“On Wednesday, his faction announced that “Muslims and Christians in all their diversity will be respected.” Whether this suggests a genuine wish, or whether this is simply the latest chameleon twist in al-Jolani’s long history of deception on the road to creating an Islamist state, has yet to be seen.” – Simon Sebag Montefiore
HALF JIHADI?
WATCH: Assad’s Regime Collapses: JNS TV, Dec. 9, 2024 — The dominoes continue to fall in the Middle East, and they’ve brought down the Assad regime with them. Learn what led to the end of Bashar Assad and his family’s 50-year rule, and why this is Israel’s big chance to fix historic mistakes imposed on the region by colonial powers.
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After Assad: Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Free Press, Dec. 8, 2024
Assad Falls Thanks to a Weak Tehran: Jonathan Spyer, WSJ, Dec. 8, 2024
Assad End in Syria: Jonathan Schanzer, Commentary Magazine, Dec. 8, 2024
With Assad’s Fall, The Possible Splintering of Syria Buoys Hopes for a New Middle East: Gianluca Pacchiani, Times of Israel, Dec. 9, 2024
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For Further Reference:
Bashar al-Assad, an Ophthalmologist Who Became a Dictator, Is the Last of a Despotic Dynasty: Isabel Coles and Jared Malsin, WSJ, Dec. 8, 2024 — Bashar al-Assad was never expected to rule Syria. That job was meant for his older brother, Basil, who trained as a military commander while Bashar studied to be an ophthalmologist.
Katz Instructs IDF to Create Security Area in Syrian Buffer Zone: JP staff, Jerusalem Post, Dec. 9, 2024 — Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to complete the consolidation of control over the Syrian buffer zone and create a security zone in the area, Israeli media reported on Monday.
Will Syria’s New Rulers Be Merciful?: Nigel Jones, The Spectator World, Dec. 8, 2024 — The late Henry Kissinger said of the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s that it was a shame that both sides couldn’t lose.
Footage Shows Syrian Rebels In Damascus Vowing: ‘From Here to Jerusalem. We’re Coming for Jerusalem. Patience, People of Gaza’: TOI staff, Times of Israel, Dec. 9, 2024 — Footage from a mosque in Damascus aired by Hebrew media shows Syrian rebels vowing to march on Jerusalem, a day after a stunning opposition advance took over the capital, ending the Assad family’s five decades of iron rule.