Rumors Circulate That Syria’s Allies Could Remove Bashar al-Assad From Power
By: Nathan Matsko
The President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Bashar Al-Assad during a visit to Brazilian Congress. Photo by Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom/ABr
State College — Bashar Al-Assad’s days as Syria’s president may be numbered, as its greatest allies seek an end to the conflict.
Per Middle East Monitor, The Russian International Affairs Council—thought to have ties to a number of Russian government officials—released a report which predicted that Russia, Iran, and Turkey would come to an agreement that will see the removal of Assad from power.
The vacuum would proceed to be filled by a unity government, made up of regime and opposition forces.
This report presents a vastly different Russian attitude towards Assad than has been demonstrated in the past. Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad’s regime, providing unknown amounts of funds and arms to the Syria Arab Army (SAA). Additionally, Russia has deployed its own forces to combat rebel factions and Islamist militants, though they have been repeatedly criticized for alleged targeting of civilian areas.
Opinions on Assad within Russia further corroborate plans to replace him. A report released by the Federal News Agency, a Russian media outlet with close ties to Vladimir Putin, criticized Assad and described him as weak. The release details Assad’s alleged inability to deal with corruption running rampant within his government, jeopardizing Russian interests in the region.
One specific example, the Russian outlet challenged Assad’s assertions that ongoing power outages in the country are a result of terrorist activity, instead claiming that it is a result of his own incompetence. The report was accompanied by a plurality of critical pieces from other Russian outlets, with experts suggesting that such an effort would not have been possible without Putin’s approval.
As these stories were released, a poll carried out by a Russian organization showed that only 32% of Syrians living within regime-controlled areas support Bashar Al-Assad.
Russia’s involvement in the country has become increasingly unpopular amongst its own citizens as well—half of the country didn’t support intervention in Syria when polled last year. Many citizens fear the conflict will turn into a reiteration of the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan, a colossal failure and catalyst for the fall of the Soviet Union.
It would appear that Assad’s value is outweighed by that which a stable Syria would hold. Russia’s mission in Syria is considered by most to be very much accomplished—SAA forces were able to reclaim much of the nation from rebel groups thanks to help from Moscow.
However, for Russia, and evidently much of Syria’s populace, Assad is no longer the most viable option. Despite his undeniable victories, his failure to address the corruption within his own ranks have not only lost him the trust of many of his people, but also threaten the interests of his Russian allies. With prospects of a possible unity government on the horizon, the end of the Syrian Civil War may very well be in sight, and ironically enough, so too may be the rule of Bashar Al-Assad.