Early Edition: December 9, 2024
Posted on 12/09/2024
by Weronika Galka and Gwendolyn Whidden
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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria was ousted yesterday by an Islamist rebel offensive, ending the Assad regime’s 54-year rule. Kareem Fahim, Mohamad El Chamaa, and Loveday Morris report for the Washington Post.
Assad and his family arrived in Moscow and have been granted asylum personally approved by President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin spokesperson said today. Darya Tarasova reports for CNN; the Guardian reports.
The head of the Syrian opposition abroad yesterday said that the country should have an 18-month transition period to establish “a safe, neutral, and quiet environment” for free elections. Andrew Mills reports for Reuters.
Syrian rebel leaders “have guaranteed security to the Russian military bases and diplomatic establishments in Syria,” Russian state media said yesterday. BBC News reports.
Israeli ground forces overtly crossed into Syria over the weekend and advanced beyond the demilitarized zone, two Israeli officials said, adding that the deployment was temporary. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said he ordered troops to “take over the buffer zone” to ensure “no hostile force embeds itself” next to Israel. Ronen Bergman, Aaron Boxerman, Matthew Mpoke Bigg, and Ephrat Livni report for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Israel conducted three airstrikes targeting a security complex and a government research center in Damascus yesterday, according to regional sources. Suleiman Al-Khalidi reports for Reuters.
The Turkish military fired on U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance forces in northern Syria this weekend, a war monitoring group and the SDF’s spokesperson said yesterday. Separately, the SDF reportedly took full control of the city of Deir el-Zor on Friday. Eve Sampson reports for the New York Times; Orhan Qereman reports for Reuters.
The U.N. investigative mechanism on Syria (IIIM) released a report on Friday “documenting systematic torture and abuse across over 100 Government detention facilities.” (Readers may be interested in a recent article for Just Security by the IIIM’s Information Systems Management chief, Keith Hiatt, on how tech can aid global accountability efforts.)
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden yesterday called the collapse of Assad’s government a “fundamental act of justice,” crediting the United States and its allies for “shifting the balance of power in the Middle East” by weakening Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. Will Weissert reports for AP News.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday said the United States “strongly supports a peaceful transition of power to an accountable Syrian government” as well as “international efforts to hold the Assad regime and its backers accountable.” Edward Wong reports for the New York Times.
The United States is working with several Middle Eastern countries to secure chemical weapons possessed by the Assad regime and is in contact “with all Syrian groups,” a U.S. official said yesterday. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The United States struck dozens of self-styled Islamic State group camps and leaders in central Syria yesterday and “will not allow ISIS to reconstitute,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. Eve Sampson reports for the New York Times.
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian yesterday said the Syrian people must decide “the future of their country and its political and governmental system,” according to state media reports. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz today said Israel will “destroy heavy strategic weapons throughout Syria,” with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar adding Israel has no interest in interfering with internal Syrian affairs and will maintain a “very limited and temporary” troop presence on the ground. Maayan Lubell reports for Reuters.
Iran has opened a direct line of communication with the Syrian rebels to prevent a “hostile trajectory” between the countries, a senior Iranian official said today. Parisa Hafezi reports for Reuters.
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Global leaders are reacting to the toppling of Assad’s government, with France, the United Kingdom, and the E.U. Commission Vice President welcoming the development. Amelia Nierenberg reports for the New York Times; Amy Waller reports for BBC News.
Russia asked the U.N. Security Council to meet privately today to discuss the Assad government’s collapse, a Moscow envoy said on Telegram. Mariya Knight reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
At least 24 Hamas operatives were employed at schools run by the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), according to internal Hamas documents Israel shared with the New York Times. UNRWA said it was acting on the information but lacked the resources to independently investigate. Jo Becker and Adam Rasgon report for the New York Times.
