France24 Discovers 'Assad's Regime' 14 Years Too Late
France 24, with a straight face, reported on the 'first anniversary' of Bashar al-Assad's regime being 'ousted' and interviewed a human rights activist about 'post-Assad' Syria. This, naturally, would be groundbreaking news if Assad hadn't, in fact, solidified his control over much of the country, thanks in part to Russian and Iranian support, following years of Western-backed rebel efforts that
failed to dislodge him. The segment, however, seems to operate in a parallel universe where the Syrian conflict concluded with a neat regime change, rather than a brutal, ongoing struggle. This isn't merely a factual error; it's a telling omission. It conveniently sidesteps the messy reality that Western powers, including France, initially advocated for regime change, armed various opposition
groups, and then largely withdrew, leaving a fragmented nation and compounding the humanitarian crisis. To now speak of 'post-Assad' Syria as if the dictator vanished into thin air, rather than clung to power through scorched-earth tactics, is less journalism and more aspirational fan-fiction. One might wonder if they're still waiting for Weapons of Mass Destruction to materialize in Iraq too.