Rebels Seize Damascus, Forcing Out Ruling Government of Syria
Ask students: When did the current rebellion against Bashar Assad and the Syrian government begin? How did President Biden react to the fall of Assad?
For more than half a century, Syria had been ruled with an iron fist by the Assad regime. It all came to an end this weekend with lightning speed as rebels took control of the capital city of Damascus and with it, the country. What lies ahead now for Syria and the Middle East is an open question. Hassan Hassan, founder and editor-in-chief of New Lines magazine, joins John Yang to discuss the issue.
View the transcript of the story.
- Where is Syria, and what are some neighboring countries? (You can use this map to help answer)
- When did the current rebellion against Bashar Assad and the Syrian government begin?
- How did President Biden react to the fall of Assad?
- Who is Hassan Hassan, and what is his background?
- Why has the current rebel leadership succeeded, according to Hassan?
Focus Questions
- What role, if any, do you think the U.S. should take to stabilize Syria and the larger region?
- Media literacy: Who else would you want to hear from the better predict what will come next in Syria?
- Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
Extension Activity
Discuss: How do you think the fall of Assad might impact the rest of the world? As a class, discuss how rebel takeover of Syria might impact other geopolitical conflicts and challenges, including:
- The fate of Syrian refugees in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
- Israel's actions in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
- Iran's actions in the Middle East.
- The war in Ukraine.
- U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy.
You may want to read this article (written before the fall of Assad) to help you understand some of the potential fallout.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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