Mariam A.
Devastation in Idlib caused by a Russian missile strike on March 14, 2019, claimed lives and reduced a neighborhood to ruins. Photo by Moussa Mohammed. Used with permission Despite the devastating earthquake that ravaged both Turkey and Syria on February 6, affecting over 18 million people, causing loss of lives, injuries, and displacement of millions, the Bashar Al Assad regime emerged with plans to exploit this tragedy for personal gain. The earthquake provided the regime with a pathway to break its isolation resulting from international sanctions due to grave human rights violations. Seizing the chance, the regime initiated the normalization of relations with Arab countries, who used humanitarian aid as a pretext to restore communication -Diplomatic normalization refers to the process of restoring or establishing formal diplomatic relations between two countries or entities. The Arab League met on May 7, 2023, where they agreed to reinstate Syria's membership in the league. Screenshot from Al Jazeera video. Fair use. On May 7, 2023, the Arab League welcomed Syria back after a 12-year break, disregarding the Assad regime's atrocities of massacre, torture, forced disappearances, and displacement, dealing a painful blow to human rights in the region. The Syrian civil war began in March 2011, when the Asad regime brutally suppressed peaceful protests. This sparked a relentless ongoing conflict that continues to this day. Numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria were committed by the Assad regime, according to human rights reports. These offenses include indiscriminate shelling, focusing on medical facilities and personnel, preventing those in need receiving humanitarian aid, and carrying out extrajudicial executions, torture, enforced disappearances, and sexual violence within prisons. The regime's crimes went beyond that, disregarding international laws and resorting to the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians on several occasions. One incident that stands out is the 2013 massacre in Ghouta, which killed hundreds of civilians, including children. Furthermore, the regime used famine as a weapon against the Syrian people by blocking aid from getting to areas controlled by opposition, causing civilians to suffer from hunger and malnutrition. These crimes resulted in catastrophic consequences, displacing over 14 million Syrians globally, including 6.8 million internally. A recent UN report from March 2023 highlighted that 70 percent of the population is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Families discovered their loved one's fates through the publication of Caesar's gruesome photos online in 2014. Screenshot from a Middle East Eye video. Fair use. These crimes led several countries and organizations to impose sanctions on the Syrian regime since 2011. The European Union (EU) froze assets and imposed travel bans on individuals involved in human rights violations, while the United States implemented sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in 2019, named after a defector who documented torture with gruesome photos. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011, but a shift occurred since 2017 in the international community and anti-regime forces. The regime's military gains, backed by Russia and Iran, against terrorist organizations like ISIS led to a change in focus for some Western countries, including the US, prioritizing defeating ISIS over removing Assad from power. Bashar Al Assad warmly welcomed during visit to the UAE, meeting with the UAE president, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on 19 March 2023. Screenshot from a Gulf News video. Fair use. Arab countries have recently improved communication with the Assad regime, with several prominent diplomatic attempts to rebuild channels with Damascus. In 2018, the UAE and Bahrain restored diplomatic relations with Syria. Following the earthquake, Saudi Arabia expressed interest in improving relations with Syria, reflecting the evolving diplomatic developments and new alliances in the Middle East, including the regional impact of the Saudi–Iranian relations, encompassing Syria. Syrian and Iraq refugees arrive from Turkey to Skala Sykamias, Lesvos island, Greece. Rescue team from “Proactiva open arms“. Photo by Ggia – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Fair use. Arab normalization with the Assad regime serves different needs and interests. It aims to alleviate the internal tensions caused by millions of Syrian refugees in Arab countries and — hopefully — facilitate their safe return. Moreover, it seeks to curb the flow of illicit drugs, smuggled from Syria to Jordan and Iraq en route to Gulf countries.