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  • Syria

A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is pictured with its frame broken in a Syrian regime's Political Security Branch facility on the outskirts of the central city of Hama following its capture. OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP

Why did Assad fall so easily?

After over two decades of rule, following three decades of his father Hafez al-Assad's rule, Bashar has fled following a lightning rebel offensive that swept the country

Omer Onhon 07 December 2024
A protester holds a poster with an image of South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol during a candlelight rally calling for the ouster of the president in Gwanghwamun in Seoul on December 5, 2024. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP

Are democracies doomed to gridlock and dysfunction?

From France to South Korea, US democratic allies are descending into political chaos

Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig 07 December 2024
Fighters drive past an "I Love Hama" sign, which has been repainted in the colours of Syria's opposition flag, in Hama, after anti-government fighters captured the city, on December 6, 2024. Bakr AL KASSEM / AFP

Hama's fall turns another page on its long and bloody history

One of Syria's four largest cities, Hama's history pre-dates Christianity. However, it is most famously known for a bloody assault carried out by Hafez al-Assad in 1982, which killed thousands.

Manaf Saad 06 December 2024
Islamist-led rebels pose for a picture with a Syria army helicopter on the tarmac at the Nayrab military airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 2, 2024, after a surprise lightning offensive on November 30. AAREF WATAD / AFP

Why Assad’s regime is collapsing so quickly

After taking Aleppo and Hama, armed Syrian opposition factions are making their way further south as the regime increasingly appears to be hollowing out

Charles Lister 05 December 2024
An opposition fighter fires a rocket against Syrian government forces, in the northern outskirts of Syria's west-central city of Hama on December 4, 2024

A weak Assad benefits Turkey—and is a headache for Trump

After years of relative quiet, renewed fighting in Syria could be the new US administration's first major foreign policy challenge

Jeremy Hodge and Hussein Nasser 05 December 2024

Netanyahu's revolving wars

Fares Garabet 05 December 2024
A militant poses for a picture after anti-government fighters seized Syrian army military equipment on 3 December 2024. Omar Haj Kadour / AFP

Syria’s fresh crisis is an opportunity for the Arab world to step up

The signs are bad but there is international agreement when it comes to Syria. If they act now, Arab states can still re-establish control over events, but the usual statements of support won't cut it

Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy 03 December 2024
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist fighters fire towards Syrian Army troops in the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on 29 November 2024. Bakr Alkasem/AFP

Why a new ceasefire in Syria is likely before long

The opposition fighters making such strides on the battlefield want to carry on all the way to Damascus. For everyone else, there are reasons to call a halt to proceedings sooner rather than later

Robert Ford 02 December 2024
An HTS fighter mans a position in the eastern outskirts of the town of Atarib, in Syria's northern province of Aleppo, on November 27, 2024, as smoke rises in the distance after clashes with the Syrian army. Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP

As Lebanon's battlefield closes, Syria's reignites

A surprise offensive by the Turkish-backed HTS came after Israel warned Damascus it would pay a 'heavy price' if it keeps arming Hezbollah. How might Syria's stakeholders respond? Al Majalla explains.

Ibrahim Hamidi 30 November 2024
Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 24, 2024. Valery SHARIFULIN/AFP

Why Russia is reasserting itself in Syria

Moscow has boosted its military presence in southern Syria near deconfliction lines with Israel, and its revitalised interest in being a key regional player hasn't gone unnoticed in Israel

Haid Haid 18 November 2024
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