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Post-Assad Syria: The Price of Blood and the Future of the Country’s Leadership

Maha Ghazal
Syrian Journalist
Syria
Published on 30.12.2024
Reading time: 5 minutes

Syrian revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives to liberate their homeland deserve honor and recognition. However, granting them the exclusive right to lead the next phase could result in disasters. The solution lies in honoring them through medals of distinction and special privileges for them and their families, while involving them in the rebuilding process within clear institutional frameworks.


Revolutions are, at their core, defining historical moments that merge people’s aspirations for freedom and justice with the chaos and contradictions of transitional phases. Armed revolutions, in particular, carry deep complexities, especially regarding the relationship between the sacrifices made and the legitimacy of leadership. In this context, the Syrian revolution cannot be viewed as merely a transient event in the country’s history; it stands as one of the greatest milestones that embody the Syrian people’s will to liberate themselves from tyranny—despite the heavy cost paid.

Now that the Syrian revolution has achieved one of its key objectives—the fall of the Assad regime—the most critical question arises: Is it enough for revolutionaries to shed their blood to liberate their homeland to qualify as leaders of the next phase? Should we ensure they are truly equipped to lead the process of rebuilding the state, especially given the complexities of the Syrian reality, marked by chaos, organized crime, and the pressing need for competence-based and methodical governance?

Blood Alone Does Not Build a State

Syrian revolutionaries made tremendous sacrifices in their fight against a tyrannical regime. However, these sacrifices, no matter how monumental, do not grant them the exclusive right to lead the country. A modern state, especially in a post-conflict phase, requires more than courage and sacrifice. It demands strong institutions, coherent economic plans, and transitional justice that looks to the past with fairness and to the future with a focus on reconstruction.

While the regime’s defeat in its recent battles may appear to be a military victory, the deeper reality is tied to the endurance and sacrifices of Syrians over more than a decade.

From the very first day of peaceful demonstrations, Syrians raised slogans of freedom and dignity. The regime’s response was brutal: repression, arrests, and displacement. Despite relentless bombardment and destruction that reached every corner of the country, the Syrian people persevered.

As military battles unfolded slowly, political and civil activism played a parallel role. These efforts mobilized international and regional support, pressuring governments to take firm stances against the regime. This culminated in political and economic sieges, with international sanctions targeting Assad’s networks, which gradually drained the regime’s resources. Sanctions isolated Syria from the global financial system, exacerbating its economic crises and weakening its war efforts. Every Syrian who endured these economic pressures contributed to the regime’s collapse, while those in the diaspora bore part of the burden by supporting their families back home.

The final battles exposed the regime’s fragility, but these battles were merely the culmination of years of pressure that eroded the regime’s military and allied forces, leading to their gradual withdrawal. This moment was the result of collective Syrian efforts, not solely a military achievement.

Syrian Challenges: The Need for Competence

The fall of the Assad regime has left the country grappling with multifaceted crises, most notably deep-seated corruption entrenched in state institutions for decades, widespread arms proliferation, and the rise of organized crime, including drug and human trafficking. Society has become desensitized to violence and crime, a direct result of prolonged conflict. This reality will not change simply because Assad is gone; addressing it requires dismantling criminal networks.

These challenges call for leadership with a vision rooted in scientific expertise and technical skills. The legitimacy of sacrifice alone cannot build institutions capable of addressing these complexities. A comprehensive governance system must integrate transitional justice and accountability with the establishment of the rule of law and strong institutions.

Future Challenges: Building on Competence and Expertise

Post-revolution Syria faces intricate challenges requiring visionary leadership to rebuild institutions on transparent foundations that transcend corruption, restore security, and disarm armed groups.

Plans must address poverty and unemployment, re-integrate society under the rule of law, and combat organized crime through national and international strategies.

Lessons from Successful Revolutions

In South Africa, after the end of apartheid, the country’s leadership was not left solely to the African National Congress (ANC) and its iconic leaders. Instead, a balanced transitional justice system was implemented through Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, and experts and academics were involved in rebuilding institutions. This approach allowed South Africa to escape the cycle of revenge and establish new democratic foundations.

The Polish experience is also noteworthy. After the fall of communism, Poland adopted an economic model that relied on technical and scientific expertise. While opposition leaders played a significant role in overthrowing the regime, they did not monopolize leadership. Instead, they sought to involve all factions in reshaping the political and social system.

The French Revolution offers a controversial example. While French revolutionaries made enormous sacrifices to overthrow the monarchy, the post-revolution period showed that monopolizing leadership led to chaos and internal conflicts. It was only later, with the Third Republic’s focus on institutions and expertise, that political stability emerged.

Revolutions and the Risks of Leadership Monopoly

Relying solely on the victors to lead the transitional phase risks turning the state into a new form of tyranny, where legitimacy is based solely on past sacrifices rather than competence or planning. The Iranian example highlights this clearly; the leadership that took over after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, despite its revolutionary legitimacy, created another authoritarian system, marginalizing large segments of society.

Heroes Yes, Leaders Not Necessarily

Revolutionaries who shed their blood to liberate their homeland deserve recognition and honor. However, granting them exclusive rights to lead the next phase can lead to disasters, as seen in Chechnya and other nations. The solution lies in honoring their sacrifices through medals, honorary privileges, and institutional participation while involving them in reconstruction efforts within clear frameworks.

The transitional phase is the most challenging in any nation’s history. It can either be managed with wisdom and a comprehensive vision or devolve into chaos and a new era of authoritarianism. Revolution alone is not enough; it requires leadership rooted in knowledge and expertise and a system that ensures justice for all—not based on bloodshed, but on the principles of law and fairness.