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Syria is now free. But what does the future hold for a revolution that we believed had all but been decimated? The most recent spectacular offensive has given the rebel groups control over the country's major cities. There now is an appetite for change and unity. I have been struck by the jubilation felt by most Syrians as the tyrant fell. Many who escaped his brutality are returning. The optimism has to be maintained, and the positivity it expresses should not be replaced with the pessimism shown by some partial commentators who are wishing for Syria to fail.

But challenges remain. How do we navigate these? And what of the people who are now at the centre of the new government? I have the pleasure of having Bilal Abdul Kareem on the show to help us understand the complexities of the road ahead and analyse the current players.

Bilal Abdul Kareem is a video journalist who has been covering the conflict in Syria since 2012. He has produced reports for CNN, Channel 4, BBC, and Sky News and runs his own news channel, On The Ground News.

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Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction

2:30 – HTS ideology

5:55 – Justice – Islamic call

8:41 – Jolani – positive?

11:50 – Bilal too pessimistic?

14:34 – New Syria

16:31 – Toleration of Journalists

17:49 – Capability to govern

20:11 – Israel

23:30 – How far is Israel in Syria

26:00 – Assad central to resisting Israel?

28:06 - Where Islam fits?

33:28 – New government and the West

35:54 – Syrian Prisons

39:38 – SDF

43:35 – Iran and Hezbollah

46:25 – Iran’s role in Syria

49:18 – Anti-Imperialist left

52:18 – Syrian Mindset

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Flashback Friday | #134: To The Stars Calamity