Syria’s 13-year civil war came to a stunning end on Dec. 8, 2024, when rebel fighters led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham succeeded in toppling the brutal dictatorship of Bashar Assad. With the country now deeply fragmented and impoverished, what will the future of governance be under the transitional government of Ahmad al-Sharaa?

Rana B. Khoury, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Ibrahim Al-Assil, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, joined “Baker Briefing” to discuss the regional reaction to Dec. 8, the structural challenges facing the rebuilding process, and prospects for the return of refugees and internally displaced Syrians.

Featured guests:

• Ibrahim Al-Assil, DIA, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute, https://www.mei.edu/profile/ibrahim-al-assil

• Rana B. Khoury, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, https://ranakhoury.com/

This conversation was recorded on April 29, 2025. A transcript of this episode is available here.

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