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 34 Palestinians on Saturday and at least 14 people in central Gaza yesterday, Palestinian health officials said. Israeli airstrikes and gunfire also killed or wounded scores of people around north Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital early Friday, the hospital’s director said. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters; Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy report for AP News; Lara Jakes and Nick Cumming-Bruce report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. AND REGIONAL RESPONSE
Qatar is considering asking senior U.S., Israeli, and Egyptian intelligence figures to travel to Doha to negotiate the final stages of a Gaza ceasefire deal, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry. Patrick Wintour reports for the Guardian.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE
The IDF today said four of its soldiers “fell during combat” in southern Lebanon in a “suspected operational incident.” The Guardian reports; Emanuel Fabian reports for the Times of Israel.
The Israeli military said on Saturday it struck a Hezbollah fighter in southern Lebanon who posed a threat to its soldiers, claiming it was operating within ceasefire agreements. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on two Lebanese villages killed six people on Saturday. Ahmed Tolba and Hatem Maher report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
France’s Macron, President-elect Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Paris for three-way talks on Saturday. Following the meeting, Trump called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Ukraine, claiming Kyiv “would like to make a deal” to end the war. Sylvie Corbet, Adriana Gomez Licon, and Jill Colvin report for AP News; Shaun Walker reports for the Guardian.
The United States will provide nearly an additional $1 billion in long-term weapons support to Ukraine, Secretary Austin has said. Tara Copp reports for AP News.
Zelenskyy yesterday said that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 370,000 wounded since the invasion began, the first disclosure of military casualty figures in months. The U.S. and military analyst estimates put the number closer to 70,000. Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times.
SOUTH KOREA MARTIAL LAW CRISIS
South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol survived Saturday’s impeachment vote after members of his party boycotted it. Meanwhile, the ruling party’s leader said they will “continue to push for the president’s orderly resignation” as opposition lawmakers submitted another impeachment motion. Yoonjung Seo and Edward Szekeres report for CNN.
South Korean prosecutors yesterday named Yoon as a subject of a criminal investigation and arrested the ex-defence minister over his alleged role in Yoon’s martial law declaration, according to local media. Separately, South Korea’s Justice Ministry today imposed an overseas travel ban on Yoon. Hyunjoo Jin and Josh Smith report for Reuters; Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung report for AP News.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
A local gang killed at least 110 people in a massacre that began on Friday in Haiti’s Port-au-Prince, a local civil rights group said. The group described the killings, which appeared to target voodoo practitioners, as a personal vendetta of the gang’s leader. Frances Robles reports for the Washington Post.
The Romanian Constitutional Court on Friday annulled the country’s presidential election after an assessment that the nation had been the target of “Russian hybrid actions.” A new election will be held at an unspecified date. Madalin Necsutu and Anthony Faiola report for the Washington Post.
Iran is “dramatically” accelerating its uranium enrichment close to weapons-grade purity levels, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said on Friday. Alexander Cornwell, Francois Murphy, and John Irish report for Reuters.
An opposition candidate won Ghana’s Saturday election, amid the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation. Thomas Naadi, Favour Nunoo, Komla Adom, and Joseph Winter report for BBC News.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION AND NEW CONGRESS
Trump said members of the House committee who examined the Jan. 6 attack were “political thugs” who “should go to jail” and that pardons for Jan. 6 rioters will happen on “day one” in his first post-election interview on Friday. Peter Nicholas reports for NBC News.
Military leaders are “rattled” by a list of “woke” senior officers a conservative group is urging Pete Hegseth to dismiss for having promoted diversity in the military if he is confirmed as Defense Secretary. Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor report for AP News.
Career civil servants are scrambling to insulate themselves from the second Trump administration’s promised purge, including by scrubbing their Facebook and X accounts for any negative posts about Trump. Lisa Rein and Jeff Stein report for the Washington Post.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The U.S. Secret Service acting director on Friday issued an internal memo outlining plans to restructure its Office of Investigations as part of the changes following July’s assassination attempt against Trump. Maegan Vazquez and Carol D. Leonnig report for the Washington Post.
The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether the families of victims of terrorist attacks in Israel may sue the Palestinian Authority in U.S. federal courts. John Fritze reports for CNN.
Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here.
A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria was ousted yesterday by an Islamist rebel offensive, ending the Assad regime’s 54-year rule. Kareem Fahim, Mohamad El Chamaa, and Loveday Morris report for the Washington Post.
Assad and his family arrived in Moscow and have been granted asylum personally approved by President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin spokesperson said today. Darya Tarasova reports for CNN; the Guardian reports.
The head of the Syrian opposition abroad yesterday said that the country should have an 18-month transition period to establish “a safe, neutral, and quiet environment” for free elections. Andrew Mills reports for Reuters.
Syrian rebel leaders “have guaranteed security to the Russian military bases and diplomatic establishments in Syria,” Russian state media said yesterday. BBC News reports.
Israeli ground forces overtly crossed into Syria over the weekend and advanced beyond the demilitarized zone, two Israeli officials said, adding that the deployment was temporary. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said he ordered troops to “take over the buffer zone” to ensure “no hostile force embeds itself” next to Israel. Ronen Bergman, Aaron Boxerman, Matthew Mpoke Bigg, and Ephrat Livni report for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Israel conducted three airstrikes targeting a security complex and a government research center in Damascus yesterday, according to regional sources. Suleiman Al-Khalidi reports for Reuters.
The Turkish military fired on U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance forces in northern Syria this weekend, a war monitoring group and the SDF’s spokesperson said yesterday. Separately, the SDF reportedly took full control of the city of Deir el-Zor on Friday. Eve Sampson reports for the New York Times; Orhan Qereman reports for Reuters.
The U.N. investigative mechanism on Syria (IIIM) released a report on Friday “documenting systematic torture and abuse across over 100 Government detention facilities.” (Readers may be interested in a recent article for Just Security by the IIIM’s Information Systems Management chief, Keith Hiatt, on how tech can aid global accountability efforts.)
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden yesterday called the collapse of Assad’s government a “fundamental act of justice,” crediting the United States and its allies for “shifting the balance of power in the Middle East” by weakening Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. Will Weissert reports for AP News.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday said the United States “strongly supports a peaceful transition of power to an accountable Syrian government” as well as “international efforts to hold the Assad regime and its backers accountable.” Edward Wong reports for the New York Times.
The United States is working with several Middle Eastern countries to secure chemical weapons possessed by the Assad regime and is in contact “with all Syrian groups,” a U.S. official said yesterday. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The United States struck dozens of self-styled Islamic State group camps and leaders in central Syria yesterday and “will not allow ISIS to reconstitute,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. Eve Sampson reports for the New York Times.
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian yesterday said the Syrian people must decide “the future of their country and its political and governmental system,” according to state media reports. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz today said Israel will “destroy heavy strategic weapons throughout Syria,” with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar adding Israel has no interest in interfering with internal Syrian affairs and will maintain a “very limited and temporary” troop presence on the ground. Maayan Lubell reports for Reuters.
Iran has opened a direct line of communication with the Syrian rebels to prevent a “hostile trajectory” between the countries, a senior Iranian official said today. Parisa Hafezi reports for Reuters.
SYRIA’S REBEL OFFENSIVE — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Global leaders are reacting to the toppling of Assad’s government, with France, the United Kingdom, and the E.U. Commission Vice President welcoming the development. Amelia Nierenberg reports for the New York Times; Amy Waller reports for BBC News.
Russia asked the U.N. Security Council to meet privately today to discuss the Assad government’s collapse, a Moscow envoy said on Telegram. Mariya Knight reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
At least 24 Hamas operatives were employed at schools run by the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), according to internal Hamas documents Israel shared with the New York Times. UNRWA said it was acting on the information but lacked the resources to independently investigate. Jo Becker and Adam Rasgon report for the New York Times.
