The HTS, designated as a terrorist organization by the UN, the USA, the EU, and Turkey, and the successor of the al-Qaeda and ISIS terror groups, seized Damascus yesterday with the support of the US and Turkish armies, taking control of Syria.
The terrorist group, comprising only 20,000 fighters—about half of whom are ISIS militants while the rest are European and American mercenaries—captured the country with almost no resistance.
The primary reason cited for this is the severe demoralization of the Syrian army, caused by a catastrophic economic collapse. This collapse is partly attributed to the previous war against ISIS and the USA, and partly to the continued loss of revenue from oil fields, which remain illegally occupied by the USA.
Experts say that the Russian air force continues to strike against the terrorists, but the number of aircraft is insufficient to halt the militants' advance. Since 2015, Russian deployments have been scaled down, leaving no capacity for large-scale airstrikes. Even if Russian troop levels were maintained, it would be impossible to stop the offensive without ground forces engaging in battle.
In short, with the decisive support of a morally and strategically compromised West, the Islamic State (ISIS) might once again emerge, dragging Syria back to the Middle Ages. Neighboring Islamist countries now live in fear of terrorists emboldened by ISIS’s victory, as their ultimate, unabashed goal is the conquest of the entire Islamic world.
