天美传媒

WASHINGTON (December 9, 2024) 鈥� Rebels entered Damascus, the capital of Syria, over the weekend and overthrew President Bashar Assad, who is now seeking asylum in Russia. Syria鈥檚 prime minister  that most cabinet ministers are still working from offices.

According to , 鈥淢ajor questions remained unanswered, including who would lead the new rebel government, as millions of Syrians and the wider world struggled to process the stunning end to the Assad family鈥檚 decades-long reign. Euphoria around the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend mixed with uncertainty about the future of the country and the intentions of the rebels who now hold the capital, Damascus.鈥�

Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary. To speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialists Shannon Mitchell at [email protected] and Cate Douglass Restuccio at [email protected].

is a research professor of international affairs and Acting Director of the Foreign Area Officers Program at GW. Holmes has published widely on the global American military posture, the NATO alliance, non-state actors, revolutions, military coups, and de-facto states. With more than 15 years global experience conducting research in the Middle East and Europe, including various conflict zones, she is a noted expert on issues of American foreign policy and international security. 

is an associate professor of political science and international affairs and co-Director of the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at GW. Downes has written on a variety of subjects in international security, including civilian victimization, foreign-imposed regime change, military effectiveness, democracy, coercion, alliances, and solutions to civil wars. He can speak to why the Army might have collapsed so quickly and what social scientists know about the aftermath of civil wars.

is a teaching associate professor of international affairs at the GW Elliott School of International Affairs. In addition, Professor Lazarus is an Israel Institute Teaching Fellow. Professor Lazarus is an expert in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Dialogue, Evaluation, Peace Education, and the Israeli-Palestine Conflict. Prior to entering academia, Professor Lazarus served as the Middle East Program Director for Seeds of Peace.

 is a visiting scholar & lecturer of international affairs at GW, where he teaches a graduate course on Iran鈥檚 foreign policy in the Middle East. His research interests include international security, nuclear nonproliferation, and U.S.-Iranian relations. Azodi's current research involves exploring the roots of the Iranian nuclear program and his dissertation, "Continuity and Change in Iranian Nuclear Program," critically investigates the Iranian nuclear program since its inception in the 1950s until 2003.

-GW-