What Happened to Syria?

whathappenedtosyria

A look back at what's happened in Syria since 2011. read less
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Episodes

2023 Christmas Special (aka “Don’t Cut Aid to Syria! And other countries!”)
25-12-2023
2023 Christmas Special (aka “Don’t Cut Aid to Syria! And other countries!”)
Merry Christmas! Sadly, the World Food Program has had their funding cut by 60 percent. Also, we are currently listed among the Top Five Syria-related podcasts on Feedspot.com (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/syria_podcasts/). Check us out there and help us get up to the #1 spot.  Sources / Quotes:   https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-forced-scale-down-operations-syria-donors-gather-brussels-ahead-major-conference   https://www.wfp.org/news/tight-funding-forces-wfp-reduce-food-assistance-syrian-refugees-jordan-including-camps   https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/venezuela-situation   https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/dr-congo-emergency   https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-record-6-9-million-people-have-been-displaced-in-congos-growing-conflict-the-u-n-says   https://www.iom.int/news/record-high-displacement-drc-nearly-7-million   https://www.cfr.org/blog/catastrophic-displacement-democratic-republic-congo   https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/syria-emergency   https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/ukraine-emergency   https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/rohingya-emergency    https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/afghanistan-emergency    https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/how-many-refugees/2/    https://www.kiva.org/blog/where-do-refugees-come-from-and-where-do-they-go    https://www.statista.com/statistics/272999/refugees-by-source-country/    https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/forced-to-flee-top-countries-refugees-coming-from   https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/   https://concernusa.org/news/largest-refugee-crises/   https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20230620-key-figures-record-high-numbers-of-refugees-and-displaced-people-worldwide    https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-44-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-Jerusalem?__cf_chl_tk=jT9ELr.V5lDgrzvo7UkBg1AN_dvJ8Gin0VBYa_LtOR4-1703204552-0-gaNycGzNIVA   https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-tent-city-rafah-bombardment-sheets-buckets-rcna129543   https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-facts   https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/rohingya-emergency    https://www.wfp.org/news/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-face-grim-choices-more-cuts-food-assistance-imminent
Episode 15 (Full) - Crimes Against Humanity (June 24 to July 31, 2011)
24-12-2023
Episode 15 (Full) - Crimes Against Humanity (June 24 to July 31, 2011)
The Assad regime starts to crack under the pressure of increasingly large, passionate, cross-sectarian protests. Millions of people are taking to the streets and voicing dissent for the first time in their lives, putting the regime's legitimacy in doubt for the first time in decades. This prompts Bashar al-Assad to authorize a campaign of repression across Syria, among the earliest of his crimes against humanity. Also, we are currently listed among the Top Five Syria-related podcasts on Feedspot.com (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/syria_podcasts/). Check us out there and help us get up to the #1 spot.  Sources / Quotes: Civil War in Syria by Baczko, et. al The Impossible Revolution by Yassin al-Haj Saleh We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila al-Shami A Woman in the Crossfire by Samar Yazbek Syria by Dr. David Lesch Shatter the Nations by Mike Giglio “Syrian Revolution Song,” The Arabic Student http://www.thearabicstudent.com/2012/02/syrian-revolution-song.html Syrian Revolutionary Dabke - YouTube (“Yalla Erhal ya Bashar” by Ibrahim Qashoush) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCS8SsFOBAI “Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity,” BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14032765 “Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton,” BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14115762 “At least 30 killed in factional fighting in Syria” by Mariam Karouney and Oliver Holmes, Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-idUKTRE76F26V20110718?edition-redirect=uk
Episode 15D - Seven Million Protestors
15-12-2023
Episode 15D - Seven Million Protestors
We're breaking up Episode 15 - Crimes Against Humanity (June 24 to July 31, 2011) into four smaller episodes before putting out the full thing. The Assad regime starts to crack under the pressure of increasingly large, passionate, cross-sectarian protests. Millions of people are taking to the streets and voicing dissent for the first time in their lives, putting the regime's legitimacy in doubt for the first time in decades. Also, we are currently listed among the Top Five Syria-related podcasts on Feedspot.com https://podcasts.feedspot.com/syria_podcasts/. Check us out there and help us get up to the #1 spot.  Sources / Quotes: Civil War in Syria by Baczko, et. al The Impossible Revolution by Yassin al-Haj Saleh We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila al-Shami A Woman in the Crossfire by Samar Yazbek Syria by Dr. David Lesch Shatter the Nations by Mike Giglio “Syrian Revolution Song,” The Arabic Student http://www.thearabicstudent.com/2012/02/syrian-revolution-song.html Syrian Revolutionary Dabke - YouTube (“Yalla Erhal ya Bashar” by Ibrahim Qashoush) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCS8SsFOBAI “Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity,” BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14032765 “Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton,” BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14115762 “At least 30 killed in factional fighting in Syria” by Mariam Karouney and Oliver Holmes, Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-idUKTRE76F26V20110718?edition-redirect=uk
