Middle Orient

The United States House of Representatives voted late on Thursday, 10 December, by a majority in favor of the defense budget bill, which includes a provision to repeal the Caesar Act imposed on Syria. Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, Director of Policy at the Syrian American Council, said on his account on …

If the new government can deliver justice, contain sectarian tensions, and foster equitable rebuilding, Syria will begin charting a path towards a better future Damascus, Syria – On the night of the 8th of December 2024, Assad fled his presidential palace aboard a Russian military helicopter. In just 11 days, …

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TOL special operations units affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in coordination with the International Coalition to fight the Islamic State group, carried out a security operation in the countryside of Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria) on 7 December. In a statement published on its official platforms on Tuesday, 9 …

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Latest Developments Repeal Likely to Pass: Congress is likely to repeal economic sanctions on Syria enshrined in the 2019 Caesar Act in the coming weeks, unveiling language for its repeal within the 3,000-page National Defense Authorization Act. The provision requires regular reports to Congress from the White House certifying that …

With Fireworks and Parades, Syrians Celebrate Anniversary of al-Assad’s Fall A year ago, rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of dictatorship and civil war. But challenges remain for the new leadership.Syrians in Damascus, Syria, on Monday gather for a military parade to commemorate the first anniversary of the ousting …

Although some Christians have been targeted post-Assad, these incidents are hardly an attempted “genocide,” but rather part of the broader internal security challenge affecting all communities in Syria, including the majority population. Syria is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. In Maaloula, locals still speak …

One of the keynote speakers at the conference [hosted by Turkey] was Khaled Mashaal, a senior Hamas leader based in Qatar. Mashaal declared that the time has come for the Muslim nation to “commit to the liberation of Jerusalem.” He defined this act as the symbol and strategic key to …

One year on from Assad’s fall, Syria is still grappling with the ruins of dictatorship, sectarian violence, and a fragile economic future, writes Shady Hamadi. “Assad has fallen.” It was announced to me over the phone on the morning of 8 December 2024, a date that marked a turning point …