36. The Assad Family – Rulers of Syria With S...

From the abortive attempt Damascus Spring to the deadliest civil war the Middle East has seen it was plagued by rampant corruption, a weakening of the party state and and the disintegration of the social contract underlying its rule. Could the regimes collapse have been avoided, ...  Show more

This episode was recorded at the 2026 Göteborg Book Fair. Edgar speaks to authors Ece Temelkuran and Aris Fioretos about finding a home in estrangement. To listen to the episode ad-free subscribe to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram at http ...  Show more

In a momentous week in the history of Syria, New Lines’ Middle East Editor Kareem Shaheen and Editorial Director Rasha Elass join Faisal Al Yafai on The Lede to discuss how the Assad regime’s collapse happened so quickly, the terrible symbolism of the Sednaya prison complex an ...

In the month since Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by a coalition of rebel forces, thousands of political prisoners have been released while many more remain missing, assumed lost to the regime. The most powerful group among the rebels, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ...  Show more

Syria has been controlled by one family for more than half a century who ruled by repression, devastation and violence.

But about two weeks ago, the regime began to falter, and then over the course of one night, it collapsed.

Carlotta Gall, a senior correspondent f ...