The first week of December saw the rapid collapse of the Syrian government and the ouster of its president Bashar al-Assad, following an assault by a coalition of jihadist and groups supported, armed, and coordinated by the US, Turkey, Israel, and even the UK.

Leading the assault was the Hey’etu Tahrîri’ş-Şâm (HTS or Damascus Liberation Movement), which emerged from the fallen ISIS group. It was labeled “terrorist” by the US government, but received aid from the UK, a US ally in NATO. Also among the attackers were the Syrian National Army directly supported by Turkey, and the Free Syrian Army (or Revolutionary Commando Army) directly supported by the US military based near the Syrian border with Iraq and Jordan.

Within just 10 days, HTS reached Damascus, the country’s capital, from its stronghold in the province of Idlib in northwestern Syria. Its forces killed hundreds of civilians and Syrian soldiers in a violent campaign to capture Damascus. It swiftly overran the Syrian military forces.

The Assad regime’s ouster is part of the intensifying global inter-imperialist rivalry, particularly in the Middle East. It is a result of the continuous foreign intervention in Syria, primarily by US imperialism under its so-called Greater Middle East Initiative launched as early as 2004. Part of this US intervention was arming various groups since 2012 and fomenting armed conflict in the country.

Right after the al-Assad government’s fall, the US recognized HTS, removed its “terrorist” designation, considered its leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani as a “moderate” and gave him a new image in imperialist media. The US and UK imperialists, along with Turkey, are now intervening in the formation of a new Syrian government. Meanwhile, Israel took advantage of al-Assad’s fall and quickly occupied the Golan Heights, contrary to the United Nations’ recognition of this area as part of Syria. Israel also launched airstrikes as far as Damascus to further expand its occupation of Syrian territory.

Undeniably, the overthrow of the Syrian government is part of the US and its imperialist allies’ push to escalate the armed conflict in the Middle East. Israel’s genocide in Palestine and the heroic resistance of Palestinian forces, as well as Hezbollah and Lebanese forces, continue to heighten.

Simultaneous with the attack on Damascus, HTS forces, along with the Syrian National Army and supported by Turkish airstrikes, also attacked Kurdish and revolutionary forces in the Kurds autonomous region in northeastern Syria. This area is known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, or Rojava.

This area is primarily held by the YPG (People’s Protection Unit) and YPJ (women’s militia), which are part of the Syrian Defense Forces. Various revolutionary armed groups, including some units of TIKKO, the Workers and Peasants’ Army of Turkey (the military wing of the Communist Party of Turkey-Marxist- Leninist or TKP-ML), are also located here.

According to the TKP-ML, what occurred in Syria was not a “people’s revolution” but a takeover by the “NATO project” carried out by US, UK, Turkish, and Israeli operatives. “The emergence and growth of Salafist jihadist groups, particularly HTS, which seized power in Syria, is a direct result of the training and funding provided by imperialists and reactionary states in the region.” With the HTS takeover, supported by US-Israel, NATO, and Turkey, the Kurdish people, particularly women, face a significant threat of occupation and violence.

Anti-imperialist and revolutionary forces should stand in solidarity with the Syrian people in their struggle for genuine democracy and national independence. With the overthrow of al-Assad, Syria will fall under the domination and control of US-Israel and Turkey, whose aim is to control the entire Middle East and its rich oil resources.