Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps - Quds Force announces the martyrdom of the head of the Palestine Unit Brigadier General Mohammad Said Izadi.
Sayyed Khamenei: The idea of Iran's surrender is laughable to the wise, for the Iranian people are strong and will remain strong, proud, and honorable.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Khamenei: The insult directed by the Americans at the Iranian people will not prevail... Our people are great, our state is strong, and our civilization is deeply rooted in history.
Sayyed Khamenei: Downplaying the Iranian strike on Al-Udeid base aims to conceal the truth, and the coming days will reveal the extent of the enemies' losses.
Sayyed Khamenei: The Islamic Republic's targeting of vital American sites, such as Al-Udeid base, was not a passing event.
Sayyed Khamenei: The American president hides behind allegations to conceal the reality of what happened.
Sayyed Khamenei: Our armed forces managed to bypass various enemy defenses and strike multiple targets at the heart of enemy centers.
Sayyed Khamenei: The Zionist entity never imagined receiving such strikes from the Islamic Republic.
Sayyed Khamenei: The American aggression against our nuclear facilities failed to achieve any of the enemies' objectives.
Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Major General Mohammad Pakpour: If the enemy makes a mistake, we will respond forcefully, just as we have over the past 12 days

Syria on path to fragmentation, al-Sharaa has limited time to act: FT

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Financial Times
  • 14 Mar 2025 18:50
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

In an opinion piece, the former head of the UK’s foreign intelligence service says the interim president does not have much time to prove his ability to build the inclusive Syria he has promised.

Listen
  • x
  • FTMembers of a family riding a motorcycle drive past a charred car in the town of Jableh in Syria's coastal province of Latakia on March 12, 2025 (AFP)

The violence that erupted in Syria’s coastal cities is a troubling indication of the country’s potential fragmentation along sectarian lines, suggested John Sawers, the former head of the UK’s foreign intelligence service (MI6), in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times.

Sawers stressed that sectarian violence serves as a "wake-up call" for Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, adding that his promise to form an inclusive government "has so far proved largely empty."

He further asserted that al-Sharaa had self-appointed himself to power, noting that he focused on consolidating authority for himself and the narrow bloc he led during last month’s National Dialogue conference in Damascus, which was attended by "other opposition groups."

The report reminded that Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by al-Sharaa, emerged from al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, highlighting that the interim president and his armed followers "are still rooted in a brand of Salafist Islamism that is unpopular even within the majority Sunni community."

Sawers pointed out that al-Sharaa appointed his HTS aides to senior positions in the new military after dissolving the former Syrian Aab Army and police force, arguing that he had repeated "the painful mistakes the Americans made in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime."

The former MI6 chief emphasized the need for al-Sharaa to act swiftly to demonstrate his commitment to building an inclusive Syria, warning that "trying to re-establish autocratic power in such a diverse country is a recipe for violent resistance."

Related News

'Israel' in direct, daily contact with new Syrian gov.: Israeli media

UN, regional governments condemn Damascus church bombing

"There are too many armed militias, too much scope for meddling by outside powers, and also a determination among Syrians not to go back to rule by one community over all the others," he added.

The writer described an agreement signed between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the new Syrian authorities as "a vital first step" but emphasized that "action with other minorities and regions must follow," as "militias will not accept disbandment unless they know their communities’ interests have legal and constitutional protection."

"Security is essential but that means bringing all the militias into a common approach, not forcibly disarming them," Sawers indicated, asserting that Alawites should be granted "a respectable place" in the new system.

In addition, the writer indicated that the Syrian constitutional declaration issued on Thursday contains some useful principles but emphasized that "the promised representative assembly will have to be genuinely open to debate and avoid rigid adoption of sharia law."

The report further argued that al-Sharaa must attract skilled Syrian expatriates with international expertise to lead a technocratic government, clarifying that such a government could facilitate the lifting of remaining Western sanctions and revitalize the economy—which necessitates power-sharing rather than its concentration in his hands.

At present, Sawers said, Syria "is on a path toward fragmentation," which would represent a missed opportunity and a gift to terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.

He cautioned that al-Sharaa does not have much time to prove his ability to build the tolerant and inclusive Syria he has promised.

Read more: Kurdish-Led admin rejects al-Sharaa constitutional declaration

  • Syria
  • Ahmad al-Sharaa

Most Read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Iran declares victory as ceasefire forces Israeli retreat

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Israeli workers survey the site where a missile launched from Iran struck in Haifa on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

True Promise 3, wave 20: 40 missiles launched, Kheibar-Shekan in first

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025
Iran launches strikes on Israeli targets, despite alleged ceasefire

Iran victorious as ceasefire with 'Israel' takes effect

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Iranian worshippers carry their country's flags in a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, after the Friday prayers ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP)

Iran warns of NPT withdrawal, Strait of Hormuz closure after US attack

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS