Let us not forget the plight of Syria's endangered Christians
On Sunday, the blast from a suicide attack exploded in the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila district of Damascus. Twenty-two people have been killed, according to authorities. This was an Islamic State (ISIS) attack, acknowledged officially by the terror group. The attack is a very serious event; it's something ISIS has been trying to do for seven months, ever since the new Syrian government took office.
ISIS believes fundamentally in attacking Christians and other religious minorities. It believes they can never live at peace with its version of Islam. This replicates a strategy ISIS and its predecessor organisations had in Iraq for years, of attacking non-Sunni religious groups at all costs to stir up religious violence.
This bombing is not unprecedented. ISIS has tried to attack Christians inside Syria for as long as it has been in the country. In recent months, ISIS has been prevented by the new government, whose leadership believes close ties with the country's Christians are necessary to keep the country at peace and to prove to foreigners that Syria is governed well. Attacks on Christians are one way ISIS tries to overthrow the transitional government.
Ever since the war against ISIS largely fought in the last decade, ISIS has not disappeared. Its leaders have been killed, its local commanders kidnapped by special forces, but it has seethed in the Syrian desert and planned and plotted. When the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell in Damascus, the American Central Command (CENTCOM) launched a series of strikes on dozens of ISIS targets which were previously hiding in Assad regime territory, where American air power was reluctant to go. But a group like ISIS mutates and survives to fight again.
The new authorities in Syria, led by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, have hedged their credibility on internal security. Syria's new government dissolved a sprawling network of warring intelligence agencies and security services, the majority of them used for internal turf wars and locking up dissenters. From this morass, it has had to build a new security system.
Al-Sharaa and his ministers have said for months that ISIS remains the new government's greatest challenge. The head of the new Syrian General Security Service claims that have been many ISIS attempts at violent terrorism, some of them publicly acknowledged, that have been foiled in recent months by a combination of the new transitional authorities and their partners, local and foreign.
The new government has worked closely with the United States as part of America's counter-ISIS mission. This includes coordinating strikes on ISIS targets, and American special forces joining with a favoured Syrian group, the Syrian Free Army, to launch raids on suspected ISIS commanders.
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Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
Syria's Christians ask 'Why us?' after suicide bombing at Damascus church
DAMASCUS, June 23 (Reuters) - Syrian Christians were struggling on Monday to understand why their community was targeted in a suicide attack and whether they can rely on the Islamist-led government's assurances of protection. Syria's health ministry said the toll from Sunday's attack on the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood had risen to 25 dead and more than 60 wounded. The interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of Islamic State who entered the church, opened fire and detonated an explosive vest. There was no claim of responsibility by the Islamic State group. On Monday, funeral announcements were posted on the door of the church. Members of the security forces stood outside it and other churches. "I wonder why they target us. We had no interest in any of the events that happened in our country. We have no interests besides Syria living in peace," said Bassim Khoury, a Christian resident of Damascus. "We did not carry weapons, we did not stand against anyone. We did not ask for government positions. None of us wants to become president, no one wants to run the government... Why would this happen to this peaceful people?" The attack fed fears among Syria's minorities that their communities are more exposed to attacks and harassment since Islamist-led rebels toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December. In March, hundreds of Alawites - the minority from which Assad hails - were killed in Syria's coastal provinces and dozens were kidnapped and killed in Damascus. In May, an armed raid on a Damascus nightclub and the killing of a woman at another venue led some bars to close. Christian residents of Damascus told Reuters that Muslim sheikhs had come to their neighbourhoods in the last six months to urge them to convert to Islam and to stop consuming alcohol. The violence has prompted questions about whether Syria's new rulers have full control over armed elements despite promises by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa - formerly a member of Al Qaeda - to rule inclusively for all of the diverse religious and ethnic groups. "We're in a country that must protect everyone," said Jean Bahri, another Christian resident of Damascus. Nibras Youssef, from Dweila, said people has already been on edge over the security situation, in which armed men and boys who said they were official security force members produced no relevant identification papers. "You see a 13-year-old holding a weapon and you cannot say anything to them," said Youssef. Sharaa expressed his condolences, calling Sonday's attack a "criminal bombing that hurt the whole Syrian people". Several Syrian ministers, as well as church leaders and other foreign officials, condemned the attacks. Candlelit vigils and church services were held elsewhere in Syria in solidarity with the parishioners at Mar Elias.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
AOC humiliates Pete Hegseth after tweet congratulating him on not leaking Iran attack information
Praise poured in for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he didn't leak U.S. plans to bomb Iranian nuclear sites – a low standard Democrats were quick to mock. Newsmax host Todd Starnes applauded Hegseth's efforts on X, writing, Not a single leak. Well done, @SecDef' seemingly referencing the so-called 'Signal-gate' scandal. The incident saw the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic added to a group chat with national security officials, including Hegseth, as a drone strike got underway against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Critics of President Donald Trump's administration, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, held back any praise for the embattled Defense Secretary. 'This is like applauding a grown man for being able to wipe their behind,' the New York Democrat wrote on X. 'Not exactly a vote of confidence.' Other X users were quick to join in on the mocking, with one person adding, 'LOL. He didn't pee himself either! WHAT A BIG BOY!' 'The signal app was down,' another social media user joked. 'This is such an embarrassing new standard to try to celebrate,' another person said. Another user quipped: 'MAGA praising Pete for not leaking war plans again is like giving a toddler a medal for not eating glue – congratulations, he finally did the bare minimum.' Hegseth described the U.S. strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites as an 'incredible and overwhelming success,' adding that they 'devastated the Iranian nuclear program.' The strikes have also drawn swift threats of retaliation from some Iranian leaders, including the country's army chief, who warned the strikes have given Tehran a 'free hand' to 'act against U.S. interests and its army.' UN officials on Monday said 'very significant damage' was caused in the U.S. bombardment, which followed strikes from Israel just days before. Israel launched airstrikes on Iran earlier this month on June 13, after accusing it of being days way from developing a nuclear weapon. The attack kicked off a long-feared war that the U.S. directly entered over the weekend. Ocasio-Cortez also called the strikes ' grounds for impeachment, ' which sparked backlash from the likes of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Report: Iranian officials consider removing Ayatollah as supreme leader
