Syrians and World Leaders Weigh the Aftermath of Assad’s Lightning Downfall |
The ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend stunned Syrians and international observers alike, who saw the government crumble without a fight as rebel forces advanced on Damascus. Assad fled to Russia, rebels began freeing people from a major prison in Damascus, and refugees began traveling back to the country. Rebel groups have called for police and civilian authorities to stay in their posts until a new government is announced, but much remains unclear about its potential composition.
The sudden end to more than fifty years of rule by the Assad family left foreign powers scrambling to respond to upended security dynamics in the country. Washington carried out air strikes against the self-declared Islamic State over the weekend, wary of its potential resurgence. Israel deployed troops onto Syrian territory in a move it described as trying to shore up defenses. The rebel group that led the offensive, Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States but has tried to spread a message of moderation in recent weeks. U.S. President Joe Biden said yesterday that Washington was closely watching the rebels’ actions, not only their words. He called this “a moment of historic opportunity for the long suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country.” (NYT, Economist, AP, WaPo, BBC, Reuters)
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“The slow demise of the Assad regime has offered ISIS space to grow; produced a refugee crisis that reshaped Europe; and killed as many as half a million people. Its fall leaves a strategically crucial nation splintered and facing an uncertain future,” the Financial Times’ Najmeh Bozorgmehr, Andrew England, Max Seddon, and Mehul Srivastava write.
“As the rebels entered Damascus, Assad’s Prime Minister Mohamed Ghazi al-Jalali offered them a hand, but it remains unclear what other supporters of the regime might do. The speed with which the regime collapsed was impressive, but that does not mean that HTS will remain unopposed,” CFR Senior Fellow Steven A. Cook writes in this Expert Brief.
“The fall of Assad’s government can be seen as one of the unforeseen ripple effects of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Hamas’s assault last year on Israel—and the people of Syria can thank Israelis and Ukrainians for indirectly helping rid them of their bloody tyrant,” CFR Senior Fellow Max Boot writes for the Washington Post.
This Expert Brief by CFR Senior Fellow Henri J. Barkey unpacks Turkey’s role in the Syrian war.
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South Korea’s Yoon Banned From Leaving Country Over Treason Probe |
President Yoon Suk Yeol survived an impeachment vote Saturday but has been put under investigation for alleged treason and abuse of power by the country’s justice ministry. It barred Yoon from leaving the country while the investigation proceeds. (Yonhap, WaPo)
John Delury explains for CFR’s Asia Unbound how the martial law debacle has put Korean society to the test.
China: Beijing’s top decision-making body said the country will adopt a “moderately loose” monetary policy next year, language it has not introduced since the 2008 financial crisis. It also said it will take on a “more proactive” fiscal policy. China is bracing for trade tensions under the administration of U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump. (WSJ, Nikkei)
The U.S. Treasury’s Jay Shambaugh came to CFR to discuss U.S.-China economic relations.
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Pakistan’s State Airline Allowed to Resume Flights to Europe |
European Union authorities lifted a ban on Pakistan International Airlines that had been imposed following a 2020 aircraft crash in Karachi. While the airline has satisfied demands of European regulators, the government’s efforts to privatize it as part of an International Monetary Fund bailout deal have thus far been unsuccessful. It remains banned from operating in the United States. (AFP, Dawn, Reuters)
Afghanistan/Pakistan: Pakistani security forces said clashes with militants near the country’s border with Afghanistan this weekend killed at least six troops and twenty-two militants. The militants attacked a security outpost in the town of Thall; the military believes the militants were affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban. (VOA)
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Middle East and North Africa |
UK’s Starmer Talks Potential Trade Deal With Gulf Nations on Visit |
United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed economic ties with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today in his first visit to the Gulf since taking office. The UK and Gulf nations are weighing a potential free trade deal. He is traveling onward to Saudi Arabia today. (The National, Bloomberg)
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Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama Wins Election |
Mahama defeated the ruling party candidate, who conceded yesterday. He pledged to deliver Ghana from an economic crisis as it is submerged in the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. The regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said the vote was generally peaceful; against a backdrop of regional coups, it was seen as a litmus test for democracy. (AP)
DRC: The World Health Organization sent experts to the southern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to investigate an outbreak of a mysterious disease that has been linked to thirty-one deaths. (Reuters)
This CFR timeline looks back at major epidemics of the modern era.
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Romanian Court Annuls First Round of Presidential Election, Citing Interference |
Romania’s constitutional court canceled the runoff that was due to occur yesterday over claims of election interference and manipulation of digital media. The government has accused TikTok of breaking Romanian regulations; content favoring pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu spread rapidly before the vote. Outgoing President Klaus Iohannis had earlier last week declassified state security information suggesting Russia had targeted Romania for “aggressive hybrid action.” (NYT)
The Why It Matters podcast talks about the phenomenon of an emerging new tech world order.
U.S./Ukraine: Washington announced $988 million in new military assistance for Ukraine yesterday. The package includes drones, ammunition for rocket launchers, and equipment for artillery systems, tanks, and armored vehicles. (CBS/AFP)
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Reuters: Kenyan Police in Haiti Force Seek Resignation Over Pay Delays |
Almost twenty Kenyan police officers within the around four-hundred-person force in Haiti submitted letters of resignation over the past two months, three unnamed officers told Reuters. The resigning officers of the UN-backed anti-gang force cited delayed wages and poor working conditions; they had received no response to the letters as of Friday and continue to serve. (Reuters)
Robert I. Rotberg and CFR expert Ebenezer Obadare address how to rescue Haiti from gang rule.
Dominican Republic: Officials announced their largest-ever cocaine seizure. The drugs were hidden in a banana shipment, had an estimated $250 million value, and were headed to Europe. (BBC)
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Trump Says Working Toward Deal to End Ukraine War After Meeting Zelenskyy |
Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday at talks facilitated by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Zelenskyy called the meeting “constructive” without giving further details; in an interview that aired yesterday, Trump said Zelenskyy “would like to make a deal and stop the madness.” He declined to answer if he has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since winning the election. (AP)
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