HTS Offensive in Syria: A Proxy for Imperialist Domination
The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) unequivocally condemns the recent announcement by Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesman for the HTS-led Syrian Ministry of Defense, regarding the "second phase" of military operations against so-called "remnants" of the former Assad government. This escalation of violence is not merely a local or regional conflict but a direct manifestation of U.S.-led imperialist intervention in Syria. HTS (Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham), far from being an independent actor, functions as a proxy force advancing the geopolitical interests of the United States, Israel, and their allies, whose primary goal is to destabilize the region and maintain control over its resources.
The primary contradiction in Syria is not between competing local factions but between the Syrian people and the imperialist forces that have systematically exploited and devastated their nation. The U.S., alongside its NATO allies and regional partners, has fueled this crisis by arming, funding, and legitimizing extremist groups like HTS to serve as instruments of its imperialist agenda. These groups, under the guise of opposition to the former Assad government, have perpetuated violence, sectarianism, and chaos, all while advancing the interests of their imperialist backers.
The recent massacres in Syria’s coastal regions, where over a thousand civilians were brutally targeted and killed, are a direct consequence of this imperialist strategy. By supporting and enabling groups like HTS, the U.S. and its allies have created the conditions for endless cycles of violence and human suffering. Colonel Ghani’s announcement of a "second phase" of military operations is not a step toward liberation or justice but a continuation of the imperialist project to fragment and dominate Syria.
As the conflict in Syria continues to unfold, it is increasingly evident that large sectors of the U.S. left have failed to ground their analysis in objective materialist principles, instead resorting to subjective moral posturing. This failure is not new; it echoes the left’s misguided alignment with U.S.-led imperialism in Libya, Iraq, Nicaragua, Tigray/Ethiopia, Ukraine, and beyond. Their relative silence in the face of the recent atrocities underscores a betrayal of the anti-imperialist principles they claim to uphold, actively manufacturing consent for these murders in real time.
The recent reports of extrajudicial killings, house-to-house massacres, and the targeted violence against specific communities reveal a grim reality that cannot be ignored. These atrocities are not merely the result of internal strife but are deeply rooted in imperialist strategies of divide and conquer, tactics employed to maintain control over West Asia and its resources. The Black Alliance for Peace calls for an end to these imperialist interventions and stands in solidarity with the Syrian people in their struggle for peace and self-determination.