Dec 16 EU seeks assurances from Syria’s new leaders in exchange for dropping sanctions By Lorne Cook, Associated Press European Union nations on Monday set out conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria and kick-starting aid to the conflict-ravaged country amid uncertainty about its new leaders' intentions just over a week after they seized power. Continue reading
Dec 16 Assad says he had no plans to leave Syria, was evacuated by Russians By Associated Press Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under attack. Continue reading
Dec 15 Watch 5:14 Syrians begin piecing their lives back together a week after rebels overthrow Assad By John Yang, Leila Molana-Allen, Andrew Corkery Signs of normalcy are starting to return a week after life inside Syria was upended as rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. As the country’s new leaders begin to chart a path forward, the UN envoy to Syria called for… Continue watching
Dec 15 Analysis: What to know about HTS, Hezbollah and Iran after Assad’s fall in Syria By Bruce Hoffman, Council on Foreign Relations The ascendance of Sunni Islamist rebels in Syria should be viewed with great caution by Western powers, but the Assad regime’s collapse disables a critical node in Iran’s regional proxy network, a counterterrorism expert explains. Continue reading
Dec 14 Watch 8:36 Search continues for missing Syrians imprisoned by Assad regime By Simona Foltyn, John Yang, Kaisha Young Under the Assad regime, hundreds of thousands of Syrians were swept up by the government’s security apparatus, never to be seen again. Special correspondent Simona Foltyn gained access to one of the intelligence branches that orchestrated that brutal oppression and… Continue watching
Dec 14 U.S. has been in direct contact with Syrian rebel group that ousted Assad, Blinken says By Matthew Lee, Associated Press Blinken is the first U.S. official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that ousted Assad from power last Sunday. Continue reading
Dec 13 Watch 5:36 Syrians express jubilation during first Friday prayers since overthrow of Assad By Leila Molana-Allen, Sonia Kopelev Barely a week after Bashar al-Assad fled the country he destroyed, Syrians welcomed the first Friday prayers. There are many unanswered questions about this new Syria, but one thing is for certain, there is unfettered jubilation. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen… Continue watching
Dec 13 Watch 7:29 Former ambassador outlines role Syria’s neighbors could play in its future By Amna Nawaz Turkey announced it would reopen its embassy in Damascus after closing it 12 years ago as Bashar al-Assad began the murderous campaign against his own people. Turkey and Syria's other neighbors could play a critical role in rebuilding the country. Continue watching
Dec 13 Analysis: How does Assad’s ouster in Syria affect Iran’s influence over the region? By Ray Takeyh, Council on Foreign Relations The Bashar al-Assad regime’s rapid collapse deals a heavy blow to Iran’s “axis of resistance” and its ability to project power in the region, and it raises fears Iran will focus more on developing its nuclear program. Continue reading
Dec 12 Watch 5:47 Daily life in Syria begins to return as new leaders work on building a functioning nation By Simona Foltyn Days after Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, Syria's capital appears to be functioning. Streets are getting busier by the day and shops and government institutions are slowly returning to work. Apart from the joy and relief, the mundane but vital work of… Continue watching