Saad Saeb
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Why Do They Want the War to Continue?
The behavior of Syrian extremists reveals on a daily basis not only their lack of desire to seek a comprehensive solution that ends the current “de facto partition”, but also their desire for the continuation and fixation of that situation.
Perhaps the most important indicator in this direction is the irresponsible way of dealing with the political solution, in parallel with the claims (each from their side) that conditions in their “areas of control” are gradually improving, and even that these conditions now allow for the return of refugees to begin. This is in complete contradiction with the facts that say that the condition of Syrians in all parts of Syria is worse each day than the previous.
Additionally, the type of political discourse produced by these extremist sides, which bears an identical essence, which is saying that the “solution” goes exclusively through complete elimination of the other. In earlier stages, this discourse centered about the slogans “deciding militarily and toppling”. When it was no longer possible to use these slogans, because they exposed their bearers as enemies of the political solution and particularly UNSC Resolution 2254, the extremists (from all sides) amended their discourse here and there, where the focus became labeling the other side with terrorism, war crimes, separatism, and so on. This is the indirect means of saying: “There is no dialogue with this other side, and the solution lies in eliminating it”.
What is most surprising is that the extremist sides go even further, reaching the point of boasting that they are moving towards “strengthening democracy”, in many forms and means, including “elections”.
One can say many things and details in this regard, and can always connect them with Jeffrey’s (the former US envoy to Syria) statement that the stalemate in Syria is precisely the required stability. One can also talk about the interests of the warlords in the continuation of this “stalemate”, through which they accumulate astronomical fortunes, including through Western sanctions. However, what we will address here is only one idea in the framework of answering the question: “Why do they want the war to continue?”
“No Sound is Louder than the Battle’s Sound”
As long as the “battle” is ongoing, no sound can be louder than it. In other words, as long as the battle continues, those in charge of the organized military force, whatever that force, are the ones with the final say in everything.
In this sense, the “democratic” processes promoted by the various sides, away from UNSC Resolution 2254 and from the political solution, within partial frameworks that do not include all Syrians, and in conditions and an atmosphere controlled until the moment by these “arms bearing organized forces”, is nothing more than manufacturing civilian mouths that “legitimize” the same ruling powers, and more dangerously, seek to legitimize the partition while accusing others (in a generalization that includes the good and the bad) as agents, terrorists, and separatists.
What is happening is not entirely new in the historical sense, as there are numerous and repeated examples of the tendency of warlords to legitimize themselves at the end of the war as saviors and keepers of “civil peace”. It suffices to look at Lebanon and Iraq.
However, what is indeed new in the historical sense is that the international balance that had permitted the Lebanon and Iraq models has ended forever, and with it not only the validity of these models has ended, but the real possibility of their application is closer to zero.
