And suddenly, they were gone. For more than half-a-century, the Assads ruled Syria with an iron fist, seeing off uprisings, plots and it seems a civil war. But in less than two weeks, encountering little resistance, an Islamist-led rebellion managed to swoop into Aleppo, Hama, Homs and now Damascus.
We will ask why, we will ask why now, and what to make of Abu Mohammed al-Julan, the onetime jihadist who is groomed a more moderate image and alliances with Syria’s other rebel factions, including the Kurds. Why the victory?
Why the defeat for a Bashar al-Assad now exiled to Moscow? What is next for a former Ottoman dependency-cum-French protectorate that is only known dynasty and dictatorship for most of its citizens’ lives?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Annarosa Zampaglione.
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