Bachar el-Assad

Is Democracy Possible in the Arab World?

The Assad family, more accurately known by the name "Al-Wahesh" (the savage), has surpassed all limits of hatred and brutality. After the dictator and his cronies fled, the world, horrified, discovered the full extent of the crimes against humanity that had been the norm in a country left in ruins. In Lebanon, we have long known, through our own ...

Father Siraj Dib from Damascus: 'As Long as We Have Faith, We Have Hope!'

However, in Bab Touma, a district with a strong Christian majority in the eastern part of Old Damascus, a sense of apprehension and waiting prevails in the almost deserted streets. Most shops and churches remain closed, awaiting a stabilization of the political and military situation. This is Beirut spoke to the residents of this neighborhood, ...

Lebanese Complaint Against Assad Over Detainees

The Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Change Movement filed a complaint on Wednesday against former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and members of his regime, accusing them of abducting Lebanese nationals. At the Palace of Justice, Elie Mahfoud, president of the Change Movement, stated, “We have submitted documented evidence and testimonies from ...

Germany: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Will Be Judged by Its Actions

Germany said on Monday it would judge Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) the Syrian rebel group that spearheaded the offensive to oust president Bashar al-Assad, by the actions it takes in government. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) would "certainly play a role in the future of Syria", foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a regular press ...

The Debacle

The meteoric downfall of the Alawite regime in Syria is symptomatic of the systemic changes taking place throughout the Middle Eastern geopolitical spectrum and its overall reverberations. However inchoate, the ongoing military and political dynamics are substantively overhauling the regional landscape. The inevitable demise of Iranian influence, ...

What Political Governance for Post-Assad Syria? (1/2)

Sunday, December 8, marks a historic turning point for Syria and, more broadly, for the Middle East. The dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad has fallen! After decades of authoritarian rule, defined by brutal repression and years of devastating civil war, a new chapter of freedom is beginning to unfold. At dawn on Sunday, rebel forces took ...

Bashar al-Assad Ran Away… and Bashir Lives Forever in Us

It is a dream realized. Today, we will not hide our joy. We will celebrate, cheer and roam the squares. We will gather in Sassine Square, the square of the martyred President Bashir Gemayel, to raise a toast in his honor. We will then pass by the statue of Samir Qassir in downtown Beirut and stop by An-Nahar newspaper to salute Gebran Tueni. From ...

Syria: The Middle East’s Berlin Wall Has Fallen

It only took a few days for the "rebels" to overthrow one of the world's most tyrannical regimes—almost without a fight. At this point, it’s still difficult to understand how such a heterogeneous group, mostly armed with light weapons—at least according to the images we've seen—managed to bring down the Assad regime, which has been in ...

The Syrian regime has fallen: Damascus in the grip of the opposition factions

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime was toppled on Sunday, less than two weeks after an alliance of opposition groups launched a lightning offensive, ending decades of the Baath Party authoritarian rule. Damascus fell into the hands of the rebels overnight, as Assad fled the country heading to an unknown destination. Syrians across the ...

Syrian Rebels Take Control of Key City Daraa

Syrian government forces have lost control of Daraa city, a war monitor said, in another stunning blow for President Bashar al-Assad's rule after rebels wrested other key cities from his grip. Daraa was dubbed "the cradle of the revolution" early in Syria's civil war, after activists accused the government of detaining and ...

Hezbollah's Chief Pledges Support to Damascus Amid Rebels' Offensive

In his first address in the wake of the rebel offensive in Syria, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem affirmed that the Iran-backed group will be backing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in foiling “the scheme to topple it.” “The aggression against Syria is sponsored by America and Israel, which are trying to achieve ...