Senior Fellow at Bard Center for Civic Engagement Fred Hof.
For the Atlantic Council, Senior Fellow at Bard Center for Civic Engagement Fred Hof writes about the uncertain future Syrians face after the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government at the hands of Syrian rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Hof discusses why Assad’s greatest supporters—Iran and Russia—could no longer prop him up and how fragmented, corrupt, and wrecked Assad’s regime had become. Hof lays out steps he believes HTS should make to rebuild Syria and to show its commitment to minority rights and governing through institutions. He emphasizes the key roles that Turkey and the United States play at this juncture. “After years of persecution by a brutal regime, imperial abuse at the hands of Iran and Russia, and betrayal by regional and international actors, Syrians have taken their liberation into their own hands. They merit the United States’ help and its willingness to listen. But the Syrian revolution, regardless of what happens next, is where it belongs: In the hands of the Syrian people,” writes Hof.
Post Date: 12-10-2024
