Rethinking Democracy Ep. 6: Shariah, Democrac...

Though it has fallen out of the headlines because of the Iran war, Syria has had a dramatically consequential summer. Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Charles Lister to take stock of recent developments: the dissolution of the Kurdish-led S ...  Show more

As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its sixth month, the conflict has taken a sharp turn. After a brief lull in the fighting, Iran launched a surprise ballistic missile attack on US forces on July 28, and the US and Saudi Arabia struck back at Iran-backed militias in Iraq, marking R ...  Show more

The Assad regime has gone. After 14 years of war, and 54 years of one family's rule, Syria is now stepping into a new period of its history. Led by the transitional government of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Syria will now have to build a new state and hopefully create a path to a new ...  Show more

Once an al-Qaeda-affiliated fighter, Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa now governs a nation in flux. He claims to be focused on stability, dissolving rebel groups and rebuilding institutions. His visit to Saudi Arabia signals shifting alliances and efforts to ease s ...

With the fall of the House of Assad, Syria is now under new management—but who’s really in charge? Buck Sexton breaks down the transition with Bill Roggio, Senior Editor at Long War Journal. From jihadist factions to the region's strategic importance, they explore the implication ...  Show more

What does al-Sharaa's rise to power mean for Syria? Given his surprise takeover, how will today’s CIA analysts be changing the way they think about the country and what happens next? Will Syria be the next Libya? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss Syria’s rapidly shifting po ...  Show more