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Assad’s fall in Syria will further weaken Hezbollah and curtails Tehran’s ‘Iranization’ of region

The fall of President Bashar Assad will not only affect the 24 million Syrians who lived – and largely suffered – under his brutal rule. Over the border in Lebanon, the impact will be felt, too.

The Conversation · Dec 11, 2024

‘They used us as a testing ground for all kinds of weapons’: Syrians return to destroyed town

ON THE GROUND: Bel Trew visits Jobar – north of Damascus – which was devastated by some of the fiercest battles of the civil war. She meets residents returning home for the first time in more than a decade. Both they, and Syria itself, face major challenges in starting anew

The Independent UK · Dec 11, 2024

The burial site of slaves owned by a former US president has finally been found

The gravestones had sunk below the surface

The Independent UK · Dec 11, 2024

Asma al-Assad: from private schoolgirl in Acton to being reportedly severely ill with leukaemia

She was once fawned over for her good looks and sharp mind, but is now seen as an accomplice to her husband’s cruelty. Claudia Cockerell on the fall of Syria’s first lady

Evening Standard · Dec 9, 2024

Why the fall of Bashar al-Assad is unlikely to lead to peace in Syria

The Syrian opposition’s recent capture of the country’s largest city of Aleppo caught much of the international community by surprise. After the involvement of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah in the prolonged Syrian civil war, many observers assumed that Bashar al-Assad’s forces had won the conflict.

The Conversation · Dec 9, 2024

Syrian journalist in London hopes to return home after fall of Assad regime

Rebel groups ousted Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria on Sunday after 13 years of civil war

Evening Standard · Dec 9, 2024

What Syria’s rebel takeover means for the region’s major players: Turkey, Iran and Russia

When I was buying coffee at a cafe owned by a Syrian man in the UK on Sunday, I asked him what he made of the news that longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad had been ousted from power. He responded optimistically that he and the 7 million Syrians that had fled…

The Conversation · Dec 9, 2024

I interviewed Syria’s militias at the start of the war – they will listen if other countries engage them

On Sunday, the world received news it perhaps had stopped thinking was possible. The murderous regime of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, is gone and the Syrian civil war may be coming to an end after 13 years of suffering.

The Conversation · Dec 9, 2024

After 54 years of brutal rule under the Assads, Syria is at a crossroads. Here are 4 priorities to avoid yet another war

Who could have predicted that after nearly 14 years of civil war and five years of stalemate, the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria would collapse in just a week? With Assad’s departure, the pressing question now is what lies ahead for Syria’s immediate future.

The Conversation · Dec 9, 2024

Assad leaves behind a fragmented nation – stabilizing Syria will be a major challenge for fractured opposition and external backers

The brutal 54-year reign of the Assad family in Syria looks to be over.

The Conversation · Dec 8, 2024