Episode 15C - Crimes Against Humanity
08-12-2023
Episode 15C - Crimes Against Humanity
We're breaking up Episode 15 - Crimes Against Humanity (June 24 to July 31, 2011) into four smaller episodes before putting out the full thing. The Assad regime starts to crack under the pressure of increasingly large, passionate, cross-sectarian protests. Millions of people are taking to the streets and voicing dissent for the first time in their lives, putting the regime's legitimacy in doubt for the first time in decades. Sources / Quotes: Civil War in Syria by Baczko, et. al The Impossible Revolution by Yassin al-Haj Saleh We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila al-Shami A Woman in the Crossfire by Samar Yazbek Syria by Dr. David Lesch Shatter the Nations by Mike Giglio “Syrian Revolution Song,” The Arabic Student http://www.thearabicstudent.com/2012/02/syrian-revolution-song.html Syrian Revolutionary Dabke - YouTube (“Yalla Erhal ya Bashar” by Ibrahim Qashoush) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCS8SsFOBAI “Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity,” BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14032765 “Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton,” BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14115762 “At least 30 killed in factional fighting in Syria” by Mariam Karouney and Oliver Holmes, Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-idUKTRE76F26V20110718?edition-redirect=uk
Episode 15B - Ibrahim Qashoush’s Revolutionary Song
14-01-2023
Episode 15B - Ibrahim Qashoush’s Revolutionary Song
We're breaking up Episode 15 - Crimes Against Humanity (June 24 to July 31, 2011) into four smaller episodes before putting out the full thing.   The Assad regime starts to crack under the pressure of increasingly large, passionate, cross-sectarian protests. Millions of people are taking to the streets and voicing dissent for the first time in their lives, putting the regime's legitimacy in doubt for the first time in decades.   Sources / Quotes:   Civil War in Syria by Baczko, et. al   The Impossible Revolution by Yassin al-Haj Saleh   We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman   Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher   Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila al-Shami   A Woman in the Crossfire by Samar Yazbek   Syria by Dr. David Lesch   Shatter the Nations by Mike Giglio   “Syrian Revolution Song,” The Arabic Student  http://www.thearabicstudent.com/2012/02/syrian-revolution-song.html    Syrian Revolutionary Dabke - YouTube (“Yalla Erhal ya Bashar” by Ibrahim Qashoush) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCS8SsFOBAI    “Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity,” BBC News  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14032765    “Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton,” BBC News  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14115762    “At least 30 killed in factional fighting in Syria” by Mariam Karouney and Oliver Holmes, Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-idUKTRE76F26V20110718?edition-redirect=uk
Episode 15A - Lost Legitimacy
06-01-2023
Episode 15A - Lost Legitimacy
We're breaking up Episode 15 - Crimes Against Humanity (June 24 to July 31, 2011) into four smaller episodes before putting out the full thing.   The Assad regime starts to crack under the pressure of increasingly large, passionate, cross-sectarian protests. Millions of people are taking to the streets and voicing dissent for the first time in their lives, putting the regime's legitimacy in doubt for the first time in decades.   Sources / Quotes:   Civil War in Syria by Baczko, et. al   The Impossible Revolution by Yassin al-Haj Saleh   We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman   Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher   Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila al-Shami   A Woman in the Crossfire by Samar Yazbek   Syria by Dr. David Lesch   Shatter the Nations by Mike Giglio   “Syrian Revolution Song,” The Arabic Student  http://www.thearabicstudent.com/2012/02/syrian-revolution-song.html    Syrian Revolutionary Dabke - YouTube (“Yalla Erhal ya Bashar” by Ibrahim Qashoush) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCS8SsFOBAI    “Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity,” BBC News  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14032765    “Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton,” BBC News  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14115762    “At least 30 killed in factional fighting in Syria” by Mariam Karouney and Oliver Holmes, Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-idUKTRE76F26V20110718?edition-redirect=uk
