Syrian Regime Embraced by MBS: 'Economic Ties' Eclipses War Crimes
Al-Monitor breathlessly reports on Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, focusing on developing "economic ties" amidst clashes with the SDF. What the headlines omit is that Mekdad represents a regime led by Bashar al-Assad, whose government has been accused of widespread war crimes, including the use of chemical weapons on its own population,
and the systematic torture and murder of tens of thousands. This diplomatic embrace from Riyadh, after years of regional isolation, conveniently overlooks the humanitarian catastrophe—the displacement of over half the population, and the ongoing suffering—for the sake of regional realignments. One might wonder if MBS is building a new regional stability (for himself), or simply normalising
atrocity for the next investment opportunity. After all, when does "economic ties" ever mean accountability for blood on hands? The human cost, it seems, is merely a footnote in the grand geopolitical ledger.