The department of flags: Syrian rebels lay bare Assad’s corrupt state

Transitional authorities grapple with bureaucracy filled with phantom jobs, pervasive graft and culture of obedience

Topics

Inside the Syrian prison at the heart of Assad’s police state

On the outskirts of Damascus, Saydnaya holds the secrets to the fate of thousands who disappeared under the dictator
Financial Times - 2d
Syrian rebels topple Assad regime

Overthrowing of regime marks culmination of lightning offensive by rebel groups
Financial Times - 2d
Syrian rebels celebrate fall of Assad regime

Syrian rebels celebrated the fall of President Bashar al-Assad following a swift offensive through the country. Imtiaz Tyab has more on what comes next.
CBS News - 2d
Anti-Assad rebels take most of key southern Syrian region - reports

It comes as Islamist-led rebels in the north say they have reached the outskirts of the city of Homs.
BBC News - 4d
Leader of Syria’s Resurgent Rebels Lays Out Strategy to Oust Assad

In an interview, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the Islamist rebel heading an offensive moving toward Damascus, said the operation was a long time coming.
The New York Times - 5d
K-pop and autocrats: jolt to democracy lays bare South Korea’s two sides

While some say political turmoil has harmed country’s cultural reputation, others say it proves resilience. In the global battle for soft-power supremacy, a clear winner has emerged in recent ...
The Guardian - 5d
Damascus and Assad now in Syrian rebels' sights, raising stakes for president

The sudden offensive could become the biggest threat to Syria's president in 13 years of civil war.
BBC News - 5d
Protests lay bare a clash of values and interests as Georgia navigates a Russia-West standoff

Georgia is convulsed by political upheaval again after its pro-Moscow government, fresh off parliamentary elections denounced as rigged by its critics, decided to suspend negotiations for the small ...
ABC News - Dec. 2