New Syrian govt suspends constitution and parliament

• Blinken and Jordan king agree on need for a secure state
• US ‘working to bring home’ citizen found in Syria
• War monitor reports Israeli strikes near Damascus

DAMASCUS: Syria’s interim government vowed on Thursday to institute the “rule of law” after years of abuses under ousted president Bashar al Assad, as the United States warned against any action that risked triggering further conflict.

Assad fled Syria after a lightning offensive spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, which brought a sudden end to five decades of iron-fisted rule by his clan.

Syrians across the country and around the world erupted in celebration after enduring an era during which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and nearly 14 years of war that killed 500,000 people and displaced millions. “We were living in oppression, we were unable to speak,” Ibtissam Kaab, a resident of Assad’s hometown Qardaha, said.

“Whenever we wanted to speak, they threatened to harm us and our children.” The new government’s spokesman said on Thursday that the country’s constitution and parliament would be suspended for the duration of a three-month transition.

“A judicial and human rights committee will be established to examine the constitution and then introduce amendments,” Obaida Arnaout said.

Speaking at the state television headquarters, seized by the new rebel authorities, Arnaout said they would institute the “rule of law”. “All those who committed crimes against the Syrian people will be judged in accordance with the law,” he added.

Asked about religious and personal freedoms, he said “we respect religious and cultural diversity in Syria”.

Blinken, King Abdullah II meeting

Moreover, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jordan’s King Abdullah II called on Thursday for a secure Syria as the top US diplomat began a regional tour following the overthrow of Bashar al Assad in Damascus.

Blinken also said that Washington was “working to bring home” US citizen Travis Timmerman after Syria’s new leadership said he had been “released”. “We’re working to bring him home”, he said.

The Syrian leadership said it was ready to cooperate with Washington to look for US citizens disappeared under Assad, including on an “ongoing” search for US journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in 2012.

Meeting King Abdullah in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, Blinken, who leaves office in little more than a month, promised US support for “the stability of Syria’s neighbours, including Jordan, during this period of transition”, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

‘Additional conflicts’

Blinken said it was “really important at this time that we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts.” He made the comments after mentioning recent Israeli and Turkish military activity on Syrian soil.

The US hopes to ensure that Syria is not “used as a base for terrorism” and does not pose “a threat to its neighbours”, Blinken added. This has been a key concern both for Turkiye, which resents the US military alliance with Syrian Kurds, and Israel, which has been pounding sites across its historic adversary since Assad fell.

On Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported Israeli strikes near Damascus, where eyewitness said they heard loud explosions. Blinken said the Israeli air strikes aim “to try to make sure that the military equipment that’s been abandoned by the Syrian army doesn’t fall into the wrong hands”.

Calls for ‘inclusive’ transition

Also on Thursday, leaders of the Group of Seven powers said they were ready to support the transition to an “inclusive and non-sectarian” government in Syria.

They called for the protection of human rights, including those of women and minorities, while emphasising “the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes”.

The new rulers have also pledged justice for the victims of Assad’s rule, with HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani vowing that officials involved in torturing detainees will not be pardoned.

Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, also urged “countries to hand over any of those criminals who may have fled so they can be brought to justice”.

UN investigators said they have compiled secret lists of 4,000 perpetrators of serious crimes in Syria since the early days of the country’s civil war.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2024