The dictator’s rigidity at the negotiating table and within Syrian society left him with scant support when he needed it most, giving Washington a window for pushing a Syrian-led transition and cutting Iran’s axis for good.
The extraordinary collapse of the Assad regime over the weekend is a historic victory for the Syrian people, who for over a half-century have suffered under the Assad family’s brutal authoritarian rule. It will undoubtedly pose challenges and create opportunities for the United States and its allies in the Middle East and beyond. Understanding what led to the regime’s collapse will be key to putting the country back together and achieving the elusive goals of successive U.S. administrations: cutting off Iran’s ability to project power across Syria to Lebanon and Israel, and bringing American forces home from their long deployments in Syria. At the heart of President Bashar al-Assad’s fall was his government’s rigidity and unwillingness to keep up with a rapidly changing Syrian society…
