1/28/2024 0 Comments Bashbar reason for![]() And it was also significant because the Saudis had been quite forceful in their opposition to Assad over the last 12 years. It carries weight however critical or supportive you are of Saudi Arabia and its policies. One, because it’s Saudi Arabia, the regional heavyweight, the leader of the Muslim world, custodian of the two holy sites. It was an important moment, Gideon, for two reasons. I began our discussion by asking her about the significance of the Saudi foreign minister’s visit to Damascus. So what’s happened? To explain, Kim Ghattas joined me on the line from Beirut. And the Syrian war, which dominated the world news a decade ago much as Ukraine does today, is now attracting much less international attention. Russia’s intervention in support of the Syrian leader was an important moment in securing his hold on power. Ten years on, Obama’s gone and Erdoğan’s tottering, but Assad is still very much in power. As he made clear, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish leader, was also demanding the removal of the Syrian leader. That was President Barack Obama calling for the removal of Assad back in 2013 during a visit to Turkey. And we’re gonna keep working for a Syria that is free from Assad’s tyranny, that is intact and inclusive of all ethnic and religious groups and that’s the source of stability, not extremism. That is the only way that we’re gonna resolve this crisis. He needs to transfer power to a transitional body. So has the Assad regime won the Syrian civil war? She’s also a contributing writer for The Atlantic. My guest this week is Kim Ghattas, author of the book Black Wave, a study of religious fundamentalism and geopolitics in the Middle East. The Saudi foreign minister visited Assad in Damascus last month, the first such visit by a Saudi official since the war broke out in 2011. The country’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, is still in power, and though he is a pariah in the west, he’s beginning to regain acceptance in the Middle East. It’s now 12 years since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. ![]() I’m Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator, the Financial Times.
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