cover of episode Assad's Reign In Syria Is Over, U.S. Strikes ISIS Targets, Trump Gives TV Interview

Assad's Reign In Syria Is Over, U.S. Strikes ISIS Targets, Trump Gives TV Interview

2024/12/9
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Greg Myrie
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Laila Fadil
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Michelle Martin
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Ruth Sherlock
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Tamara Keith
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Laila Fadil和Michelle Martin：阿萨德政权的垮台标志着叙利亚进入了一个新的历史时期，充满了机遇和挑战。美国总统拜登认为这是一个历史性机遇，但也警告了ISIS可能利用权力真空的风险。叙利亚人民在庆祝的同时，也面临着重建家园和应对潜在威胁的严峻挑战。数百万叙利亚难民的未来也悬而未决。 Ruth Sherlock：叙利亚人民对阿萨德政权的垮台感到震惊和难以置信，全国各地都在庆祝，但也有许多叙利亚难民希望返回家园。塞德纳监狱的释放和搜寻失踪人员的行动，揭示了战争的残酷和人权的侵犯。 Greg Myrie：美国对叙利亚境内的伊斯兰国目标进行了大规模空袭，以防止伊斯兰国利用叙利亚局势动荡。美国将继续在叙利亚保持军事存在，但对目前实际掌权的组织（Hayat Tahrir al-Sham）持谨慎态度。阿萨德政权的垮台对伊朗和俄罗斯来说是一个重大打击，他们失去了在该地区的主要盟友。 Laila Fadil和Michelle Martin：特朗普总统当选后首次接受电视采访，他表达了对团结的愿望，但也流露出了对过去事件的怨恨。在移民问题上，他表示希望为‘梦想者’找到立法解决方案，但也重申了结束出生公民权和驱逐犯罪分子的计划。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why did Bashar al-Assad flee to Russia?

Assad fled to Russia with his family as rebel forces swept into Damascus, marking the end of his 54-year reign in Syria.

What did President Biden say about the fall of the Assad regime?

Biden called it a 'moment of historic opportunity' but also warned of potential risks, particularly from ISIS taking advantage of the vacuum.

How did Syrians react to the fall of the Assad regime?

Syrians celebrated across the country, with many feeling dazed and incredulous after 54 years of Assad's rule and 13 years of civil war.

What significant actions did the U.S. take in response to the fall of the Assad regime?

The U.S. carried out large airstrikes on Islamic State bases in central Syria, targeting 75 targets to prevent ISIS from taking advantage of the turmoil.

What stance did President-elect Trump take on Syria?

Trump said Syria is not a U.S. problem and that the U.S. should not get involved, suggesting to let the situation play out.

What impact did the fall of the Assad regime have on Iran and Russia?

Both Iran and Russia suffered significant setbacks as they were major backers of Assad. Iran, in particular, lost a key ally and a bridge for shipping weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

What did Trump's TV interview reveal about his approach to immigration in his second term?

Trump plans to address dreamers with a legislative solution and aims to end birthright citizenship, potentially requiring a constitutional amendment. He also reiterated his intent to start mass deportations, beginning with criminals.

How did Trump respond to the House January 6th committee in his interview?

Trump suggested that members of the committee should go to jail, though he did not specify for what, and he plans to consider pardons for those convicted of crimes related to January 6th on a case-by-case basis.

Chapters
After 54 years of Assad's rule, rebel forces seized control of Damascus. Syrians celebrated, but also faced challenges such as looting and the search for missing detainees. The fall of the regime also raised concerns about the role of the Islamist group HTS and the fate of American journalist Austin Tice.
  • Assad's family fled to Moscow.
  • Celebrations and looting erupted in Damascus.
  • Over 100,000 detainees unaccounted for.
  • Concerns about the role of HTS.
  • The fate of American journalist Austin Tice remains unknown.

Shownotes Transcript

After 54 years, the Assad's brutal reign in Syria is over. Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia with his family as rebel forces swept into the capital of Damascus. President Biden called the fall of the Assad regime a "moment of historic opportunity." But he also warned of the potential risks. And President-elect Trump gave his first network TV interview since winning the election. *Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter).Today's episode of Up First was edited by James Hider, Andrew Sussman, Roberta Rampton, HJ Mai and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.*Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)