Syria

Mitigated or Stifled Transitions?

The transitions in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza are still controversial, and their actors are undecided about their outcomes. Observers ask whether the various actors are genuinely interested in the transformative courses and to what extent. The newly set dynamics that have taken place throughout the Near East have not yet been relayed by steadier, ...

Explaining the Diplomatic Roller-Coaster in Damascus

The diplomatic roller-coaster in Syria’s capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime suggests that a strategic shift is underway. This is all the more significant as the Prince of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made an official visit to Damascus on Thursday, where he was received by the interim Syrian president, Ahmad ...

Bashar al-Assad's Cousin Atif Najib Arrested in Latakia

Syria's new authorities on Friday announced the arrest of a cousin of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, accused of orchestrating a crackdown in Daraa, where the 2011 uprising began. Atif Najib, the former head of political security in Daraa in southern Syria, was arrested in Latakia, on the country's west coast, the official SANA news agency ...

Syria Sanctions: EU's 'Carrot and Stick' Policy

The 27-member European Union agreed on Monday on a "roadmap" to gradually ease sanctions on key sectors of the Syrian economy that were imposed under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad. However, the EU has ruled out any unconditional lifting of these measures. The process will be gradual and subject to strict conditions. In other words, the bloc ...

In First Address to the Nation, Sharaa Promises "National Dialogue" and Stability

Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, promised Thursday to hold a "national dialogue conference" in his first address to the nation since the fall of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa, who was appointed interim president a day earlier for an unspecified transitional period, vowed to preserve "civil peace" and Syria's territorial ...

Syrian Cemeteries: Families Continue Search for the Missing

More than a month after the fall of Assad’s regime on December 8, families are still searching for missing loved ones. At Tal al-Naser cemetery, Adnan Deeb, known as Abu Sham, combs through worn ledgers of the dead – some with names, others reduced to mere codes. Among those searching is Fairuz, a mother from Homs who still hopes to find her ...

Syria's New Interim President Welcomes Qatar Emir to Damascus

Syria's newly appointed interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa welcomed Qatar's emir on Thursday, the first foreign head of state to visit Damascus, the Qatari court said. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani "arrived on an official visit to Damascus" where he was "welcomed by the president of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa,” a court statement ...

Syria: New Authorities Announce the Dissolution of All Armed Groups

The new authorities in Syria announced on Wednesday evening the dissolution of "all armed groups" that had led the offensive against Bashar al-Assad, as well as the dissolution of the army of the former regime, which was overthrown on December 8. "All armed groups, political and civil bodies claiming to represent the revolution are ...

Ahmad al-Sharaa Appointed Transitional President in Syria

The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who assumed power on December 8 following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, has been appointed "president" for the transitional period, the new authorities announced on Wednesday evening. In announcing the dissolution of the former Parliament and the suspension of the 2012 Constitution, the new ...

Syria Demands Israel Pullout from Buffer Golan Zone

Syria's new authorities on Wednesday urged Israel's withdrawal from Syrian territory it occupied in the Golan Heights after president Bashar al-Assad's ousting, during talks with UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix, state media reported. During Lacroix's meeting with Syria's foreign and defense ministers, "it was confirmed that Syria is ...

Israel to Remain in Newly Occupied Parts of Syria 'Indefinitely'

The Israeli military will remain “indefinitely” in the recently occupied parts of Mount Hermon in Syria, announced Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday. Katz said that Israel’s security “will not be dependent on others for our defense – whether here or in any other place.” Ahmad al-Sharaa, the head of Syria’s new ...