Commentary
Michael Young
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Source: Getty
In The Media
In Syria, the Hard Part May Be About to Begin as Assad, Russia and Iran Eye Each Other Warily
Now that the situation in Syria is moving towards a political settlement and reconstruction, many more parties will have a say in what happens.
Published on Dec 21, 2017
Source: The National
In early December, Vladimir Putin visited the Russian Hmeimim airbase in Syria, accompanied by Bashar Al Assad. In a meeting with Syrian officers, he singled out Gen Suheil Al Hassan, the head of the Tiger Force in the Syrian army, as an effective military commander.
Mr Putin implied that the Russians were watching Gen Al Hassan closely, suggesting to a paranoid Mr Al Assad that he could emerge as a favourite of Moscow if the Syrian president were forced out of office. All of this was implicit, nothing more, but the look of dread on Gen Al Hassan’s face showed he regarded the praise as a mixed blessing, as it could push the Al Assads to get rid of him.
About the Author
Michael Young
Editor, Diwan, Senior Editor, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Michael Young is the editor of Diwan and a senior editor at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.
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Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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