Iranian officials are said to be considering removing their supreme leader from power after the United States waded into Israel 's growing conflict with Iran on Sunday. Two sources involved in talks told The Atlantic that officials are now contemplating deposing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but said it's just 'one idea' among many 'plots'. 'Everybody knows Khamenei's days are numbered,' one official told the American outlet. 'Even if he stays in office, he won't have actual power.' Iranian officials had sought to displace the 86-year-old supreme leader even before the U.S. intervention due to his age and longstanding health concerns, the sources said. Iran has vowed to inflict 'serious' damage in retaliation to the American strikes on nuclear facilities across the territory. But analysts remain unconvinced that the country has the military might to keep up kinetic action against both Israel and the U.S., with the conflict now in its 11th day. However, Vladimir Putin today vowed to back Iran and condemned 'groundless' aggression against its ally. The Kremlin last night accused the United States of opening a Pandora's box with its strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, warning it was gambling with the 'safety and well-being of humanity as a whole'. Russia had already condemned Israel's strikes against Iran, and has said that targeting nuclear facilities risks throwing the region into greater chaos. Prior to the attacks, the Kremlin had been eyeing a role in mediating between Iran and Israel. 'This is an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran,' Putin told Abbas Araghchi, who travelled to Moscow on Monday seeking support in mediation over Iran's nuclear program. Putin called recent strikes 'unjustified' and added that Russia was 'making efforts to provide assistance to the Iranian people.' The comments came as Israel again struck the Fordow nuclear facility and 'government targets' in Tehran, with no sign of the conflict abating. Khamenei, who last spoke to his nation in a televised address on Wednesday, has hidden away in a bunker, suspending electronic communications in a bid to toughen up security amid swirling assassination threats, three Iranian officials told the New York Times . But, despite the ramped up protection effort Iran's Ayatollah has named three potential successors to take over his role in case he is killed, according to reports. A three-man committee from a top clerical body, appointed by Khamenei himself two years ago to identify his replacement, has accelerated its planning in recent days since Israel attacked Iran and threatened to assassinate the veteran leader, five insiders with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. Khamenei is being regularly briefed on the talks, according to the Iranian sources who requested anonymity to discuss highly sensitive matters. He has gone into hiding with his family and is being guarded by the Vali-ye Amr special forces unit of the Revolutionary Guards, a top security official said. The ruling establishment will immediately seek to name a successor to Khamenei if he is killed, to signal stability and continuity, according to the sources who acknowledged that predicting Iran's subsequent political trajectory was difficult. A new leader will still be chosen for his devotion to the revolutionary precepts of the Islamic Republic's late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, according to one insider, who is close to Khamenei's office and privy to succession discussions. At the same time, the top echelon of power is also considering which candidate might present a more moderate face to ward off foreign attacks and internal revolts, the person said. Two frontrunners have emerged in the succession discussions, the five insiders said: Khamenei's 56-year-old son Mojtaba, long seen as a continuity choice, and a new contender, Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the father of the Islamic revolution. Khomeini, a close ally of the reformist faction that favors the easing of social and political restrictions, nonetheless commands respect among senior clerics and the Revolutionary Guards because of his lineage, the sources added. 'I once again humbly express that this small and insignificant servant of the Iranian people stands ready to proudly be present on any front or scene you deem necessary,' the 53-year-old said in a public message of support to the supreme leader on Saturday, hours before the U.S. bombed Iran's nuclear facilities. Khomeini has come into the frame as a serious candidate this month amid the conflict with Israel and America because he could represent a more conciliatory choice internationally and domestically than Mojtaba Khamenei, the five people said. By contrast, Khamenei hews closely to his father's hardline policies, according to the insiders who cautioned that nothing had been determined, candidates could change and the supreme leader would have the final say. However, with the military conflict continuing, it remains unclear whether any new leader could be chosen easily or installed securely or if he could assume the level of authority enjoyed by Khamenei, they added. Israeli strikes have also killed several of Iran's top Revolutionary Guards commanders, potentially complicating a handover of power as the elite military force has long played a central role in enforcing the supreme leader's rule. Khamenei's office and the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body from which the succession committee was drawn, were not available to comment. His son Mojtaba, also a cleric who has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was rumored to be a front-runner. But he is not among the selected candidates, officials reportedly told the newspaper. It comes after Donald Trump raised the prospect of regime change in the country, despite several of his administration officials earlier stressing that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites did not have that goal. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday. Since Trump joined Israel's campaign by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning, Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate. The country said the US should expect 'heavy consequences' for its attacks, issuing a threat that its entry into the conflict with Israel will 'expand the scope of legitimate targets'. Earlier, a Iranian television mouthpiece warned that up to 50,000 American soldiers will be returned to Washington in 'coffins'. State TV anchor Mehdi Khanalizadeh accused Trump of choosing to 'spill the blood of your soldiers', before adding: 'The US president in the Oval Office chose to take delivery of the coffins of up to 50,000 US soldiers in Washington.' Trump declared last night that 'monumental damage' has been done 'to all nuclear sites in Iran'.
