End Foreign Intervention against Syria! Steadfastly defend the self-determination of all people in Syria!
The International Women’s Alliance (IWA) condemns the years of violent and careless foreign intervention in Syria, culminating in the recent overthrow of its independent government. IWA is especially concerned about the situation of women and children who have been targeted by paramilitary groups since the conflict began heightening in December, 2024. We are especially critical of how the US and its allies in NATO are orchestrating this political moment to further their interests in the West Asia region and to weaken Iran as part of the US’ attempt to maintain global hegemony and domination. Concerned women and defenders of human rights must continue to raise their voices as the current situation being faced by the Syrian people will put more women and civilians in the crossfire of the imperialist and proxy forces.
On the morning of December 8th armed paramilitaries, with support of the US and NATO forces, overthrew the independent government of the Syrian Arab Republic and removed Bashar al-Assad from power. Television images showed crowds celebrating the removal of Assad while imperialist powers like the US and EU were quick to offer support, however, it is also worth noting that the Assad regime’s ouster is part of the intensifying global inter-imperialist rivalry, particularly in the Middle East. It is a result of the continuous foreign intervention in Syria, primarily by US imperialism under its so-called Greater Middle East Initiative launched as early as 2004 and further economic sanctions against Syria since 2011. The invasion and attacks in Syria have primarily been carried out by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a reorganized fragment of the previous US-trained and al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front whose majority membership formed the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization. Since December HTS’s leader - Ahmed al-Sharaa - has taken control of the country and claimed the role of President of Syria. Turkey was quick to offer its support of al-Sharaa as the president and recently hosted the first in person metings between Syrian and Turkish Governments in 13 years, signaling a significant shift in the alignment of the Syrian State.
Al-Sharaa of Syria and Erdoğan of Turkey met together for the first in person meeting between the two governments in 13 years. Today, Turkey continues aerial strikes and ground invasion against Kurdish communities in Rojava.
Al-Sharaa has filled his cabinet with more foreign influence – giving high-ranking positions to Turkish, Uzbek, Turkmen, Uigher and other foreign jihadist fighters. HTS officials have been reported to be intimidating civilians, enforcing “Islamic dress code” for women, and infringing on many personal freedoms. The current Women’s Affairs Chief, Aisha al-Debs, is railroading many of the rights women held under the Assad government – including right to divorce, right to work, and freedoms in dress and education. As the only woman official in the current government of Syria she is paving the way for women to face increased religious oppression, persecution and targeting if they disagree with the sentiment that women are “primarily responsible for their families, husbands, and priorities”. The quick movement of the defacto government towards Sharia law threatens the rich cultural, ethnic and religious diveristy of the country and also has significant implications for the impacts on freedoms and rights of the ‘many ethnic and religious minorities in the region.
The Syrian people have already suffered over a decade of catastrophic civil war brought on by by US, Zionist, and Turkish proxies, putting the independent Syrian government in a volatile position. In the past 10 years over 600,000 people have been killed and over half the population has been displaced. Women and children bear a disproportionate brunt of the impact of the violence. Further destabilization of Syria in an already war-torn conflict zone will continue to disproportionately impact women as competing factions vie for power. The women of Syria have long suffered from displacement, sexual violence, abuse, torture, and extra judicial killings as part of the ongoing and widespread violence towards women due to the conflict imposed on the region by Western imperialist forces.
Historic Kurdistan is divided between the territories of four states, including the Northeastern part of Syria , where the Autonomous Administration of Northeastern Syria is known as Rojava. SNA and HTS have relentlessly attacked this area since their invasion resulting in nearly 200,000 refugees who fled Afrin in 2018 due to Turkey’s occupation are once again forced to flee, facing a dire humanitarian catastrophe. In these genocidal wars, it is the women who pay the ultimate price alongside the Kurdish people who yearn for their self determination and liberation. IWA uplifts and honors the long-standing efforts of the Kurdish people in asserting their right to self determination, especially in Rojava, where the women have taken up active armed resistance against the US and Turkish trained proxy forces in defense of their liberation and self-determination.
In the aftermath of December’s invasion, Turkey - who is sheilded by its membership in NATO - has begun to attack strategic locations in Rojava such as the Tishrin Dam in Kobanî. Kobanî, which recently celebrated 10 years since the Kurdish people successfully overthrew ISIS, is significant due to its access to natural resources and its close proximity to the Turkish State. The Tishrin Dam has been a focal point of armed conflict between ISIS, Turkey, and the Kurdish resistance for many years, especially because of its hydroelectical output and strategic location on the Euphrates River on the border between Syria and Turkey. Today again the Kurdish people are defending the dam against Turkish aggression and attempts to take it over to exert more control on the whole of the Euphrates river in the region.
Kurdish demonstrators gathered at the Tishrin Dam for the 37th day on Feb 13, 2025
The overthrow of the Assad regime also has implications for civilians all over West Asia because of Syria’s central role in opposing US-NATO forces imperialist aggression in the region. A tightly coordinated network of organizations, liberation movements, and independent states known as the Axis of Resistance, has remained steadfast in opposing the genocidal expansion of Zionism and imperialism overall. Assad’s government was targeted because of its role in assisting with weapons shipments from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the region and its open borders which provided a safe haven to resistance forces. The remaining resistance forces included in the Axis are the united Palestinian resistance organizations, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Ansar Allah in Yemen, and the various groups under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces and Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
Despite ceasefire agreements, the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian and Lebanese people rages on – it is clear that these events in Syria were a calculated attempt to destabilize West Asia and ensure US-NATO and their allies are able to assert the most influence in the region. In the aftermath of the paramilitary takeover of the Assad government, the US together with other Western forces including so-called “Israel”, will continue to take advantage of the existing divisions to advance their interests, plunder Syrian resources, attempt to weaken the Axis of resistance, and control and arm its own proxies in Syria.
It is evident that the US seeks to carve up Syria so as to more easily plunder and control the region and its people. We must continue to support the heroic cause of the people to wage their struggles for national and social liberation in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Kurdistan. IWA calls on all our members, allies, and freedom loving women to oppose this act of US/NATO-backed aggression and to staunchly and steadfastly defend the right of the people in Syria to fight for self-determination.
End Intervention against Syria!
Down with the US-Zionist-Turkish Aggression!
Long Live the united Syrian people!
Long Live the Palestinian People!
Long Live the Kurdish People!