What's Next, Syria?

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has opened up

Thirteen years since Syria’s war began, millions have been uprooted. Many ran to Turkey. Some fled to Europe. Others escaped to the mountains. Inside Syria, countless lives remain shattered as hospitals and schools crumbled under Russian bombs.

For most, staying means risking everything.

When Bashar al-Assad, the so-called "Butcher of Damascus" and infamous architect of chemical attacks, sought asylum in Russia, Syrians didn’t just breathe a sigh of relief. They celebrated in the streets, rejoicing at the departure of a man who had inflicted so much suffering.

The post-Assad verdict from Western think tanks has been somewhat gloomy. Many experts predict that chaos is imminent, and this is a legitimate concern. The leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant rebel faction in northwestern Syria, which now controls much of the country, is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. A former al-Qaeda member, Jolani's HTS evolved from an al-Qaeda affiliate.

Britannica calls him an enlightened despot. His leadership has been a mixed bag. He governed with an iron fist but did not unleash the brutality of ISIS or the Taliban. By early 2024, under Jolani's leadership, Idlib province, once one of Syria's poorest areas, had transformed. It now features trendy shopping malls, coffee shops, and consistent electricity—luxuries that even residents of Damascus were without.

Two days after Assad fled Syria, the Syrian National Army, supported by Turkey, began attacking and advancing into Kurdish areas. The attacks stopped only after the Biden administration intervened.