logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
15m 28s

The Middle East After Assad

Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

After rebels took Syria’s capital, President Bashar Al-Assad fled Damascus for Russia, ending his brutal 24-year reign. His ouster marks the beginning of a new, uncertain phase for a country that’s been ravaged by 13 years of civil war.  

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Paul Wallace joins host Sarah Holder to discuss how Assad’s toppling has opened up a power vacuum in Syria — and what it means for the Middle East, the Syrian people and the world.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Jun 12
SpaceX’s Record-Breaking Wall Street Debut
SpaceX went public today, with the largest IPO in history. Following months of buildup, shares opened at $150 and were trading at $161.11 at market close. On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura sits down with Bloomberg Tech’s Ed Ludlow to discuss the record-breaking deal an ... Show More
15m 33s
Jun 11
Who’s Really Paying for This Year’s World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup kicks off today in Mexico City. It’ll be the largest in FIFA’s history, spanning three host countries and 48 competing teams and is expected to generate between $11 and $13 billion. But the tournament’s expansion comes at the expense of fans navigating a new dy ... Show More
16m 4s
Jun 10
In the $100 Billion Wedding Economy, Hiring a Witch Is More Than Hocus Pocus
Weddings are famously expensive. But with consumer prices on the rise and inflation accelerating at its fastest pace in three years last month, 2026’s newlyweds face exceptionally high prices. On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg’s Josyana Joshua and Dina ... Show More
14m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
Buck Brief - Is Syria Becoming a Total Terrorist Hellhole?
With the fall of the House of Assad, Syria is now under new management—but who’s really in charge? Buck Sexton breaks down the transition with Bill Roggio, Senior Editor at Long War Journal. From jihadist factions to the region's strategic importance, they explore the implication ... Show More
25m 48s
Dec 2024
Breaking: Assad Regime Falls
<p>Tommy and Ben discuss the breaking news that Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria after rebel factions took over Damascus in a stunning sweep after 13 years of Civil War. They talk about the speed with which it all happened, what could come next as Syrians decide their own fate afte ... Show More
55m 38s
Dec 2024
The End of Assad and a New Era for Syria — with Kareem Shaheen, Rasha Elass and Faisal Al Yafai
<p>In a momentous week in the history of Syria, New Lines’ Middle East Editor Kareem Shaheen and Editorial Director Rasha Elass join Faisal Al Yafai on The Lede to discuss how the Assad regime’s collapse happened so quickly, the terrible symbolism of the Sednaya prison complex an ... Show More
51m 30s
Dec 2024
End of an era: The fall of the Assad regime
<p>Following more than a year of turmoil and transformative changes reshaping the Middle East, the region witnessed another shock with the downfall of the Assad family's 54-year rule over Syria last weekend. The rapid collapse was triggered by a lightning rebel offensive led by H ... Show More
31m 24s
Dec 2024
The final hours of the Assad regime
President Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria, ending 50 years of authoritarian rule by his family. Over the weekend, rebels who had already taken Aleppo and Hama began to close in on the city of Homs and set their eyes on the capital Damascus.As it became clear that Assad had fled, t ... Show More
28m 18s
Dec 2024
Did the Left Fail Syria? | Two Outspoken
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com Syria is carving a new path forward after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. While the country’s future remains uncertain, Mehdi Hasan and Owen Jones have a brutally honest and outspoken conversation in London ... Show More
32m 41s
Dec 2024
Who Is the Rebel Leader Who Ousted Assad?
<p>On December 8, 2024, Syrian rebels stunned the world when they seized Damascus and toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad, more than 13 years into the country’s brutal war.  </p><p>Spearheading the rebel offensive was Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, the leader of the Syrian militan ... Show More
19m 31s
Jul 2025
Syria: What’s behind the Druze-Bedouin conflict?
Violence has flared up again in Syria, this time in the southern province of Suweida. Fighting has broken out between the government forces and two minority groups: the Druze and the Bedouins. It’s not the first time that the stability of the country has been shaken since the fal ... Show More
12m 40s