1 month ago
21
Briefing|What Is Happening in Syria
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/briefing/what-is-happening-in-syria.html
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
The Syrian Civil War is a long-running tragedy. Since 2011, more than 500,000 Syrians have died, including more than 200,000 civilians, according to human rights experts. Millions more Syrians have fled their homes. The flood of refugees into Europe has been large enough to help destabilize politics in France, Germany, Italy and elsewhere.
Until recently, Bashar al-Assad — Syria’s authoritarian president, who’s responsible for much of the carnage — seemed to be in a dominant position. His forces controlled about two-thirds of the country’s territory, including all the largest cities. The war seemed to have reached a stalemate.
Over the past two weeks, however, anti-Assad rebels have made surprising gains (as these Times maps show). The rebels captured most of Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city, and have since taken another major city, Hama. They are heading toward Damascus, the capital.
Image
The war has entered an uncertain new phase. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain why the situation has changed — and how the war affects the rest of the world.
Who’s on Assad’s side?
The Assad family, which has run Syria since a 1970 coup, is Alawite, a minority sect that’s an offshoot of Shiite Islam. The government is secular, but its closest ally is Iran, the most powerful Shiite country. Syria is a core part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” — a network of countries and groups (including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis) that hopes to destroy Israel and reduce American influence in the Middle East.
