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The Syria Breakdown

 

In less than two weeks in late 2024, a group of rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled the brutal, 54-year regime of the al-Assad family in Syria. In this series of short videos, Washington Institute scholars explore the causes and effects of this dramatic transformation of Syria, a state at the heart of multiple regional conflicts. 

Articles in this Series

The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode One: Why Assad Fell
In the first episode of the Institute’s Syria Breakdown series, Syria analyst Andrew Tabler explains the domestic and foreign factors that led to the Assad government’s rapid demise.
Dec 19, 2024
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  • Andrew J. Tabler
◆ The Syria Breakdown
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode Two: Putin's Playground
In this episode of the Institute’s Syria Breakdown series, Russia analyst Anna Borshchevskaya explains why Russia's long military intervention in Syria failed to protect the regime of its local ally, Bashar al-Assad, from collapse in the face of a stunning rebel advance.
Jan 3, 2025
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
◆ The Syria Breakdown
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode Three: Turkey Turns an Enemy into an Ally
In this episode of the Institute’s Syria Breakdown series, Turkey analyst Soner Cagaptay traces the revolutionary transformation of Ankara's relationship with Damascus from heated enemies to the closest of allies.
Jan 14, 2025
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  • Soner Cagaptay
◆ The Syria Breakdown
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode Five: After Assad, Navigating Syria Policy
Watch congressional testimony by two Institute scholars focusing on U.S. policy options in the face of Syria's evolving reality.
Feb 13, 2025
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  • Michael Singh
  • Dana Stroul
◆ The Syria Breakdown
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
Hope for al-Hol? The Syria Breakdown, Episode Six
Does Syria's transition away from Assad regime tyranny offer hope for closing detention camps, which have been home to thousands of internally displaced persons and Islamic State supporters?
Mar 13, 2025
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  • Devorah Margolin
◆ The Syria Breakdown

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