A Kurdish-dominated fief in north-eastern Syria run by a US-backed militia is facing the threat of quick extinction as an Arab uprising in the region gathers momentum and rebels who ousted Bashar Al Assad five days ago expand their rule to outlying areas of the country.
The militia, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and its forerunners were aligned with Mr Al Assad during the civil war and maintained channels of communication with Iran and Russia, the major losing powers from the Syrian president's downfall. The SDF helped the Assad regime crush a peaceful protest movement in 2011 and later capture rebel-held eastern parts of Aleppo city along with other areas. It has been running out of allies since Mr Al Assad's defeat on Sunday to rebels led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), an Al Qaeda offshoot.
Sources on both sides told The National that SDF chief Mazloum Abdi is seeking to meet HTS leader Ahmad Al Shara to negotiate territorial handovers and pledge co-operation in joining any new Syrian army. The SDF is seeking to preserve its hold on the overwhelmingly Kurdish areas in the ethnically mixed east, sources said. The area's population is two to three million.
Mr Al Shara "will not accept anything basically except a surrender", said an HTS field commander deployed in the east, who expected the SDF to pull out soon from the mainly Arab governorate of Raqqa. "The SDF will keep its arms for now but its rule will end."
Mr Al Shara has moved quickly to install a new government in Damascus, staying away from confrontation with the US. Washington created the SDF in 2015 as a ground component in the fight against ISIS in eastern Syria. ISIS and HTS are also enemies.
The US has been scrambling to deal with the fallout from the toppling of Mr Al Assad. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said international support for a new Syria hinged on continuing the fight against ISIS and protecting the country's minorities. Mr Al Assad's rule was underpinned by his Alawite minority, which has dominated Sunni-majority Syria since Alawite officers took power in a 1963 coup. His father, Hafez Al Assad, supported the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is still influential in the SDF.
More than 200 people have been killed, mainly by the SDF, since the Arab uprising started in the east shortly after Mr Al Assad's downfall on Sunday, with demonstrations in the city of Deir Ezzor spreading to Raqqa and Hasakah. This has already forced the SDF to withdraw from most of the governorate of Deir Ezzor and the city of Manbij to the north. HTS and an allied Turkish proxy militia have taken over.
Demonstrators in Raqqa and Hasakah started gathering again on Friday, resuming their disobedience movement, as SDF forces stayed away, the sources said.
The tribal east, especially in the Euphrates river valley, is Syria's breadbasket and the source of most of its oil and gas production. Oil output was 200,000 barrels per day before 2011 but has fallen by 75 per cent since. The area also contains the bulk of the US military presence in Syria.
Two major US enemies, Russia and Iran, had also carved zones of control in Syria before Mr Al Assad's downfall, along with Turkey, the main winner in the immediate aftermath of his removal.
An official in the SDF-run administration in the east said Mr Abdi would be willing to relinquish the province of Raqqa. Already the administration has switched from flying the regime flag to the rebel flag, in a sign of trying to placate Mr Al Shara.
The official expected Mr Al Shara would continue to avoid confrontation with US forces because he needs them to counter ISIS. Both ISIS and HTS are designated as terrorists by the US, together with the Marxist-Leninist PKK, but this has not prevented the US from co-operating with the PKK-linked SDF.
Since 2011, members of the eastern tribes and clans have been recruited by a number of players in the Syrian civil war: the regime, the Iranians, the Russians, ISIS, the US, Al Nusra – an HTS forerunner – and the Free Syrian Army, which was the nucleus of Syria's rebel forces when founded in 2011.
"The east will sink in a bloodbath if there is any [power] vacuum," the official said. "[Al] Shara does not have the forces to control it alone. For now he needs the SDF."
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Cherry
Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
Skoda Superb Specs
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Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
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Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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Jawab Iteiqal
Director: Mohamed Sammy
Starring: Mohamed Ramadan, Ayad Nasaar, Mohamed Adel and Sabry Fawaz
2 stars
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