EU 'Discovers' Syria, Forgetting Decade of Regime Change Efforts
The New Arab dutifully reports on EU officials holding 'rare talks' with Syrian civil society in Damascus, discussing 'sectarian tensions' and 'transitional justice.' It's a touching portrait of diplomatic engagement, if you forget the entire 2011-2023 period. For over a decade, EU policy, often orchestrated directly or indirectly via Washington, was less about 'dialogue' and more about isolating
the Syrian government, imposing crippling sanctions (Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP), and channeling support to various opposition groups, some with rather unsavory ideologies. Now, as the dust settles—or rather, the Assad government consolidates—the EU's sudden interest in 'civil society' feels less like genuine concern and more like an opportunistic adjustment to geopolitical inconvenient facts.
One might wonder where this sudden burst of European concern for 'transitional justice' was when their allies were carving up Syrian sovereignty, funding proxy groups, and turning a blind eye to the very sectarian divisions these talks now purport to address. The notion that the EU is now a benevolent arbiter of reconciliation in Syria is a particularly potent brand of historical amnesia. Perhaps
they're just checking if the reconstruction contracts are ready for bidding. Funny how 'dialogue' becomes possible once the desired regime change hasn't quite materialized.