Global Outlook

  The current emergence of Islamist groups in Syria most especially Hayat Tahir al-Sham has raised damaging discourses concerning their goals as well as the future of Syria. One of them is their operational topping in the seizing of state institutions, which if achieved, will really alter the socio-political landscape of the Syria in a big way. New policies as the reform of the education system show how HTS tries to exercise control over institutions. The changes in curriculum proposed are eradicating all references to Assad’s regime, changing the religious material, and erasing concepts like evolution. Opponents state that these changes insert an Islamists’ attributes, which might completely eliminate Syrian secular learning legacy and make the divides in society wider. The Islamists continue with the appointment of people with extremists linkages to other strategic governmental positions, the above strategies confirm. For example, the appointment of Shadi al-Waisi, who used to be...

  After the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad the politics of Syria has shifted drastically. Leading this charge is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [formerly known as Al-Nusra front], an organisation that was originally affiliated with al-Qaeda seeking to implement its form shariah over the battered Syrian state. The current leader of HTS which is Ahmed al-Sharaa, alias Abu Mohammed al-Golani has stated publicly that he has laid down his plans of forming a government that will respect the ethnic and religious composition in Syria. However, because the group has links with jihadist ideology, the public has questioned the true mission of the group. An important characteristic of HTS’s operations is gradual seizure of state structures. They want to make sure they have loyalists in positions where they can make official decisions to make formalists accept them as the rightful rulers of Syria. This is reminiscent of strategies and policies used by Assad regime by appointment of loyalists to impo...

   A shocking video made on December 25, 2024, showed an armed incursion into the Shiite Alawite shrine of Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein Al-Khasibi in Maisaloon district of Aleppo city. Speaking of the unfortunate attack, it, led to the gruesome shooting dead of five shrine attendants, their bodies mutilated and the shrine burnt. This event has raised concerns in the minds of the Syrian minority especially the ALawaite community due to they view the event as antithetical to the protection of their lives and the free practice of their religion. The last President, Bashar al-Assad, belonged to such a sect as Alawite, which traditionally was in the shade, persecuted in Syria. Hathern one of their holiest place of worship has been violated in the recent past, sectarian tensions, and anger has risen, and the feeling of insecurity among the population is palpable. In return, wide civil protests started in several Syrian provinces including Latakia, Tartus, Homs describing the act as a bar...

  The effectiveness of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) has always come under strong question in regard to its ability to govern, especially after it failed disastrously to administer Idlib in 2017. In the course of that period, internal fighting between different groups, including HTS, emerged, which objectively worsened the situation, leaving the population without even the most basic needs for life. Apparently, in the course of of 2017 the SIG failed to take full control over Idlib province, which can be described as an area filled with various forms of rebels and local councils. They had no clear state and military command and control and an ineffective and inconsistent fractious governance policy led to a state of systematic dysfunction. These fundamental needs like clean water, electrical power, and appropriate medical care were at some point ceased causing worsening off the quality of life of the populace. The lack of good governance also led to further vacum that helped ...

  US diplomats have made their way to Damascus for a historic engagement with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), marking the first American diplomatic mission to the Syrian capital in more than a decade. This bold move comes in the wake of dramatic changes in Syria’s political landscape, notably the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime just over a week ago. The delegation’s presence reflects a renewed sense of urgency among Western powers to influence Syria’s governance amid rapid shifts in power dynamics. The delegation includes Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, hostage envoy Roger Carstens, and senior adviser Daniel Rubinstein. Tasked with a multifaceted mission, they aim to engage with a wide array of Syrian voices, including civil society members, activists, and representatives of different communities. Their goal is to gauge aspirations for Syria’s future and identify ways in which the United States can lend its support. According to a State Department spokesperson, th...

  Recent violent actions of Al-Julani’s group perform cruel acts including flogging an orphaned child for selling cigarettes, power abuse. As it will be seen, this kind of approach represents the level of dominance that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has in some regions in Syria. It has gone further in oppression starting with gagging the dissenters to brutalizing citizens who are least protected. The flogging of the child who just attempted to feed his family just demonstrates the price people pay when they are forced to survive under the rule of this terror group, HTS. This is not an exception to the rule but is rather a part of a tendency to establish violence in Syria. Al-Julani, once an associate of Al-Qaeda, relentlessly has pursued the agenda of an Islamic state in the Levant. They belong to a group that is affiliated with terrorist organizations such Al-Qaeda, which raises eyebrows. The recent good results of HTS have brightened the militants in the eyes of other global terror ...

  The UN General Assembly has made a powerful statement by demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with the resolution passing with 158 votes in favor. This overwhelming support underscores the growing international consensus on the need to end the violence that has devastated the Gaza Strip. The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands, with civilians, particularly women and children, suffering the most. The vote reflects a shift in the global community's approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict, signaling a desire for peace and justice amidst the humanitarian crisis. Alongside the ceasefire resolution, the assembly also expressed strong support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The second resolution, which was adopted with 159 votes in favor, condemns a new Israeli law that threatens to halt the agency's operations in Israel. The law would prevent UNRWA from providing critical aid to Palestinian refugees, who rel...

  In an unexpected turn of events, the Assad dynasty crumbled after 54 years, leaving Syrians celebrating a new dawn. The fall of Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Moscow on a private plane, marked the end of an era defined by oppression and war. Crowds in Damascus pulled down statues and portraits of Assad and his father, Hafez, as the city erupted in celebrations. Families reunited after years of separation under the regime’s prison system, while others explored the abandoned presidential palace, marveling at its hidden luxuries. The oppressive fog of dictatorship lifted, replaced by a fragile but exhilarating sense of freedom. The sudden rebel advance, led by HTS and Turkish-backed militias, exploited the distractions of Assad’s allies—Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah—who were preoccupied with conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. Syrian loyalist forces collapsed under the swift offensive, allowing rebels to take control of key cities, including Damascus. The chaos along the Beirut-Damascus hi...

  After months of escalating violence, a tentative ceasefire was brokered between Israel and Hezbollah, but recent developments have thrown its future into question. Deadly Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon have once again brought the region to the brink of conflict, and Hezbollah's mortar attacks in response suggest that the fragile peace may not last much longer. As the two sides trade blows, fears are rising that the ceasefire, which was meant to end over a year of hostilities, could collapse entirely. On Monday evening, Israeli warplanes launched a series of strikes across southern Lebanon, killing at least ten people, including civilians. The strikes were reportedly aimed at Hezbollah positions, with the Israeli military claiming to have hit terrorist infrastructure and launchers. However, Hezbollah’s mortar fire earlier in the day at an Israeli military base has raised questions about who is truly at fault for the recent escalation. Despite the lack of casualties from th...