2022 Christmas Special (This Podcast is Still Alive)
25-12-2022
2022 Christmas Special (This Podcast is Still Alive)
Explaining the absence and examining the Syrian refugee crisis, as well as the situation for refugees across the world in 2022. Sources / Quotes: “Boat carrying Syrian refugees lands in Southern Italy,” Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-italy-boat-idUSBRE8780L720120809    “Syria Refugee Crisis Explained,” The UN Refugee Agency https://www.unrefugees.org/news/syria-refugee-crisis-explained/#:~:text=More%20than%206.8%20million%20Syrians,in%20T%C3%BCrkiye%2C%20Lebanon%20and%20Jordan.    “Eleven years on, mounting challenges push many displaced Syrians to the brink,” The UN Refugee Agency https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/briefing/2022/3/623055174/eleven-years-mounting-challenges-push-displaced-syrians-brink.html    “You’re Going to Your Death: Violations Against Syrian Refugees Returning to Syria,” Amnesty International https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde24/4583/2021/en/    “Afghanistan: How many refugees are there and where will they go?” BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58283177    “Displacement, humanitarian needs surging inside Afghanistan and across region,” UN News https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/1111532    “What is Next For Afghans Who Fled to the United States?” Rescue.org https://www.rescue.org/article/what-next-afghans-who-fled-united-states    “Floods, fighting, and famine: Inside South Sudan’s triple crisis,” by Sam Mednick, The New Humanitarian https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2021/2/8/floods-fighting-famine-south-sudan-crisis    “The Incredible Story of Task Force Pineapple,” History in Five, YouTube.com  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV2CFvzewrA   “Irpin’s Bridge of Death,” by Oz Katerji, New Lines Magazine https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/irpins-bridge-of-death/
Episode 14 - Community Revolution
19-12-2021
Episode 14 - Community Revolution
How do you organize a leaderless movement?   The Syrian Revolution was a decentralized movement of localized cells, but enterprising activists still managed to coordinate with each other and reach out to the outside world.   We examine how the Local Coordination Committees attempted to create a post-Assad government before speaking to a civil society activist who still resides in Syria. We also speak with Ahmad, an engineer and civil society activist who has spent the last ten years enduring horror after horror and tragedy after tragedy in order to establish a Free Syria.   Ahmad is the first guest to call us directly from Syria, where he is currently hiding from both the regime and jihadists. He doesn't have anything good to say about either one, for what it's worth.    Sources “How the Syrian Revolution was Organized - And How it Unraveled,” by Zaina Erhaim, New Lines Magazine Syria by Samer N. Abboud "U.S. Secretly backed Syrian opposition groups, cables released by WikiLeaks show," by Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-secretly-backed-syrian-opposition-groups-cables-released-by-wikileaks-show/2011/04/14/AF1p9hwD_story.html   Music Licensing Fragments by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/l-fragments Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/ndyyIhwojys   "Emotional Sad Piano Music" by Mattia Cupelli https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JYHk_D5A44   "Yalla Erhal Ya Bashar" by Ibrahim Qashoush   "Jannah, Jannah, Jannah," sung by Abdul-Baset al-Sarout
Episode 11 - The Last Straw (May 25 to June 12, 2011)
22-10-2021
Episode 11 - The Last Straw (May 25 to June 12, 2011)
DISTURBING CONTENT WARNING   There is no turning back for Syria after this episode.   The Syrian Opposition is nearing its breaking point after months of being massacred, mass-arrested, and mass-tortured by the Assad regime.   But all hell breaks loose when the public discovers the torture and murder of 13-year-old Hamza Ali al-Khateeb, leading to the largest protests to take place thus far as well as the first confirmed BATTLE between regime loyalists and armed opposition.   Sources: “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror,” Human Rights Watch Syria by Dr. Samer N. Abboud The Fall of the House of Assad by Dr. David Lesch We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman My Country by Kassem Eid No Turning Back by Rania Abouzeid The Home That Was Our Country by Alia Malek Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher Civil War in Syria by Bakzo, et. al The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli   Music Licensing: Fragments by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/l-fragments Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/ndyyIhwojys Arrow Arrow by Aglow Hollow Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://freemusicarchive.org/music/aglow_hollow/Proximate_Laws_Baba_Yaga_Booty_Calls/arrow-arrow Ultimate Metal by Loyalty Freak Creative Commons - CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Loyalty_Freak_Music/HYPER_METAL_/Loyalty_Freak_Music_-_HYPER_METAL__-_08_ULTIMATE_METAL Genocide by Silent Carrion Creative Commons - attribution-noncommercial-noderivatives 4.0 international (cc by-nc-nd 4.0) https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Silent_Carrion/Suprematism_EP_III_Sol/Silent_Carrion_-_Suprematism_EP_III_Sol_-_01_Genocide