THE fall of the Assad regime in Syria cannot be disassociated from the changed political and military geometry in the region. To a very considerable extent, imperialism is conditioning the outcomes of this series of interrelated crises.

Israel’s assault on the very existence of the Palestinian people — unchecked by the “international community,” sanctioned and armed by the US, with the active participation of the EU and Britain, with a massive US naval and airforce presence and with the RAF flying unnumbered missions in support of the Israeli war effort — has changed the balance of power.

The relative weakness of the so-called “axis of resistance” has left imperialism with the initiative. Just five days ago, the US carried out air strikes against Syrian military targets it described as a “threat to US and coalition forces in Syria.”