Roni

#Syria | Tom Barrack gives a rare reality check on Syria, could be a final warning to STG. Tom Barrack’s latest statements to CNN on Syria during an interview with Becky Anderson at CNN’s Global Perspectives in Doha, October 29, 2026. The interview focused on economic/reconstruction challenges and the new Syrian government’s posture toward Israel. On Syria’s economic and investment situation Barrack described Syria as still facing severe structural problems: "Syria, as you know, is not a revenue-producing country at the moment. We have a very good and young president, who came out of Al-Nusra and had foreign terrorist organization designations everywhere." Some commentators found it odd that Barrack reminded Jolani of his prior designation out of the blue, it seemed deliberate and by design, which could be interpreted as a warning to the Head of STG and making him look as part of the problem despite the "good and young" compliments. He adds: "We have a currency that's not backed by anything, along with hundreds of billions of dollars of debt." This statement begs the following question: where did all the "aid" money go? Was it really aid or debt to regional states? Is he implying that the currency is on the brink of collapse? Syrians have seen many media circuses made by STG to celebrate the aid funds provided by regional and other states, supposed to be used in rebuilding Syria. However, the reality on the ground says that isn't the case with millions still living in refugee camps across Syria and millions others living in dire conditions, some living on one meal a day as revealed by a recent BBC report with corruption reaching unprecedented levels, levels not seen even under Assad regime. So, where did all that money go? "And we have an Alawite-Kurd-Druze foreign fighter integration problem." Here Barrack eludes to problems integrating minorities, however he doesn't elaborate because it seems that he himself knows that going down that rabbit hole could incriminate him for covering up for two attempts at genocide and a violent forced integration of SDF that is still incomplete, in a fragile state and could collapse at any moment, however it's absolutely diabolical from Barrack to include foreign jihadist fighters in the same category with minorities, which could mean he sees minorities as a hindrance to his investments and a security threat rather than native communities that needs urgent protection. He also called private investment extremely difficult, almost an impossibility: "So trying to find somebody to come in and invest in Syria, by the way, is almost an impossibility… These are billions of dollars of investment with no revenue coming, by the way, for 10 or 15 years in an environment that still has no security guarantor, that doesn't have a cooperative banking that's under some sanctions." Security comes from a stable state with firm laws and accountability, it seems even in the eyes of Barrack himself this doesn't apply to Syria. He noted outreach to energy companies and residual restrictions: "Of course, I went out to people that I knew, including the Big Oil companies, Exxon, Chevron, HKN, ConocoPhillips, Total and France... You still can't get a banking software system in, because even though state-sponsored terrorism is gone, export controls are in place." This could mean that there are factions within the US government that still sees STG as a security threat and maintains it remains connected to its past which doesn't allow Syria's sanctions relief to come into effect. Barrack's statements understandably sent STG's supporters into meltdown, with some denying them altogether and others saying that he's out of touch. However, calmer heads believe this change of tone towards Syria is alarming. It means that Syria is at a breaking point, a state which can't be sustained and even Barrack, the patron of STG, can't hide anymore and seeks to absolve himself of what's about to take place in Syria via serving this warning, which could be the last before an imminent collapse.

#Update | Nearly 20 Cars Belonging to Displaced Kurdish Families Smashed and Burned in Tal Abyad Amid "Allahu Akbar" Chants, Under the Watch of HTS-led General Security Militias #Raqqa Countryside | Tal Abyad City (Girê Spî): Individuals among the displaced mobs occupying Kurdish homes in the city of Tal Abyad smashed and set fire to roughly 20 cars belonging to displaced Kurds, pelting them with stones and sticks, amid gunfire and chants of "Allahu Akbar," all under the watch of the #HTS-led General Security militias. According to sources, the assault took place as dozens of displaced Kurds arrived at the Tal Abyad district administration building to submit documents proving ownership of their land and properties in the city and its countryside, in preparation for reclaiming them, amid threats against some of the returnees and an almost complete absence of any security intervention to stop the attacks. Kurdish channel Rudaw reported that dozens of Kurds remain trapped inside one of the buildings, with no confirmed information about their situation available so far.

🚨#NothernSyria | #Raqqa:Displaced Kurdish families attacked while trying to return to their homes in Tal Abyad (Gire Spi) On Monday, 26 October 2026, displaced Kurdish families were attacked by large crowds in the city of Tal Abyad (Girê Spî) , northern Raqqa countryside, as they tried to return to their homes and villages after years of displacement. Their cars were smashed and some were set on fire, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and circulating video footage. According to a private source cited by Rudaw, around 100 Kurdish returnees, including women and children, are besieged inside the Area Administration building in Tal Abyad, and their fate remains unknown. This coincided with a gathering in front of the Tal Abyad area command rejecting what protesters described as the return of members of the dissolved SDF to the city. It is worth noting that thousands of Kurdish families were displaced from Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain following the 2019 Turkish military operation, and many still face obstacles to returning and recovering their property.