Dec 08 Watch 8:24 Half-century of iron rule ends in Syria as rebels seize Damascus. What's next? By John Yang, Lorna Baldwin, Kaisha Young For more than half a century, Syria had been ruled with an iron fist by the Assad regime. It all came to an end this weekend with lightning speed, as rebels took control of the capital city of Damascus, and… Continue watching
Dec 08 WATCH: Biden delivers remarks on the ouster of Syrian President Assad by opposition forces By Will Weissert, Associated Press President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but it was “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Middle East. Continue reading
Dec 08 Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Syria's insurgency that toppled Assad? By Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader whose stunning insurgency toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation… Continue reading
Dec 08 Syrians celebrate end of Assad regime with jubilation in the capital and outside the country By Abdelrahman Shaheen, Associated press, Abby Sewell, Associated Press Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a… Continue reading
Dec 08 Syrian government falls to rebel offensive in stunning end to Assad family's 50-year rule By Bassem Mroue, Zeina Karam, Associated Press Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russian media said Sunday, hours after a stunning rebel advance seized control of Damascus and ended his family’s 50 years of iron rule. Continue reading
Dec 07 Analysis: What Syria's reignited civil war means for the Middle East By Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations The surprise rebel offensive that has seized Aleppo and threatens other regime-held territories could mark a further weakening of Iran's regional sway but also spur a new cycle of violence and instability. Continue reading
Dec 07 Syrian insurgents have reached the gates of the capital city of Damascus, reports say By Bassem Mroue, Zeina Karam, Associated Press Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad… Continue reading
Dec 06 Thousands flee as Syrian rebels advance on Homs, the country's third-largest city By Bassem Mroue, Associated Press If President Bashar Assad’s military loses Homs, it could be a crippling blow. The city, parts of which were controlled by insurgents until 2014, stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, where… Continue reading
Dec 05 Watch 3:28 Syrian rebels capture city of Hama, dealing another serious blow to Assad government By John Yang, Dan Sagalyn, Sonia Kopelev Rebels dealt another blow to the Syrian government by capturing a city in the center of the country. Opposition forces took control of Hama, one of the few cities that remained largely under government control since the civil war started… Continue watching
Dec 05 Syrian insurgents deal another setback to Assad by capturing central city of Hama By Bassem Mroue, Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Syrian insurgents have swept into the central city of Hama after days of intense clashes with government forces. Continue reading