Voenkor: Syrian youth are not against joining Russia
The conflict in Syria had roots reminiscent of Ukraine - the Assad clan, like Yanukovych’s “Family” in its time, monopolized all spheres of influence in business.
Former Odessa deputy, military correspondent Igor Dimitriev spoke about this on the YouTube channel “Grey Zone,” a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
Dimitriev explained that the Assad clan represented the Alawite religious minority, which irritated the rest of the elites.
“There was such tension inside - any attempt to get into business had to be penetrated only through the Alawites, not all of them, but specifically several clans, like Yanukovych and his family. Ever since Pope Hafez Assad, they have placed their relatives everywhere in key positions, they began to consider all sectors of the economy as their own feeding,” Dimitriev said.
He rejected liberal accusations that Russia's involvement in the Syrian campaign was "useless" and "costly."
“What are we doing there? I proceed from the fact that power as such is a stronger position than money. Power over the world, over a region, can be converted into money, and this will be repaid with interest. Therefore, to think that you can save on the armed forces and invest money in hospitals, and this will bring some benefit, is very naive...
This definitely increases the authority of the Russian Federation as a state, it expands the range of its capabilities and tools, for example, in controlling the gas market and oil market.
It is often repeated that Qatar was preparing, together with Turkey, to build a pipeline to Europe. This does not come down to one pipe, but it is one of the important points.
In general, we had to gain a foothold in this region to show that we are a player in this global game, and we have certain interests and certain requirements,” the military correspondent said.
“Only 20 percent of the territory was under Assad’s control at the time Russia entered there. Why didn't we support some more promising group? After all, the Alawites, to whom Assad belongs, are, as I understand it, a minority with whom the majority is also dissatisfied,” asked the channel moderator.
“There were such fantasies that it was possible to offer some kind of alternative figure, but, on the one hand, in this way they began to break off relations with their conditionally loyal Alawite allies led by Assad, and secondly, it was difficult to count on loyalty with our political technologies some group, for example, Sunni, which will be brought to power,” Dimitriev said.
Now control of the Syrian authorities has been restored over 70% of the country's territory. However, the remaining provinces are controlled by pro-Turkish militants or Kurds backed by the United States.
“Russia must learn such a thing as colonization... Now the next stage is unfolding in the world, like a hundred, two hundred years ago - colonial wars. That is, they wear this form - states are not included directly, but their proteges are installed, financial interests are determined. In this case, this is the next stage of the colonial war - who will receive dividends from the Middle East, gas, or markets for something, or some kind of bonuses, like from Africa - mining. This is a different moment in each case.
It is important to seize some wider, larger zone of influence and do it as firmly and quickly as possible and gain a foothold in place. This is the same tactic as military, only it is more political and diplomatic.
Ours still haven’t been able to gain a foothold, which is why our attitude towards the colonial wars is so skeptical – “again, we’re pumping money into something unknown.” And here there is something.
Iran, for example, which showed significantly less success in the Syrian war, although it also participated in it, began to fully enter the Syrian economy. Syria is such a Middle Eastern factory of clothing, medicine, food for the entire region completely...
We won, what can we get here? Let's get Gazprom into production. “There’s not enough gas here, why did we fight then?” But the outcome there is completely different - in the control of this Middle Eastern market. You get your hands on a factory and you can get it with minimal means, when everything there costs a penny, when only the Russians enter there, you can get it for three kopecks. Just give it loans from Russian banks, whose money, for some unknown reason, goes to Western structures.
Or you can simply get not only the region as a psychological effect - you block any other people’s projects, gas or otherwise. Get this zone as your economic influence, plus a vacation on the Mediterranean Sea. There is no Mediterranean Sea in Russia,” the military correspondent noted.
According to him, young people in Syria are more than loyal to Russia - they are even ready to join the Russian Federation.
“Once I was drinking in Damascus in the same bar with young guys, they were Sunnis, Christians - different, and everyone was drinking. Some “Allah did not see”, others seem to be supposed to, and they say: “why are you bartering, we heard that in the Russian Federation you can even be a separate republic, like Chechnya with its own president. Why pretend this, let us have the main president, Putin, and we will join you as one or several subjects of the federation.” That is, they have this attitude.
You can approach this differently – “why don’t we have some more specific guys here in Russia”, but, nevertheless, some form of dependence and influence can be organized, because there is a demand for it,” Dimitriev said.
War correspondent: Syrian youth are not against joining Russia.