Almost half a year after its liberation from a dictatorship, Syria could be close to a “civil war of epic proportions,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday. A great distrust still exists among religious and ethnic communities after being pitted against each other for half a century by the despotic Assad family, he said.
Yet like many foreign officials involved in Syria’s future these days, Mr. Rubio could not leave his dark prediction alone. He also cited a light of hope.
“The good news is that there is a Syrian national identity,” he told a Senate panel. “It is one of the places in the Middle East where Alawis and Druze and Christians and Sunni and Shia … and Kurds have lived alongside each other.”
Syrians are now seeking to build a nation, he added, and the possibility exists for a stable Syria that could open up “incredible opportunities around the region for all kinds of peace.”
Last week, a key piece for such a future fell into place. The interim government in Damascus, led by former anti-Assad rebel Ahmed al-Sharaa, set up two independent bodies aimed at national reconciliation through a mix of justice and mercy, perhaps avoiding a cycle of vengeance.
The new Transitional Justice Commission will expose “the truth about the grave violations committed by the former regime, holding those responsible accountable in coordination with the relevant authorities, redressing the harm inflicted on victims, and consolidating the principles of non-repetition and national reconciliation.” A second commission will search the more than 100,000 people presumed missing during a 13-year civil war that began in 2011.
“Justice is not only about criminal accountability, it is also about rebuilding a Syria where people can live with dignity,” wrote Nousha Kabawat, head of the Syria program at the International Center for Transitional Justice, in March. “How do we ensure that the truth of Syria’s past is not erased? How do we honor those who have suffered and ensure their voices lead this transition?”
Overcoming the nation’s difficult past will mean listening first to the victims of the Assad regime. In February, families of the missing and those detained by the dictatorship met with the interim president. “They are not just victims,” wrote Ms. Kabawat, “they are the moral compass of Syria’s future.”
