The fall of the Syrian regime is a pivotal moment. Does the specter of chaos threaten the country's future?

The fall of the Syrian regime led by President Bashar al-Assad is a historic turning point that will leave a major impact and will likely bring with it radical changes at various levels of the state, locally, in addition to the regional and international arenas. At a time when the Assad era has ended after 53 years of rule, 29 years for the former president Hafez, and 24 years for his son Bashar, many important questions are being raised, most notably the future of Syria after this coup.

There is no doubt that the scene will be foggy, and no one can be certain of how the situation will turn out. Chaotic scenarios may strongly rear their heads due to the multiplicity of opposition factions, parties and movements, some of which are extremist, such as ISIS and Al-Nusra, which seek to threaten neighboring countries, primarily Iraq and Lebanon, and some of which may not accept peaceful solutions and a rapid transfer of power in light of the partisan and religious factionalism and the diversity of armed factions, and waiting for their positions and pledges to judge how to draw the scene for Syria’s future, and whether it will be dragged into a civil war and internal fighting as happened in Iraq, or will the spirit of tolerance and patriotism that unites the components of the Syrian people be the basic guarantee for stability?

This important question will be answered quickly through what the facts on the ground impose amidst differences in the interpretations of analysts. While some experts tend to believe that involving all segments of the Syrian people and their components in shaping the country’s future will enhance the chances of agreement and consensus and will spare Syria the risk of conflicts, ideological differences, the diversity of factions, and the absence of organizational unity may herald various conflicts, especially from extremist groups that demand continuing the fighting until the establishment of the Islamic Caliphate.

On the regional and international scene, there are serious warnings about the ambitions of some countries, most notably Israel, whose army advanced yesterday 14 kilometers into Syrian territory, occupied the remaining part of Mount Hermon, took control of Quneitra, and reached the armistice line of the 1974 separation of forces agreement, declaring the collapse of this agreement, and the clear announcement of attacking strategic weapons centers and sites so that they do not fall into the hands of the opposition forces, in addition to Turkey, which seeks to play a serious role in light of the current developments and control of some areas of northern Syria, while the United States will re-evaluate its military presence and will try to play a greater diplomatic role, especially since the Russian and Iranian role was weak and did not affect stopping the advance of the opposition forces. Accordingly, Russia may focus on the Syrian coast to maintain its presence, while Iran was the most targeted party, as the fall of the Assad regime means the decline of its role and influence in Syria.

These hypotheses lead us to talk about the Arab role, which is one of the important roles. With a careful reading of the current scene, the Arabs’ goal at this stage is supposed to be directed towards supporting the Syrian people and unifying the opposition forces, fearing foreign ambitions and influence, and exerting pressure to preserve the unity of Syrian lands, and respecting the will and choices of the brotherly Syrian people, in a way that guarantees their security and stability and preserves their achievements, as stated in the profound and influential statement of the Palestinian presidency, which also calls for all political parties to give priority to the interests of the Syrian people, in a way that guarantees the restoration of Syria’s important role in the region and the world, which ultimately serves the interests of the Palestinian people and their just cause towards freedom and independence.

In conclusion, with all due respect and appreciation for the choices and will of the Syrian people, if there is no agreement on all the pivotal and central issues for the future of Syria, foreign ambitions will be present in force and will seek to exploit any state of slackness or disagreement, in order to divide Syria into conflicting cantons. This seems to be a Western and foreign goal led by Israel and the United States, planning behind it for Syria to be the third victim after Palestine and Lebanon, within the framework of fighting the Iranian role in the region in order to establish a new demarcation for the Middle East, which raises more questions about the identity of the next state that the colonial countries seek to devour?

The next few days will reveal the intentions and orientations of all local, regional and international parties, and tomorrow is near.