We are following with deep concern and closely the rapidly unfolding developments in northern and eastern Syria, where the collapse of the fragile negotiations between the Syrian interim authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has led to a renewed outbreak of armed confrontations and the government forces’ takeover of strategic positions.
This shift from political dialogue to military escalation undermines opportunities for de-escalation and plunges the region back into a cycle of violence. It has resulted in severe humanitarian crises, manifested in waves of mass displacement from neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo and its surroundings, placing the Syrian people before unbearable living and security burdens after many long years of war.
The gravity of this situation is compounded by the loss of control over vital detention centres, such as Al-Shaddadi Prison and Al-Hol Camp, and the accompanying escape of terrorist elements of ISIS. This security breach constitutes an existential threat that goes beyond Syria’s borders to pose a direct danger to Iraqi national security. This reality calls for genuine mobilization that goes beyond conventional reactions, to confront the possibility of a resurgence of cross-border terrorist activity.
In light of this critical juncture, the Iraqi Communist Party renews its principled position of solidarity with and support for the democratic forces and the Kurdish people in Syria. The Party is reaffirming that guaranteeing the national rights of the Kurdish people and reaching appropriate formulas to realize them through serious dialogue is the optimal path to Syria’s stability and territorial unity.
The Iraqi Communist Party also stresses that the gains achieved in the areas of the Autonomous Administration (of North and East Syria) represent a fundamental pillar of stability and a solid barrier against terrorism. Any attempt to undermine them by force will only spread chaos and weaken the prospects for a comprehensive national political solution.
Accordingly, historical responsibility requires all Syrian national forces to reject the approach of authoritarianism and military domination, to oppose all forms of tutelage and foreign intervention by various regional and international actors, and to adhere to the option of building a democratic Syria that guarantees justice and equality for all its constituents, away from the logic of arms.
At the same time, the Iraqi CP emphasizes the necessity for the Iraqi government to adopt firm and realistic measures to protect the borders, away from improvisation or subservience to narrow political calculations. Protecting Iraq from a repetition of the catastrophes of the past requires high-level security coordination and a precise assessment of the risks emanating from the Syrian front, in a manner that ensures safeguarding the country from the repercussions of the ongoing security collapse in neighbouring states.
The Political Bureau
Iraqi Communist Party
20 January 20
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