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 34 Palestinians on Saturday and at least 14 people in central Gaza yesterday, Palestinian health officials said. Israeli airstrikes and gunfire also killed or wounded scores of people around north Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital early Friday, the hospital’s director said. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters; Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy report for AP News; Lara Jakes and Nick Cumming-Bruce report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. AND REGIONAL RESPONSE
Qatar is considering asking senior U.S., Israeli, and Egyptian intelligence figures to travel to Doha to negotiate the final stages of a Gaza ceasefire deal, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry. Patrick Wintour reports for the Guardian.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE
The IDF today said four of its soldiers “fell during combat” in southern Lebanon in a “suspected operational incident.” The Guardian reports; Emanuel Fabian reports for the Times of Israel.
The Israeli military said on Saturday it struck a Hezbollah fighter in southern Lebanon who posed a threat to its soldiers, claiming it was operating within ceasefire agreements. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on two Lebanese villages killed six people on Saturday. Ahmed Tolba and Hatem Maher report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
France’s Macron, President-elect Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Paris for three-way talks on Saturday. Following the meeting, Trump called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Ukraine, claiming Kyiv “would like to make a deal” to end the war. Sylvie Corbet, Adriana Gomez Licon, and Jill Colvin report for AP News; Shaun Walker reports for the Guardian.
The United States will provide nearly an additional $1 billion in long-term weapons support to Ukraine, Secretary Austin has said. Tara Copp reports for AP News.
Zelenskyy yesterday said that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 370,000 wounded since the invasion began, the first disclosure of military casualty figures in months. The U.S. and military analyst estimates put the number closer to 70,000. Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times.
SOUTH KOREA MARTIAL LAW CRISIS
South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol survived Saturday’s impeachment vote after members of his party boycotted it. Meanwhile, the ruling party’s leader said they will “continue to push for the president’s orderly resignation” as opposition lawmakers submitted another impeachment motion. Yoonjung Seo and Edward Szekeres report for CNN.
South Korean prosecutors yesterday named Yoon as a subject of a criminal investigation and arrested the ex-defence minister over his alleged role in Yoon’s martial law declaration, according to local media. Separately, South Korea’s Justice Ministry today imposed an overseas travel ban on Yoon. Hyunjoo Jin and Josh Smith report for Reuters; Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung report for AP News.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
A local gang killed at least 110 people in a massacre that began on Friday in Haiti’s Port-au-Prince, a local civil rights group said. The group described the killings, which appeared to target voodoo practitioners, as a personal vendetta of the gang’s leader. Frances Robles reports for the Washington Post.
The Romanian Constitutional Court on Friday annulled the country’s presidential election after an assessment that the nation had been the target of “Russian hybrid actions.” A new election will be held at an unspecified date. Madalin Necsutu and Anthony Faiola report for the Washington Post.
Iran is “dramatically” accelerating its uranium enrichment close to weapons-grade purity levels, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said on Friday. Alexander Cornwell, Francois Murphy, and John Irish report for Reuters.
An opposition candidate won Ghana’s Saturday election, amid the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation. Thomas Naadi, Favour Nunoo, Komla Adom, and Joseph Winter report for BBC News.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION AND NEW CONGRESS
Trump said members of the House committee who examined the Jan. 6 attack were “political thugs” who “should go to jail” and that pardons for Jan. 6 rioters will happen on “day one” in his first post-election interview on Friday. Peter Nicholas reports for NBC News.
Military leaders are “rattled” by a list of “woke” senior officers a conservative group is urging Pete Hegseth to dismiss for having promoted diversity in the military if he is confirmed as Defense Secretary. Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor report for AP News.
Career civil servants are scrambling to insulate themselves from the second Trump administration’s promised purge, including by scrubbing their Facebook and X accounts for any negative posts about Trump. Lisa Rein and Jeff Stein report for the Washington Post.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The U.S. Secret Service acting director on Friday issued an internal memo outlining plans to restructure its Office of Investigations as part of the changes following July’s assassination attempt against Trump. Maegan Vazquez and Carol D. Leonnig report for the Washington Post.
The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether the families of victims of terrorist attacks in Israel may sue the Palestinian Authority in U.S. federal courts. John Fritze reports for CNN.
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