I'm Marissa Wong, Internet Lawfare, with an episode from the Lawfare

for March 28, 2006.

As part of the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, the U.S. is reportedly

encouraging the Syrian government to cooperate on counterterrorism efforts and send troops into

eastern Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

Although it has previously signaled a willingness to cooperate with Western countries, the Al-Shera

government seems reluctant to further infl Western countries, the Al-Shara government seems

reluctant to further inflamed tensions in the Middle East.

For today's archive, I chose an episode from March 19, 2025, in which Stephen Heideman

joined Daniel Biman to discuss the Syrian government's transition from the Assad regime to a

government led by Ahmed al-Shara,

who was the former leader of an Islamist armed group.

The pair also discussed Israeli interventions in Syria,

the U.S.'s attitude toward theiman, the foreign policy editor of Lawfare,

and I'm here today with Steve Heideman. He is a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Smith College and a longtime observer of the Middle East.

Almost immediately on the heels of the collapse of the Assad regime, Israel intervened militarily in Syria and now occupies a significant territory in southern Syria

and seems to be setting itself up as a permanent or semi-permanent presence in southern Syria.

Today we're talking about the new government in Syria and the many problems that Syria is facing.

Steve, the situation in Syria has been rapidly changing not only with the overthrow of Bashar Assad, but in the months that have followed.

Can you catch us up since the fall of the regime?

How has the situation evolved?

Sure. I'm happy to be here with you, Dan. And I should say this is an especially auspicious

...