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🇸🇾 From Tyranny to Uncertainty
Syria after Assad: a power vacuum, regional winners, and rising fears.
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SYRIA
From Tyranny to Uncertainty
Today’s Top Story: The fall of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, led by a Turkish-backed rebel coalition, raises uncertainties about Syria's future, with analysts highlighting potential regional winners like Turkey and Israel, significant losses for Iran and Russia, and fears of further instability given the rebel leadership's ties to terrorism and regional tensions over the Kurds.
Reporting from the Right: Here is who is vying for power in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad (Fox News)
Reporting from the Left: Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say (AP)
RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT
Risks and Opportunities
The Top Argument From The Right: After the Fall of Syria’s Assad, The Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal: “The weekend collapse at long last of the Assad family regime in Syria is no cause for mourning unless you are the leaders of Russia and Iran. The fall creates risks but also opportunity for a better Syria and a more stable Middle East. … The fall of the Assad government is a defeat for Russia and Iran. It shows the Kremlin can’t always protect a client state, which could have ramifications elsewhere as Mr. Putin tries to build an anti-American axis with China. It’s a particular defeat for Iran, which loses its Alawite ally to what is likely to be a Sunni Arab government. Iran’s arms supply route to its Hezbollah proxies in Lebanon will be disrupted. None of this is the result of President Biden’s foreign policy. Like Mr. Obama, his Middle East priority has been appeasing Iran. … Mr. Biden is now barely a caretaker President, but Mr. Assad’s fall creates new openings for the Trump Administration. Donald Trump said on Truth Social before Damascus fell that the U.S. should stay out of the conflict, but with Mr. Assad gone the U.S. still has interests to protect in Syria. … Then there is Iran, which may respond to its new weakness by accelerating its nuclear program. … Mr. Trump will face an early decision on whether to destroy this capacity before Iran gets a nuclear weapon.”
Honorable Mention #1: Set Your Expectations Low in Syria, Jeffrey Blehar, National Review
Honorable Mention #2: America is not prepared for Syria after Assad, Daniel DePetris, The Spectator
LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT
Fragile Hope
The Top Argument From The Left: The Guardian view on the fall of Assad: a tumultuous, fragile hope in Syria, Editorial Board, The Guardian: “The question now is whether this unleashed energy – brutally suppressed by fear and authoritarian control – will become a unifying force in building a new nation or, rather, a precursor to deeper divisions. The fall of the House of Assad, which has ruled Syria for more than half a century, should be a warning to dictatorial regimes. Mr Assad’s departure underscores a broader truth: societies cannot indefinitely tolerate systemic abuses, such as state-sponsored propaganda, corruption and violence. … The regime’s collapse raises pressing questions about Syria’s future. With weak institutions and a frail civil society, the risk of disintegration looms large. … Syria will never be the same. Ordinary Syrians have endured unimaginable horrors under the Assad regime. But they have written this chapter of history. Their newfound freedom is shadowed by the daunting task of rebuilding lives and infrastructure. A shared hope to avoid violent vendettas must guide efforts toward a just settlement. The Syrian people were often forsaken. In this moment of fragile hope, the world must not fail them again. A concerted international effort toward political stability, reconciliation and reconstruction is essential to ensure their sacrifices lead to a lasting peace.”
Honorable Mention #1: The Winners and Losers Following the Fall of al-Assad, Nicholas Kristoff, The New York Times
Honorable Mention #2: Why the U.S. needs to help build a new Syria, The Editorial Board, The Washington Post
FLAG THIS
Low Awareness, Higher Concerns
A YouGov poll commissioned by Defense Priorities earlier this year revealed limited public awareness and growing concerns about the U.S. troop presence in Syria:
Fewer than 30% of respondents knew U.S. troops were stationed in Syria, and less than 25% were aware of recent attacks by Iranian-backed militias.
56% worry the troop presence could escalate into a broader regional conflict.
Opposition rises with hypothetical casualties, with 66% calling the mission a “waste of resources” and 40% citing legal and safety concerns.
Only 10% support Israel’s military operations in Gaza regardless of civilian casualties.
Should the U.S. play a significant role in Syria following the fall of Assad? |
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WATERCOOLER
Crown Rejected, Beyond the Bellhop, The Eyes Have It
On This Day in 1936, after ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII became the first English monarch to abdicate the throne voluntarily. He chose to abdicate after the British government, the public, and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry the American divorcée, Wallis Warfield Simpson.
Today I Learned: Humans can tell when someone is watching them.
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