Thank you. Appreciate the correction.
No, where Gaddafi is there are only Apple devices.
From the AP, quoting Russian news agencies:
This NPR article is a good retrospective on the Assad rule in Syria.
Now that Assad has apparently retired from the family business of running a brutal dictatorship, maybe he can return to his original career plans and open up an ophthalmologist practice now.
It only took ten years.
I vaugely remember the revolts that erupted into civil war.
The similarities with the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya are striking.
Thirteen years, in fact, since the civil war started in 2011.
OTOH, it only took two weeks, once it became clear that Assad’s patrons were no longer willing or able to bail him out any further.
The analysis of what lead to Assad’s end is quite interesting.
Link Hezbollah’s war with Israel left the Assad regime fatally exposed | Syria | The Guardian
Acey’s Guardian article, and this one from Al Jazeera, give the answer to Gorsnak’s OP: the MSM weren’t following it before a couple of weeks ago, because it all happened in the past two weeks. The MSM, like pretty much everyone else, was caught by surprise.
Not the most encouraging precedent
An amusing detail that I saw pointed out on Discord. One of the victorious rebel factions, the Southern Operations Room uses as its symbol an image that’s almost a direct rip-off of an icon for the Global Liberation Army (the second one they used, half down the page) from the Command and Conquer games. It’s just so weirdly random.
The game:
The Southern Operations Room:
Are we sure they aren’t both rip-offs of some previous logo?
According to this release from The Institute for the Study of War:
HTS is likely attempting to improve its image among the Syrian people and international community by framing itself as an organization that is devoted to building a pluralist Syrian state. HTS announced on December 9 that it is “strictly forbidden” to interfere in women’s choice of clothing or to demand that women dress modestly.[12] HTS emphasized that “respect[ing] the rights of individuals is the basis for building a civilized nation.”[13] HTS separately announced on December 9 that it is “strictly forbidden” to attack or threaten journalists and reporters.[14] It is unclear whether HTS will indefinitely protect the rights of women and journalists. HTS’s “morality police,” called Markaz al Falah, has previously arrested women for dressing “inappropriately.”[15] HTS has also imprisoned journalists who criticized its rule in northwestern Syria.[16]
It will be interesting to see which way this goes.
Well, at worst, they’re at least willing to pay lip service to freedom. That’s already better than some Middle Eastern regimes.
And much better than either Assad ever was.
I doubt this guy will use chemical weapons on his own population either. Or hook men’s testicles up to car batteries during questioning. Or engage in sexual torture of children. Or drop barrel bombs on residential areas (oil drums filled with shrapnel and explosives) that caused widespread death and destruction of infrastructure and buildings. I could go on but there are few regimes that have engaged in so many horrific crimes against their own population than the regimes of Hafez and Basher Assad. They were monsters. Whatever comes next will likely be better, no matter how Islamist or authoritarian.
Just for that reason alone I feel the Syrian people have come out winners in this situation.
I understand the concern these weapons and bases could fall into terrorists hands.
But, the new leaders of Syria need the support of an organized military. Holding people accountable for war crimes will take years.
HTS should want to avoid the chaos of multiple factions consolidating power and having no one in charge.
It’s going to get messy for awhile. Regime change is difficult.
isn’t messy par-for-the-course, there?
IOW: when was the last time it was not messy in Syria?
I suspect that phase 2 of all of this is that HTS and Turkey join forces to invade Eastern Syria.
Israel, taking out all the military equipment of Assad’s forces, helps to diminish the strength that HTS can bring to that battle.
There are reports (unconfirmed and/or denied) that Assad’s British-born wife wants to divorce him and move to Britain.
She is under British sanctions and the British Foreign Secretary has stated in Parliament that she is not welcome in Britain.
I don’t see the UK government being keen on admitting her. There is a precedent which would inevitably be called into play: