The Fall of Assad in Syria

In November 2024, a minor militant rebel group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), based in northeastern Syria announced its move to liberate Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria, from the autocratic and brutal rule of the Assad family. Few took the announcement seriously, that is, until a few days later when the rebel group seized the city after Assad’s regime forces withdrew in advance of their arrival. The Assad regime justified this as a “tactical withdrawal” to regroup its forces. Within a few weeks, HTS marched into Damascus as government forces disappeared ahead of their arrival. Russia’s President Putin announced that President Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow. The Assad family, father then son, ruled Syria for the past 54 years. Every attempt to challenge their power was brutally crushed, leaving thousands of people dead. How did the overthrow happen? Who is this little-known group, and what might happen next? What are the implications for Israel and the broader Middle East? We will explore these questions and more.

George Kassis was born and raised in Syria before moving to Lebanon to attend the American University of Beirut and embark on a career with the United Nations where he met his American wife, Jill. They had parallel professional careers, which took them on tours of duty to Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Yemen before being transferred by the U.N. to New York. Upon his retirement in 2009, George and Jill moved to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where they continue to enjoy the pleasures of the OceanState.