Political Blocs East of Euphrates Support Decentralization

Syria’s Tomorrow Movement leader Ahmad Jarba (Syria’s Tomorrow)
Syria’s Tomorrow Movement leader Ahmad Jarba (Syria’s Tomorrow)
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Political Blocs East of Euphrates Support Decentralization

Syria’s Tomorrow Movement leader Ahmad Jarba (Syria’s Tomorrow)
Syria’s Tomorrow Movement leader Ahmad Jarba (Syria’s Tomorrow)

Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian political blocs from Qamishli, a city in the northeastern province of Hasakah, have announced the establishment of the "Peace and Freedom Front" to ease coordination on a political solution in Syria.

The front’s statement called for the adoption of decentralization, just distribution of wealth and power, and reconsideration of the administrative demarcations currently in place.

The statement also defines the role of the army and security services, defending the country and maintaining its security, independence and territorial integrity.

The front includes the Kurdish National Council and Assyrian Democratic Organization, both of which are represented in the Syrian Negotiation Commission, in addition to Syria’s Tomorrow Movement and Arab Council in Euphrates and Al-Jazeera.

These parties are all part of the Syrian opposition, operating in the region controlled by the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces supported by the international coalition led by the US. The agreement was reached after two major Kurdish parties reached a preliminary settlement of their differences.

The front’s statement also makes clear that the new coalition "does not affect the persistence of any of its parties’ membership in opposition bodies; rather, its work falls within the framework of complementing their efforts" and that the front supports opposition forces and international and regional parties seeking to end the suffering of the Syrians through a comprehensive political solution through its statement.

It also affirms the front’s openness to discussion and collaboration with the parties across the Syrian opposition spectrum, in a reference to the ongoing American and French-sponsored talks between the Kurdish Council and Democratic Union Party.

Ahmed Jarba, head of Syria’s Tomorrow Movement, said: “In light of the scenes that afflict Syria and the region, we have noticed a state of political rigidity and surrender, to an extent that despair has reached its climax.”
“Through this announcement, we are breaking through the wall of despair and declare that it will resonate through deeds, not words.”

Speaking about the inclusion of Kurds, Assyrians and Arabs in the coalition, he said: “The diversity of our backgrounds and beliefs demonstrates that the unity of the Syrian people is high and none can rise above it, and that betting on singling each of us out to bring us down and subjugate us has fallen and will not rise.”

For his part, Faisal Youssef, a leader in the Kurdish National Council said: “This front was announced to reinforce coexistence between the components of the region, and (ensure) that the constitution guarantees the rights of national minorities and considers their languages and cultures to be national languages and cultures that represent Syria’s history and civilization.”

The statement, which includes 15 clauses, affirms that Syria is an independent and sovereign state, with the principle of the peaceful transfer of power through free and fair elections as its basis.

It demands constitutional ratification that Syria is a nationality-national multi-cultural and multi-religious state and emphasizes the front’s commitment to the United Nations-sponsored political process.



Washington Links Israeli Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s Disarmament

Local residents inspect the debris and rubble from a collapsed building hit by an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Local residents inspect the debris and rubble from a collapsed building hit by an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Washington Links Israeli Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s Disarmament

Local residents inspect the debris and rubble from a collapsed building hit by an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Local residents inspect the debris and rubble from a collapsed building hit by an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on June 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Concerns are growing in Lebanon after the United States' reluctance to step in, either directly or through the International Monitoring Committee overseeing the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, and prevent Israel from further escalating its strikes in the country.

On Thursday, the Israeli military struck several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production. The strikes, preceded by an Israeli warning to evacuate several buildings, came on the eve of Eid al-Adha.

What aggravated the Lebanese concerns was Israel’s prior notification to the United States of its plan to target these buildings, which were later found not to be used by Hezbollah for manufacturing drones.

According to official Lebanese sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, they said that Washington acknowledged that the buildings were not used by Hezbollah and directed blame at Tel Aviv citing that Israel’s justifications were unfounded.

But the US criticism of Tel Aviv is unlikely to deter the latter from carrying out further aggression against Lebanon, amid the failure of the monitoring committee to address Israel’s violations.

Washington blaming Israel will not change the reality on the ground as long as it enjoys a US cover that allows it to maintain pressure on Lebanon to set a timeline for Hezbollah’s disarmament linked to its own withdrawal from the south.

But Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have reiterated commitment to limiting weapons to the state’s control and urged the international community to pressure Israel into withdrawing from southern Lebanon.

Ministerial sources said that President Aoun stands firm in his position and is in ongoing communication with Hezbollah leadership paving way for dialogue aimed at ensuring the state’s exclusive control over arms once conditions are ripe for implementation.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah has no choice but to engage in serious dialogue, which is not intended as a stalling tactic while awaiting the outcome of US-Iranian negotiations on the nuclear file.

They also assure that Lebanon is committed to the continued presence of the monitoring committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire.

They point out that the upcoming dialogue with Hezbollah on securing the state’s exclusive control over weapons is a cornerstone of Lebanon’s national security strategy.

The sources question the absence of the US engagement in Lebanon mainly regarding the military developments and Israel’s escalation. They highlight that Lebanon is witnessing one of its darkest times compounded by Washington’s dismissal of Morgan Ortagus, the deputy special envoy for the Middle East, from handling the Lebanese file.

This move has left US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, and the entire Lebanese state, in a state of uncertainty, as Washington is reportedly considering sending Ambassador Thomas Barrett, although no official date has been announced for his arrival in Beirut.

Barrett is currently the US envoy to Türkiye and recently appointed by President Donald Trump as special envoy to Syria.

On the other hand, political sources interpret the current absence of the US role, and Israel’s unrestricted freedom to act against Hezbollah’s remaining military capabilities, as a deliberate strategy it uses to safeguard its borders.

It also links withdrawal from south Lebanon to a timeline for containing Hezbollah’s weapons and limiting it to the state’s control.

The White House endorses the principle of linking Israel’s withdrawal to Hezbollah’s disarmament as “it was crafted in the United States”, according to MPs who frequently visit Washington.

Lebanon has no choice but to adhere to that, viewing it as a mandatory passage to bring a political end to the Iranian interference in the region with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and to enter a new political phase for the Mediterranean country.