“With a new American administration only five weeks away and many potential Trump candidates in intelligence and defense positions profoundly influenced by America’s debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan, the likely recommendation from this group will be for the US to do nothing. However, the Marco Rubio-Mike Waltz faction knows better. Creating a vacuum in the Levant will create more chaos with the chance of American troops being drawn in again.” – Dr. Eric R. Mandel
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FRAGILITY AND CHAOS
Assad’s Downfall Exposes Middle East’s Sad Truth: Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen, Israel Hayom, Dec. 8, 2024 — As we witness the unfolding events in Syria, one stark lesson emerges from the rebels’ surprise offensive – and it’s one that should make us all pause and think. The strategic logic driving the Middle East operates, unlike anything we see in the West, functioning more like a complex ecosystem where the smallest change can trigger cascading effects throughout the region.
After Assad, What Next for Syria?: David Patrikarakos, Unherd, Dec. 8, 2024 — It was the clock tower that settled it. The images of rebels driving around the central square of Homs, its famous clocktower visible, was confirmation they had taken the city.
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Post-Assad Syria: Winners and Losers, Crisis and Opportunity: JCFA Iran-Syria Desk, Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, Dec. 8, 2024
End of Assad Regime Marks ‘Fall of the Iranian Axis,’ Experts Say: Lahav Harkov, Jewish Insider, Dec. 8, 2024
Syrian Turmoil Resurfaces: Turkey Rises, Iran Threatens, and Regional Alliances Shift – Opinion: Dr. Eric R. Mandel, Jerusalem Post, Dec. 8, 2024
In the Syrian Regime’s Hour of Need, Its Patron Iran Makes an Exit: Farnaz Fassihi, NY Times, Dec. 7, 2024
For Further Reference:
Ben Reacts: The End of Assad in Syria: The Ben Shapiro Show, Dec 8, 2024 — Ben Shapiro reacts to the breaking news of Bashar al-Assad’s regime being forced out of Syria—With terrorist rebels, and a region still plagued by risk and uncertainty, the situation is far from simple. Ben unpacks the power vacuum left behind, what this means for Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia.
Moscow Extends Lifeline to Assad, Offers Asylum to Family: Joanie Margolies, Jerusalem Post, Dec. 8, 2024 — Russia has granted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family asylum, Reuters reported, citing Russian news agencies.
Trump Credits Assad Defeat to ‘Israel and Its Fighting Success’: Miri Weissman, Israel Hayom, Dec. 8, 2024 — Former President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “has fled his country,” attributing this alleged development to a dramatic realignment of power in the Middle East and Russia’s shifting military priorities.
IDF Moves Tanks, Troops into Demilitarized Zone on Golan Heights: Yoav Zitun, Yair Kraus, and Lior Ben Ari, Ynet News, Dec. 8, 2024 — The IDF on Sunday moved tanks and infantry troops into the demilitarized zone along the Israel-Syria border on the Golan Heights after the fall of the Assad regime, according to foreign media reports.
