Kimberly Howe addresses fall of Assad regime in Syria
On December 8, 2024, Syria’s 13-year civil war entered a new phase as dictator Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow following the collapse of his regime. The fall of Assad marked the culmination of recent battlefield successes by rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
In an interview for Good Authority, Feinstein Research Director Kimberly Howe and Dipali Mukhopadhyay address how HTS emerged as the decisive force in Syria’s conflict. They point to the focus and timing of the group’s actions, which capitalized on weakened Russian and Iranian support for Assad.
Mukhopadhyay and Howe also draw parallels between the collapse of Assad’s regime and failure of the Afghan republic in 2021, underscoring the fragility of foreign-backed regimes.
Having studied a number of transitions from war to post-conflict, the authors note that the future of Syria remains uncertain. HTS faces significant challenges transitioning from insurgency to governance while navigating regional tensions and international scrutiny.
