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Assad is Gone, But Troubles Remain
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The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, JVL, Sam Stein, and more. We are the largest pro-democracy bundle on Substack for news and analysis on politics and culture—supported by a community built on good-faith.
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Overtime

Assad is Gone, But Troubles Remain

Plus: Ro Khanna Wants Musk to Disclose His Finances

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Jim Swift
Dec 12, 2024
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Assad is Gone, But Troubles Remain
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Recently in The Bulwark:

  • BILL KRISTOL, ANDREW EGGER & CATHY YOUNG: By All Means, Jail My Colleagues, Mr. President!

  • JVL: Americans Don’t Want Progress. They Want Punishment. šŸ”

Overtime is for everyone. If you’re a subscriber: thank you. If you’re not, there’s no better time to subscribe to Bulwark+ than today. If you like today’s issue, you can share this newsletter with someone you think would value it.


WILL SELBER: Assad Is Gone, But Syria’s Troubles Remain

A busted portrait of a busted dictator: A photo of Bashar al-Assad in a facility formerly part of the Assad regime’s Political Security Branch. (Photo by Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images)

THE ASSAD REGIME’S HALF-CENTURY reign of terror over Syria came to an end Sunday when Bashar al-Assad fled to the arms of his patron, Russia. The anti-Assad forces, led by Hay’at Tahir al-Sham (HTS), a radical Sunni Islamic terror group with deep ties to al Qaeda and the Islamic State, appeared to take control of the government. The Taliban have already congratulated their HTS brethren.

It’s anyone’s guess who will wind up controlling Syria. As of Sunday, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, which has extensive links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, was fighting U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which fields an irregular army filled with Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) combat veterans. The PKK is an officially designated terrorist group. Yes, you read that correctly. Two NATO members (Turkey and the United States) are conducting a proxy war against each other, and the United States is, in effect, sponsoring people it considers terrorists. It’s a very confusing battlefield, to say the least.

READ THE REST.


šŸŽ„ PODCASTS AND VIDEOS šŸŽ§

  • Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: Adam Kinzinger and Pat Ryan: Bring It On [YouTube: Kinzinger, Ryan]

  • The Next Level: The Worst Is Yet to Come [YouTube]

  • Bulwark+ Live:

    • The GOP Retreats to Doral [YouTube]

    • Wray Just A Minute [YouTube]

Did you know? Bulwark+ members can listen to an ad-free version of these podcasts on the player of their choice.
Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.
šŸ“£Bulwark+ members can now listen to ad-free podcasts on Spotify! Learn more here.
Our šŸŽ„YouTube offerings are the free-versions of shows, and they do have ads.
āœļøAlso: Did you know that every podcast has a transcript for B+ members? Yes! If you’re more a reader than a listener/viewer, open any podcast and the transcript button is beneath the player.

SAM STEIN: Ro Khanna Wants Musk to Disclose His Finances

NO CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRAT has been as willing to accept and oblige Elon Musk in his MAGA turn as Rep. Ro Khanna.

The Californian, whose district includes Silicon Valley, has encouraged his fellow party members not to decamp from Musk’s platform, X. He’s praised Musk as a disruptive force for good in the electric vehicle and space industries. And he’s spoken about his desire to work collaboratively with Musk’s ā€œDepartment of Government Efficiencyā€ as it looks to slash $2 trillion from government expenditures.

READ THE REST.


🚨OVERTIME🚨

Sarah is ready to jump in.

Happy Wednesday! Well, the wait is over!

The NYT Dealbook Summit… As previewed on The Next Level last week, the audio and video of Sarah’s appearance on the 9-person 90 minute panel are up. Can’t stand to listen to Kevin McCarthy? This former House staffer won’t blame you: here’s a transcript.

But, if you’re short on time, enjoy a montage:

"You're okay, you're okay." CNN’s Clarissa Ward came across a Syrian prisoner in a secret prison, and informs him the Assad regime is no more. Powerful stuff.

Clashes are coming for Trump administration officials… at DC restaurants.(Washingtonian)

Congratulations are in order… For Tom Hamilton, the longtime voice of the Cleveland Indians and Guardians, on winning the Ford C. Frick award, bringing him to Cooperstown. Watching his acceptance video, I quickly realized that boy, it sure is dusty here in the Cincinnati bureau. If you’re not familiar with Hammy’s dulcet tones, boy are you in for a treat.

A Strange Trip… to John Hinckley’s Nonexistent Record Store (Washingtonian)

In local news… four arrests were made in the arson that critically damaged the Big Mac Bridge. (WLWT)

Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message.

—30—

Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.

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