Damascus

Mohammad al-Bashir to Lead Syria’s Transition After Assad’s Fall

Mohammad al-Bashir, a prominent figure in the administration led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has been named Syria’s new Prime minister, according to reports on Monday. Al-Bashir previously headed the ‘Salvation’ Government, an HTS-affiliated authority that governed parts of northwestern Syria, including Idlib. Reports ...

Syria Rebels and Caretaker PM Discuss Power Transition Post-Assad

Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani met with caretaker Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali and discussed the "transfer of power", the rebels said Monday, a day after toppling president Bashar al-Assad. Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, met Jalali "to coordinate a transfer of power that guarantees the provision of ...

The King Is Dead, Long Live the King

The 54-year-old Assad regime collapsed following an 11-day swift rebel offensive, launched without bloodshed. The country seems to be surfing the waves of change like a sailboat that has suddenly changed course. "Free elections," "the will of the people," "cooperation"—a political discourse at odds with that of the man who was overthrown. On ...

Syria Central Bank Assures Depositors Their Funds Are 'Safe'

Syria's central bank said Monday depositors' funds in the country's lenders were "safe" after rebels took the capital, and following chaotic scenes near some official institutions. "We assure our fellow citizens dealing with all operating banks that their deposits and funds at these banks are safe and have not been and will not be exposed to any ...

UN Watchdog Warns Syria to Safeguard Chemical Weapons Stockpiles

The United Nations chemical watchdog OPCW said Monday it had warned Syrian authorities to make sure suspected stockpiles of chemical weapons were safe after the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The OPCW said it had contacted Syria "with a view to emphasising the paramount importance of ensuring the safety and security of all chemical ...

Hezbollah Shifts from Military Tactics, Targeting Media, Opinion Leaders

Hezbollah appears to be pivoting its strategy from direct military confrontation with Israel to targeting journalists and opinion leaders in Lebanon. This shift was highlighted recently by the assault on journalist Daoud Rammal, who was attacked by suspected Hezbollah members while visiting his parent's grave in Doueir, located in the ...

Political Transition in Syria Must Include "Accountability": UN

Any political transition in Syria following the fall of president Bashar al-Assad must include accountability for him and others behind crimes committed under his rule, the UN rights chief said Monday. "Any political transition must ensure accountability for perpetrators of serious violations and guarantee that those responsible are held to ...

Syrians Celebrate in Damascus After the Fall of The Regime

Syrians flocked to the main square of the capital Damascus on Monday, AFP journalists saw, to mark what many regard as a long-awaited new dawn after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad. A lightning offensive spearheaded by Islamist rebels ousted Assad from power on Sunday, opening a new chapter in Syria's history after five decades of rule by ...

Lebanon and Syria: Seizing a Historic Moment

A chapter of bloodshed and tyranny in Lebanon’s modern history has drawn to a close — a chapter defined by half a century of occupation and killing tyranny. However, today heralds a beacon of hope: an opportunity to seize this historic juncture and flip another equally somber page — the nearly century-long narrative of tumultuous and ...

The Fall of Assad Brings a New Middle East

It took just 11 days for Syrian rebels to force Bashar al-Assad to flee the country and impose a new revision of the strategic map in the Middle East. The Syrian strongman had for nearly 14 years held off an uprising that many believed had been exhausted. But his downfall followed a series of battlefield convulsions for other allies of ...

Syria Islamist Rebel Chief Hails ‘Victory’, at Landmark Damascus Mosque

Syria's rebel leader hailed a "historic" victory Sunday from a landmark Damascus mosque after his Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group headed a lightning offensive, snatching the capital from government control in less than two weeks. His speech came as Syria's president Bashar al-Assad fled  -- for Moscow according to Russian news agencies -- ...