, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed directly reached out to Bashar al-Assad. Behind the scenes, Abu Dhabi actively pressured the United States to lift sanctions on Assad’s regime, sanctions that had placed Syria under an effective blockade, halting any reconstruction efforts. The UAE’s goal was to curb Iran’s influence in areas controlled by Assad, which they hoped to achieve by restarting relations with Damascus.

The French paper pointed out that the Arab rapprochement, spearheaded by the UAE, was driven by practical concerns such as limiting Iran’s influence and managing the Syrian refugee crisis at the borders. However, Bashar al-Assad rejected these overtures.

Additionally, the UAE’s stance towards Syria was influenced by its anti-political Islam stance, which led it to view the rise of armed factions—particularly Islamic ones—with growing concern. The UAE feared the potential domino effect of the new situation in Damascus on the wider region.

A couple of days ago, international media revealed that the UAE had mediated a safe passage for former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out of Damascus after the fall of his regime due to the advancing opposition forces.

Bloomberg reported that in the final days of his presidency, Assad tried to offer initiatives to stay in power as opposition forces neared Damascus. The UAE facilitated an offer from Assad to the United States, proposing that Syria sever ties with Iran-backed groups if Western powers exerted pressure to halt the fighting.

The news agency added that Assad was willing to negotiate a deal that would allow him to maintain control of the territory his forces held or ensure a safe passage to exile if necessary, which was ultimately achieved through UAE mediation.

Syrian opposition forces declared Assad’s regime had fallen and entered the capital, Damascus, in a series of rapid victories across Aleppo, Hama, and Homs in the days leading up to the collapse.

On December 8, Bashar al-Assad fled the country, and, as in other cities, protesters toppled statues of Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1971 until his death in 2000, and his son Bashar.

In recent years, the UAE had led an Arab and international diplomatic effort to restore relations with Assad’s regime and ease his international isolation. The UAE reopened its embassy in Damascus on December 27, 2018, followed by several visits from Assad and Syrian government delegations to the UAE on various occasions.