This is Beirut - Damascus

UAE Federal National Council President Hails Lebanon's Reforms

This is Beirut, 24/04 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus United Arab Emirates Lebanon Nawaf Salam

On a visit to Lebanon since Monday, UAE Federal National Council President Saqr Ghobash hailed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's “clear and responsible positions,” underlining the Emirates' confidence in Lebanon's ability to regain its regional role. During his meeting with Salam at the Grand Serail on Thursday, he congratulated Lebanon on the ...

Palestinian Islamic Jihad Says Syria Detaining Two Group Officials

This is Beirut, 22/04 15:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Hamas Israel

Palestinian group Islamic Jihad's armed wing said Tuesday that Syria's new authorities had detained two of the group's officials and called for their release. A statement from the Al-Quds Brigades said Islamic Jihad's Syria official Khaled Khaled and organising committee member Yasser al-Zafri had been detained in Syria for five days "without ...

Syria: Hours of Waiting… for a Few Dollars

This is Beirut, 18/04 19:08 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Syria crisis liquidity dollars

In Damascus, lines stretch in front of ATMs. Amid a severe liquidity crisis, Syrians sometimes wait for hours to withdraw the equivalent of 20 dollars a day. This is daily life in a country where 90% of the population lives below the poverty line.

HTS: From a Jihadist Group to a Military Power

Marie de La Roche Saint-André, 18/04 13:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Damascus Gulf Israel HTS Al Nusra

Over the years, Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has built a substantial military arsenal and established a force that is both professional and cohesive – an accomplishment that posed a significant challenge when the group was formed in 2017, following the merger of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra) with five other jihadist ...

Sharaa–Bin Laden: Reversed Paths!

Marc Saikali, 17/04 13:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus Israel HTS Ahmad al-Sharaa Syria Bachar el Assad

Let it be crystal clear: no Syrian, no Lebanese, no Palestinian… regrets the fall of the Khmer Rouge of the Levant. The Assad dynasty, guilty of crimes against humanity and large-scale massacres against its own people, as well as those of “brotherly” countries, has finally fallen after fourteen years of civil war. The problem is that today, ...

Syria Leader in Qatar for First Time since Assad Fall

This is Beirut, 15/04 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus Gulf Israel Joseph Aoun

Syria's new president arrived in Qatar on Tuesday, state media said, for his first official visit to the Gulf state, a key backer of the new administration after longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad's ouster. The official Qatar News Agency reported Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Shareh on his arrival at ...

Aoun Reaffirms Anti-Corruption Drive and State Sovereignty

This is Beirut, 15/04 11:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus European Union Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun

President Joseph Aoun conducted a series of high-level visits to key security and military institutions on Tuesday, underscoring his administration’s firm stance against corruption and its commitment to asserting the sovereignty of the Lebanese state. Early in the day, Aoun visited the General Directorate of State Security in Ramlet el-Bayda, ...

Kurdish Authorities and Syrian Government Reach Deal on Tishrin Dam

This is Beirut, 10/04 20:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Kurds Damascus Tishrin dam

The Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have struck a deal with the central government on running a key dam they captured from jihadists with US support, a Kurdish source said Thursday. "An agreement has been reached between the autonomous administration and the Syrian government for the management of the Tishrin Dam" on the Euphrates ...

HTS: Repression Driving the Protests

Marie de La Roche Saint-André, 10/04 16:15 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Damascus Washington

Starting in February 2024, a wave of protests has swept through the cities of Idlib, Binnish and Sarmada, quickly spreading across much of Syria's northwestern province. The demonstrations are a direct response to the repressive governance of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), compounded by worsening economic conditions and a collapse in basic ...

HTS: The Syrian Salvation Government and the Formation of a Proto-State

Marie de La Roche Saint-André, 09/04 13:05 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Damascus Hezbollah Turkey idlib HTS

Before gaining control of significant parts of Syria following a swift assault on Bashar al-Assad’s forces, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had spent several years establishing a proto-state model in the region of Idlib. This experiment in governance mirrored the group’s ideological transformation over time. The Takeover of the Idlib ...

The Unbearable Burden of the Syrian Crisis in Lebanon

Natasha Metni Torbey, 02/04 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus Lebanese Red Cross United Nations

With the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the justification long used by the international community – particularly the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) – for maintaining the Syrian presence in Lebanon no longer holds. The agency had argued that “political refugees” would face serious danger if they returned and that coordinating their repatriation with ...

Joseph Aoun Calls for Lifting Sanctions on Syria

This is Beirut, 28/03 23:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun Emmanuel Macron Damascus Israel Middle East

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized on Friday the importance of lifting international sanctions on Syria to enhance stability in Lebanon and the region as a whole and to facilitate the return of displaced persons. He made these remarks during a virtual summit organized by France at the Élysée Palace while on an official visit to Paris. ...

Damascus