Bashar al-Assad
Laughing to the Limit
A group of Syrian comedians is making use of the country’s new freedoms to entertain audiences, while holding a mirror up to society at a moment of rapid change.
The Fall of the House of Assad and the Dawn of a New Syria
In this special issue of the Week in Review, we dive into the New Lines archives for a look back at some of our best essays on Syria
With Assad in Moscow, Putin Scrambles To Save Face — and His Syrian Bases
Moscow finds itself in an awkward position, striving to both curtail reputational damage and make inroads with the Syrian rebels, all with the ousted Assads now living under its roof.
Good for the Jews or Bad for the Jews? Israel’s Media on Bashar al-Assad’s Departure
Israeli media coverage of historic turning points in the region has often been entirely inward-looking, but commentary on the fall of the Assad regime in Syria offered moments of compassion and broader perspective — in stark contrast to that on Gaza.
In the Balkans, ‘Stability’ May Not Be the Answer
For decades, the West has pioneered “stabilocracy” in the Balkans, a pernicious brand of diplomacy that prefers agreement to reform. That diplomacy was exported to their relations with Kremlin — with the extreme, bloody conclusion being the war in Ukraine.
Putin’s Military Adventures, From Syria to Ukraine — with Anand Gopal
Award-winning journalist Anand Gopal joins New Lines’ Faisal Al Yafai to talk about how the invasion of Ukraine compares with Vladimir Putin’s war in Syria and ask why Syrians never received the same support in the face of Russian atrocities.
A Syrian Activist as I Knew Him
For the world, Raed was one of Syria’s most prominent activists, known for eye-catching protest banners and influential “Radio Fresh” broadcasts. For me, he was the last connection to the pioneering uprising, and since his death, I stopped attending any events on its anniversary.