UAE Backing Separatist Groups in Syria?!
Lebanon’s al‑Akhbar newspaper claims that Saudi Arabia and Qatar believe the UAE is backing separatist groups, including forces in Syria’s coastal region, Sweida province, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
This allegation follows a report months earlier in Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth, which stated that the UAE had begun mediating between al‑Joulani’s administration, Israel, and the U.S. The reported aim was to push Damascus into confrontation with Hezbollah in exchange for recognition of al‑Joulani’s legitimacy and extensive economic and military aid.
If accurate, these reports suggest Syria has become a battleground for Arab rivalries, where tools such as support for local factions, political mediation, and ties with external powers are deployed. The continuation of this dynamic could not only complicate Damascus’s path to consolidation but also cast greater uncertainty over Syria’s political and security future.
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