December, 2024

• 16 December

  Turkish intelligence chief Kalin is in Damascus, say two sources with knowledge

  

  Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in Damascus on Thursday, two sources with knowledge of the visit told Reuters, for what the Syrian information ministry said would be talks involving its new opposition leadership. The ministry said that Kalin and Qatar’s head of state security, Khalfan al-Kaabi, arrived in the …

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• 16 December

  How al-Assad’s fall unravels Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’

  

  The dramatic fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and beyond, marking the end of a 24-year rule and raising questions about the future of Iran’s regional influence. For over a decade, Syria has been a critical node in Tehran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance,” …

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• 13 December

  How Turkey Won the Syrian Civil War

  

  In most capitals across the Middle East, the news of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fall sparked immense anxiety. Ankara is not one of them. Rather than worrying about Syria’s prospects after more than a decade of conflict, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees opportunity in a post-Assad future. His optimism …

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• 13 December

  Syria’s Kurds faced with all-out war as Turkey, Sunni allies target Kobani

  

  A day after the fall of the SDF-controlled town of Manbij, Turkish proxies advanced today toward the town of Kobani. The collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime following a lightning offensive led by al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and an array of Sunni factions supported by Turkey has created new …

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• 13 December

  Syrian Rebels Who Overthrew Assad Name Interim Government Leader

  

  The Syrian rebels who overthrew longtime iron-fisted ruler Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday appointed a transitional head of government to run the country until March 1. After a cabinet meeting in Damascus of rebel leaders and ousted officials from Assad’s government, Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria …

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• 13 December

  Why did Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas announce his successor now?

  

  On Wednesday, Abbas, 89-years-old, announced that the Palestinian National Council chairman, Rawhi Fattouh, would be his temporary replacement. Suddenly, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas issued a controversial presidential decree announcing who would replace him in an interim period when the post became vacant. On Wednesday, Abbas, 89-years-old, announced that …

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• 13 December

  Analysis: Al-Assad’s fall is Iran and Russia’s loss, but are there winners?

  

  Turkiye stands to gain, while Israel feels insecure about what comes next. After 54 years in power, the al-Assad family’s rule in Syria has come to an end. On December 8, Bashar al-Assad fled the country and sought asylum in Russia. The collapse of one of the most brutal regimes …

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• 13 December

  Syria’s New Rulers Are Former Al-Qaeda Terrorists. Why Is D.C. Celebrating Them? | Opinion

  

  A former Al Qaeda commander has seized power in Damascus, bringing great jubilation and relief to Washington, D.C. regime-changers who pined for this day. Bashar al-Assad has fled ingloriously to Russia in the dead of night without so much as making a statement to bid farewell. It’s certainly interesting how …

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• 13 December

  Why Putin Is The Biggest Loser of Assad’s Downfall in Syria

  

  Vladimir Putin has been dealt a significant geopolitical blow with the downfall of Bashar al-Assad, whose regime in Syria the Russian president had committed considerable funding and military resources to propping up. Assad fled Syria and has claimed political asylum in Russia, Kremlin-backed media reported, his now exiled status depriving …

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• 13 December

  Syrian government services come to a ‘complete halt’ as state workers stay home after rebel takeover

  

  Syria’s prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt.” Meanwhile, streams of …

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