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February 25, 2025

Syria Opens National Dialogue Conference Without Participation of Kurdish Group
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Syria's de facto leader has opened a two-day national dialogue
conference on Syria's political future. About 4,000 people are attending
the talks in Damascus led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's transitional
president and head of the rebel coalition that toppled longtime dictator
Bashar al-Assad. On Monday, al-Sharaa pledged to work toward the
establishment of a civilian state with a separation of powers and the
rule of law. He also said the state would hold a monopoly on weapons.
Al-Sharaa did not invite the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which
controls large parts of northeastern Syria. The SDF is backed by the
United States but opposed by Turkey.

Meanwhile, Syrians have taken to the streets to protest Israel's
announcement ordering the interim government to completely demilitarize
several southern Syrian provinces. The protests erupted after Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces would indefinitely
hold Syrian territory it has occupied since Assad's fall in December.


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