December, 2024

• 17 December

  Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS): Eight Diplomatic Missions, Western And Arab, Renew Operations In Damascus; Curfew On Capital Lifted

  On December 11 and 12, 2024, the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS)-linked Syrian Salvation Government (SSG)announced the renewal of operations of a series of diplomatic missions in Damascus, including those of Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, and Italy. In another …

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• 17 December

  Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi Calls On Iraq To Distance Itself From Regional Wars, Disband The Iran-Backed Militias, Reembrace The Vision Of Iraqi Ayatollah Al-Sistani Emphasizing Statehood And National Unity

  

  In a December 11 article in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi writes that, in light of the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria, many players in the Middle East must make a critical choice: between loyalty to their state and loyalty to …

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• 17 December

  Where Turkey stands as the Assad regime is toppled

  

  Analysis: Turkey could emerge as one of the biggest regional winners following the ouster of the Assad regime. Scenes of jubilation erupted on Sunday outside Istanbul’s Fatih Mosque, in the neighbourhood that shares its name, after Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad was ousted from power following a quarter-century of authoritarian rule. Syria’s …

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• 17 December

  From Syria to Palestine, liberation comes from below

  

  Joseph Daher explains why the Assad regime’s toppling in Syria is important to liberation efforts across the region, especially for the Palestinian struggle. Prior to the toppling of Bashar al Assad’s regime in Syria over the weekend, divisions within the international Palestinian solidarity movement had started to form when news …

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• 17 December

  What’s next for Russia in Syria after Assad’s ouster?

  

  Analysis: As the post-Assad era in Syria beckons, Russia faces a massive loss of prestige in the Middle East. On 8 December, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad fell from power after a rapid-fire offensive led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group. While Assad’s ouster was widely celebrated in Syria …

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• 17 December

  The Power Groups in Syria after the Fall
  of the Assad Regime

  On November 27, 2024, armed groups opposing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, led by the Islamist-jihadist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched OperationDeterrence of Aggression against Syrian army forces and their allies in northwest Syria. Othergroups, sponsored by Turkey, initiated the Operation Dawn of Liberation in the Aleppo area,while …

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• 17 December

  Serbian President’s Plan To ‘Protect’ Kosovo Serbs Still A Work In Progress – Analysis

  

  Three months after it was announced, Serbia has made little progress in implementing President Aleksandar Vucic’s five-point plan to “safeguard the future” of Serbs in Kosovo. On September 13, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced a five-point plan to safeguard the future of Serbs who live in a northern pocket of …

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• 17 December

  The New ‘Baltic Way’: Assessing The Baltic Defensive Line Concept – Analysis

  

  On August 23rd, 1989, an estimated two million citizens from the countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania linked arms to form a human chain spanning the 600 km distance between the respective capitals of Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. The peaceful protest marked 50 years since the secret agreement known as …

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• 17 December

  The Russian Armed Forces have slowed down the pace of advancement in Ukraine, the elimination of the “pocket” near Kurakhovo, a new strike by ATACMS. What happened on the front this week

  In today’s summary:Russian Armed Forces advance into residential areas of Kurakhovo; a pocket occupied by Ukrainian troops has been eliminated to the south of the cityRussian troops are expanding their control zone in the outskirts of Pokrovsk and are trying to send saboteurs thereAt the Vremevsky salient, the Ukrainian Armed …

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• 17 December

  The Ottoman Empire Strikes Back: How Türkiye Became the Main Beneficiary of Assad’s Fall

  

  On December 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that a “bright period” had begun in Syria’s history. He is hardly embarrassed about his role in preparing the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Just a few years ago, Erdogan boasted about his wife’s friendship with the wife of the now former …

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