On a recent trip that I took across Syria, one thing was palpably clear: Syrians were universally elated to be free from the iron grip of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. For now, that euphoria is inspiring and sustaining a semblance of hope and national unity that had all but vanished throughout the past 13 years of brutal civil conflict.
However, Syria’s transition rests on fragile foundations. It is managed at the top by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former jihadi group whose promising first months in charge still stand over a broken state, a destroyed economy, and profound security challenges.
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