How serious is the ISIS threat in Syria?

How serious is the ISIS threat in Syria?

After the US struck ISIS targets in Syria in late December, President Ahmad Al Shara’s government stepped up its own operations, carrying out weapons raids and arrests across the country.

It came after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Palmyra by a member of the Syrian security forces who may have had links with ISIS. At the time, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the retaliatory attack was not the start of war but rather “a declaration of vengeance”.

But why is violent extremism resurfacing again? And why now?

ISIS was defeated in Syria in 2019, but a volatile security situation following the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad has presented challenges to the government in Damascus.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the renewed militant threat in the country and asks whether the US could escalate its campaign. We hear from Aymenn Al-Tamimi, a researcher and historian in Syria, and William Roebuck, executive vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute and former deputy special envoy to the global coalition to defeat ISIS.

Episoder(486)

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

What is the end goal of Israel’s new war in Lebanon?

About one million people have been forcibly displaced in Lebanon and almost a thousand killed in Israel’s renewed war with Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group fired missiles at Israel in early March, joi...

19 Mar 21min

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

Who will endure the highest cost of the Iran war?

US President Donald Trump said the American-Israeli war on Iran could end soon, without specifying an end date. But almost two weeks in, military operations only seem to be intensifying. The US claims...

13 Mar 21min

What happens if Iranian Kurdish groups enter the conflict?

What happens if Iranian Kurdish groups enter the conflict?

Conflicting reports have circulated in recent days about Iranian Kurdish groups possibly being armed by the US to launch a ground offensive in Iran. Many of these factions have long been exiled to the...

6 Mar 18min

How far will the conflict expand across the Middle East?

How far will the conflict expand across the Middle East?

Israel has begun a wave of strikes on Lebanon after warning residents in the south of the country to flee north of the Litani River on Wednesday. The forced displacement order impacts about 250,000 pe...

5 Mar 5min

What’s the goal of America's war on Iran?

What’s the goal of America's war on Iran?

Almost 2,000 targets in Iran have been hit by the US in the first four days of the war. US Central Command says it has severely degraded the country's air defences and destroyed hundreds of ballistic ...

4 Mar 6min

How much longer could the Iran conflict last?

How much longer could the Iran conflict last?

As the war on Iran enters its fourth day, Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on US assets in Arab countries ramp up, testing the limits of their patience. Recent remarks from US officials suggest a limited ...

3 Mar 6min

Where does an isolated Iran go from here?

Where does an isolated Iran go from here?

It has been a matter of days since the US and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, and already the impact has rippled across the Middle East.  Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and doz...

2 Mar 22min

What will happen to the thousands formerly held in Syria’s Al Hol camp?

What will happen to the thousands formerly held in Syria’s Al Hol camp?

The notorious Al Hol camp in north-east Syria finally closed its doors this week. Thousands of alleged ISIS members and their families had been held there for years in inhumane conditions and without ...

27 Feb 17min

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