Jul 20 Watch 8:11 What to know about the growing normalization of Syria’s dictator in the Middle East By Ali Rogin, Andrew Corkery, Harry Zahn For 14 years, the authoritarian regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has waged a bloody war against the Syrian people, killing and displacing millions. Other Arab states and the West had shunned Syria in response, making it a pariah. But… Continue watching
May 22 Watch 6:22 Family of American held by Syria demands accountability after learning he died in custody By Nick Schifrin, Teresa Cebrián Aranda The family of an American psychotherapist detained in Syria says the U.S. government has informed them he has died in custody. Majd Kamalmaz was one of a half dozen Americans believed held by Bashar al-Assad’s regime, some of whom have… Continue watching
Aug 21 Inflation, economic woes spark protests in southern Syria By Kareem Chehayeb, Bassem Mroue, Associated Press The protests come a week after Syrian President Bashar Assad issued two decrees doubling public sector wages and pensions, sparking inflation and compounding economic woes for others. Continue reading
Feb 24 Watch 5:20 After 10 years of civil war, COVID-19 takes hold in Syrian opposition’s last stronghold By Ali Rogin, Layla Quran As the 10-year anniversary of the civil war in Syria looms and fighting rages on in the hard-hit city of Idlib, Syria, doctors contending with the pandemic are stretched to their limits. In the last three months, COVID-19 infection rates… Continue watching
Feb 22 Watch 5:44 How a small but powerful band of women led the fight against ISIS By Amna Nawaz, Ali Rogin In the years-long battle to retake northeastern Syria from ISIS, a small but powerful band of fighters led the way. The women of the YPJ, a Syrian-Kurdish force, fought alongside their male counterparts and face-to-face against ISIS. Author and journalist… Continue watching
Oct 22 Roadside bombing kills Syrian cleric key to deals with rebels By Associated Press A roadside bombing on Thursday killed a senior Syrian cleric who played a key role in government deals with rebel fighters, according to Syrian state media and a government website. Continue reading
Jun 17 U.S. hits Syria’s elite with new sanctions under Caesar Act By Matthew Lee, Associated Press The State Department and the Treasury said 39 Syrian individuals, including Assad and his wife, had been designated for the new sanctions. Continue reading
Jun 10 Watch 4:40 Syrian civilians prepare for a new battle with invisible foe: coronavirus By Nick Schifrin, Layla Quran The brutal war in Syria is now in its 10th year, and amid renewed bombing by the air corps of Bashar al-Assad and his Russian backers, a new worry looms: coronavirus. The country’s health care system has been destroyed in… Continue watching
Feb 28 Watch 2:17 As fighting between Syria and Turkey escalates, Idlib faces mounting humanitarian crisis By Nick Schifrin In northwest Syria, Idlib province has become home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians, many of whom sought to escape the regime of Bashar al-Assad by fleeing to Turkey. Now those civilians face a worsening humanitarian situation, stranded outside… Continue watching
Feb 19 Syria’s Aleppo airport resumes flights amid nearby offensive By Albert Aji, Zeina Karam, Associated Press The flight carrying Syrian officials and journalists was a symbolic message from President Bashar Assad's government, days after its forces consolidated control over the northwestern province of Aleppo and seized the last segments of the strategic M5 highway linking Aleppo… Continue reading