بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
What does America Want from Syria?
(Translated)
Al-Rayah Newspaper - Issue 560 - 13/08/2025 CE
By: Ustadh Abdul Hakim Abdullah
Since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in early March 2011, until the end of Assad’s rule on December 8, 2024, America’s goals regarding Syria were clear. They were to prevent the export of the revolution, and prevent the fall of the Syrian regime, while performing cosmetic surgery upon it to give it a new look. These goals have not changed to this moment. The changes were only in the means and styles, and they were originally created to serve the goals. If they lost their usefulness, they would have to be changed. As for the issue of America’s influence in Syria, it was not a subject of discussion, as the international conflict was absent within Syria, and everyone was towing the American line, except for some attempts to create disruption only, not conflict. Russia and others were nothing but cards and tools to achieve the American strategy.
Once the US reaffirmed its commitment to Syria, the European Union lifted its sanctions on Syria, including lifting restrictions on the financial and energy sectors and removing the Syrian central bank from the sanctions list. In Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin indicated that Russia would continue negotiations with the Syrian government regarding the status of Russian military bases in Syria. Following Ahmed al-Sharaa’s meeting with Trump, the Foreign Minister of the Jewish entity, Gideon Sa’ar, said that Tel Aviv wants good relations with the new Syrian regime, which is a positive message to Trump that may indicate the occupation’s desire to conclude a deal with Syria under his auspices. Separately, Barrak proposed holding negotiations between the Jewish entity and Syria to conclude a non-aggression pact.
The real conflict is between the Ummah and the entire West, led by the United States. Congress provided millions of dollars to support the Syrian fighters, fighting the Assad regime, established two enclaves in the north and south, and connected the rebel movement to it. It also engaged numerous countries, organizations, and individuals for this purpose.
Syria is considered a major gateway to Western Asia on the Mediterranean Sea, a link between the Arabian Gulf region and Europe by land and sea, and a gateway for transporting energy from the Gulf region and Iran to Europe. Syria’s flat geography — almost devoid of natural barriers such as mountains — makes the construction of oil and gas pipeline networks and transporting oil and gas, easier and less costly than in mountainous Turkey, which aspires to become an energy hub to Europe. Consequently, Syria constitutes a transit point and a natural corridor for energy resources from the Middle East — Iran and the Arabian Gulf region — to Europe.
Syria also possesses significant natural gas fields. It is a region with historical significance and is subject to colonialist attention, due to its Islamic history, its role and relationship with Europe, as well as its outlook for the future, which is asides from the Prophetic narrations related to ash-Sham, its virtues, and its role in bringing about change. Therefore, the entire West views ash-Sham region differently and distinctly from others. Although all Muslim countries share the same ideology, ash-Sham is distinguished by its unique characteristics. For these reasons, the United States took an interest in the Syrian revolution, particularly given the nature of its revolution, which differed significantly from the Arab Spring revolutions. The Syrian revolution raised the Rayah banner of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), called for the implementation of Islam, and spawned movements embracing Islamic thoughts. Muslims from all over the world raced to support the revolution of ash-Sham.
When Bashar fell, America wanted to preserve the regime even if its head fell, so it entrusted the mission to Turkey. Before that, America had given Turkey a major role in Syria, until the mission came down to Turkey choosing some of those whom America considered its enemies, and against whom international rulings and demands were issued. However, it seems that Turkey’s preparations had been going on for a long time, and the relationship between it and al-Julani, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is somewhat old, and the relationship between them, as well as the military support and Turkish embrace after the revolution, is not hidden, and Türkiye’s role is well known and no one is ignorant of it.
After Bashar al-Assad’s fall, things changed, events accelerated, and numerous differences emerged in Syria, both domestically and externally. There is no doubt that visions and plans differed between the demands of the revolutionary popular platform, America, the influential power, and a new player, the Jewish entity. However, America still has the final say. What does America want?
America's demands of the new administration are numerous and varied, some of which relate to Syria’s domestic front and some to its foreign relations:
As for what pertains to domestic affairs — and at the forefront of that are Islam, the constitution, the civil state, the minority ethnicities and their role in governance and administration, their relationship with Damascus, the form of the ruling system, federalism, the formation of the army, the integration of the rebels, the control of weapons and their restriction to the state, the issue of foreign fighters and the expulsion and exile of some of them, and the exile of Palestinian fighters — the Ministry of Defense announced, “the integration of 3,500 foreign fighters into the newly formed 84th Division.” America’s stance changed, as its envoy Barrack stated that it is better to keep foreign fighters under the umbrella of the state, rather than excluding them, to prevent them from joining jihadist groups.
As well as privatization, investment, and the role of American companies, particularly in relation to oil and gas, the Syrian government signed a $7 billion agreement on May 29 with international companies in the energy sector, including UCC Holding, Power International, Qatar’s Urbacon Holding, and Turkey’s Keelon GES Energy Yatirimleri and Cengiz Energy.
As for foreign demands, there are demands related to normalization with the Jewish entity, not posing a threat to it, and compliance with the Abraham Accords. This was stated in an Al Jazeera article titled: "What does America want from the new Syria?" “However, the meeting between Trump and Sharaa was not the only development from Trump regarding Syria. The US president announced his intention to gradually lift US sanctions on Syria. Trump described these sanctions as brutal and crippling, stressing that it was time for Syria to rise up again. This announcement came after more than a decade of severe sanctions that completely isolated Syria from the global financial system. It is clear that Washington has adopted a new approach in dealing with the new Syrian government, moving from a policy of isolation and punishment, to a policy of conditional engagement and cautious support. US officials have expressed their willingness to work with the transitional authorities in Damascus, if they commit to the path of a political settlement and take into account international demands.”
In the face of these numerous and diverse demands, we find the new administration largely in line with America’s demands, even showing them friendliness, acceptance, and submission. It has participated in negotiations with the Jews and demonstrated its humiliating submission in the case of Sweida, and before that, the foreign fighters and the revolutionary popular platform.
In short, the United States was able to preserve the regime, and replace one agent with another, doing what his predecessor failed to do. Do the revolutionaries understand who they are gathering behind? Are they aware of the manipulation and intellectual deception of al-Julani's group and those behind him, with their proposals in ash-Sham based on false arguments regarding the necessities of reality and the available concessions, misinterpreting the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, and other such proposals?