Ahmad al-Sharaa

Syrians Commemorate Uprising Anniversary for First time since Assad's Fall

Syrians gathered on Saturday to commemorate the 14th anniversary of their uprising in public demonstrations in Damascus for the first time since president Bashar al-Assad was toppled. The demonstration in Damascus's Umayyad Square is the first in the capital after years of repression under Assad, during which the square was the sole preserve of ...

Does the New Constitution Really Change the Syrian System?

Syria's new temporary constitution concentrates power in interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's hands and fails to include enough protections for minorities, experts warn. The declaration, signed into law on Thursday, establishes a five-year transitional period and follows the toppling of Bashar al-Assad's repressive government by Islamist-led ...

Syria Leader Signs Constitutional Declaration, Hailing 'New History'

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday hailed the start of a "new history" for his country, signing into force a constitutional declaration regulating its five-year transitional period and laying out rights for women and freedom of expression. The declaration comes three months after Islamist-led rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad's ...

Syrian Presidency Announces Agreement with Kurds to Integrate Autonomous Institutions

The Syrian presidency announced on Monday an agreement with the head of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate the institutions of the autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast into the national government. Syria's new authorities under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa have sought to disband armed groups ...

Syria: Sharaa Warns Former Regime Loyalists and Calls for Stability

Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa declared on Friday that Syria “will not move backward” and warned against any violations of the state's established rules during a speech to the nation. “Syria has moved forward and will not take a single step back,” the president stated, emphasizing that security forces must avoid excessive ...

Syria: A New Phase of Conflict Between Pro-Assad Forces and the Authorities?

The Pandora’s box that opened in Syria in 2011 is far from closed. After the civil war that broke out 14 years ago, a new phase of tensions has begun in the wake of former President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster and his exile in Russia. On Thursday, fighting intensified across the country, particularly in the west, as supporters of the former ...

Syria, Such a Troublesome Neighbor

Since its independence, Lebanon has served as a mirror reflecting the events unfolding in its much larger neighboring country. Damascus has long cast a covetous eye on Lebanon, disturbed by its freedoms and economic achievements. Despite all the challenges, Lebanon has managed to preserve a semblance of political democracy, even in its darkest ...

Syria Announces Committee to Draft 'Transitional' Constitutional Declaration

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced on Sunday the formation of a seven-member committee to draft a constitutional declaration for the country's transition after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The new authorities are seeking to rebuild Syria and its institutions after Assad was ousted on December 8, ...

Israel's Strategic Push to Redefine the Balance of Power in Southern Syria

Israel has taken a firm stance on its plan for the “total demilitarization” of southern Damascus. “We will not allow forces from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (the group behind the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024) or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ...

Syria National Conference Lays Out Post-Assad Priorities

Syria's national dialogue conference, held Tuesday in Damascus, called for transitional justice, freedom and a state monopoly on arms to be among the cornerstones of the country's reconstruction after Bashar al-Assad's overthrow. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in a speech earlier to the hundreds of attendees, said the country was ...

Lebanon’s Tense Borders Signal End of Iranian Influence 

From the military skirmishes at the southern border to the clashes portrayed as tribal disputes in the northeastern front, the connection is clear, and the backdrop is the same: Iran and its proxies. The major blow suffered by the pro-Iranian axis in Lebanon and Syria—leading to the collapse of Tehran’s affiliates due to its inability to ...