On Monday, Syrians awoke to a mix of hope and uncertainty about their nation’s future. In cities that had endured prolonged sieges, residents filled plazas to celebrate, honking car horns and chanting, “God is great!” While many had braced for disaster, the fall of Assad marked a historic turning point for the Middle East. His regime was thrown into disarray following the rapid advance of a militia alliance led by Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda.
