Ryan Mauro on the Aftermath of the Assad Regime

The toppling of the Assad presents a “risky success” for Israel and the United State. With the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Syria has devolved from a nation-state level threat aligned with Iran into something closer to Somalia with factions preoccupied with fighting among themselves and not against Israel. These factions include Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former affiliate of Al-Qaeda that Maura characterizes as “Al-Qaeda with social skills,” and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces supported by the United States.