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S9 Ep14: The Fall of Assad and What’s Next for Syria with Phillip Smyth

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Manage episode 455402608 series 1259913
Content provided by Secrets & Spies: The Dry CleanerCast. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Secrets & Spies: The Dry CleanerCast or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
After a despotic reign of over five decades, marked by 13 years of bloody civil war that killed over half a million people and displaced millions more, the al-Assad dynasty’s rule over Syria has come to a sudden, shocking end. In just under two weeks, rebel groups mounted an offensive that captured a string of major cities, culminating in the fall of Damascus with barely a shot being fired and Bashar al-Assad fleeing into exile in Moscow. It’s difficult to understate what a complete sea change these events are for Syria and the Middle East. Today, Phillip Smyth returns to help us make sense of how this all unfolded so quickly, so unexpectedly, and what it means for Iran and its proxies like Lebanese Hezbollah, who propped up the Assad regime and counted on Syria as a hub to exert their influence throughout the region.
Read Phillip’s work for West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center: https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/
Read Phillip’s past work for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth
Follow Phillip on Twitter/X: https://x.com/PhillipSmyth

Relevant articles and reporting

"The Backstory Behind the Fall of Aleppo" by Hassan Hassan and Michael Weiss | New Lines Magazine
"Jihadi ‘Counterterrorism:’ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State" by Aaron Y. Zelin | CTC Sentinel
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Backgrounder | Center for Strategic & International Studies
"Syrian rebels reveal year-long plot that brought down Assad regime" by William Christou | The Guardian

Support Secrets and Spies

Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies
Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996

Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg
For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com
Connect with us on social media
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies
Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies
Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies
Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fultonmatt.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social
Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
  continue reading

281 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 455402608 series 1259913
Content provided by Secrets & Spies: The Dry CleanerCast. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Secrets & Spies: The Dry CleanerCast or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
After a despotic reign of over five decades, marked by 13 years of bloody civil war that killed over half a million people and displaced millions more, the al-Assad dynasty’s rule over Syria has come to a sudden, shocking end. In just under two weeks, rebel groups mounted an offensive that captured a string of major cities, culminating in the fall of Damascus with barely a shot being fired and Bashar al-Assad fleeing into exile in Moscow. It’s difficult to understate what a complete sea change these events are for Syria and the Middle East. Today, Phillip Smyth returns to help us make sense of how this all unfolded so quickly, so unexpectedly, and what it means for Iran and its proxies like Lebanese Hezbollah, who propped up the Assad regime and counted on Syria as a hub to exert their influence throughout the region.
Read Phillip’s work for West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center: https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/
Read Phillip’s past work for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth
Follow Phillip on Twitter/X: https://x.com/PhillipSmyth

Relevant articles and reporting

"The Backstory Behind the Fall of Aleppo" by Hassan Hassan and Michael Weiss | New Lines Magazine
"Jihadi ‘Counterterrorism:’ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State" by Aaron Y. Zelin | CTC Sentinel
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Backgrounder | Center for Strategic & International Studies
"Syrian rebels reveal year-long plot that brought down Assad regime" by William Christou | The Guardian

Support Secrets and Spies

Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies
Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996

Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg
For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com
Connect with us on social media
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies
Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies
Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies
Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fultonmatt.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social
Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
  continue reading

281 episodes

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