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Liz Sly

@lizsly.bsky.social
3.9K followers 183 following 22 posts

Journalist. Ex-Washington Post Mideast bureau chief. Also based in China, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, India, Italy, US.

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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Also worth noting that Trump’s 60-day deadline for Iran to reach a nuclear deal expired on Wednesday. If there’s no deal by then, “there will be bombing” Trump said back in April. He didn’t say it would be US bombing.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
The US has authorized the departure of dependents & non-essential personnel from embassies and bases within striking distance of Iran amid fears that Israel will soon attack Iran. “We think it’s more serious than any time in the past” a diplomat told the Post www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
U.S. shrinks presence in Middle East amid fears of Israeli strike on Iran
U.S. embassies and military bases across the Middle East are on high alert, as fears grow about an Israeli strike on Iran.
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Joyce Karam @joycekaram.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
UPDATE: • US evacuating personnel in Iraq • Pentagon authorizing departure of military dependents ACROSS Middle East • < 24hrs after Iran threat to hit US bases • Trump losing confidence in deal • Israel-Yemen escalation • Talks in Oman Sunday www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
al-monitor.com
US to evacuate personnel from Iraq following Iran threats
A State Department official said the US “will reduce the footprint of [its] mission in Iraq” to ensure the safety of American personnel.
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Filippo Dionigi @filippodionigi.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
One-stop-shop article by @lizsly.bsky.social on #Lebanon and #Hezbollah very much worth reading. ⬇️ via @economist.com. www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...
economist.com
The rise, fall and contested future of Hizbullah
Lebanon has spent years under the militant group’s dominance. Could it be coming to an end?
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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Great article by @lizsly.bsky.social covering the rise, fall and transformation of Hizbullah www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...
economist.com
The rise, fall and contested future of Hizbullah
Lebanon has spent years under the militant group’s dominance. Could it be coming to an end?
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
My long read on the rise, fall & contested future of Hezbollah, and what it all means for Lebanon. With huge thanks to @abbiefs.bsky.social www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...
economist.com
The rise, fall and contested future of Hizbullah
Lebanon has spent years under the militant group’s dominance. Could it be coming to an end?
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
The Daily Mail complaining that immigrants have not the English too well. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
Mail complaining in poor English about immigrants with poor English
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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
If you want something absolutely horrifying to read on a Sunday morning, this is it. I think crypto is a scam, but when criminal gangs get involved and target family members it should be alarming for everyone.
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Abbie Fielding-Smith @abbiefs.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
"Hizbullah gaslit us!" Supporters are cursing it, opponents sense an opportunity. @lizsly.bsky.social profiles the most successful militia in the world as it hits an existential crossroad www.economist.com/1843/2025/05...
economist.com
The rise, fall and contested future of Hizbullah
Lebanon has spent years under the militant group’s dominance. Could it be coming to an end?
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Incredible scenes in Syria as people celebrate the surprise lifting of US sanctions, the chief impediment to recovery after the fall of Assad. “There were fireworks over Damascus, and people danced in the streets.” Over to the Syrians. By @leloveluck www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
washingtonpost.com
Syrians rejoice after Trump pledge to lift crippling sanctions
For more than a decade, U.S. restrictions have barred nearly all trade with Syria. Now, Syrians are daring to hope for better lives.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Three months after Assad’s fall Syrians are still unearthing new horrors. The latest: bodies in the basements of buildings in towns reconquered by the regime. Chilling reporting by @leloveluck & Zakaria Zakaria with amazing photos by @salwangeorges www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
washingtonpost.com
Syrians unearth horrors of the Assad years in their basements
Syrians had remained silent about the bodies dumped in countless basements by Assad’s forces. Rescue teams now are moving from home to home excavating remains.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Debra Tice says Trump’s team has already reached out to offer help to find her son Austin, missing in Syria since 2012. “I haven’t experienced that for the last four years” she told journalists in Damascus, a dig at Biden. By @leloveluck www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
washingtonpost.com
Mother of journalist Austin Tice visits Syria for clues to son’s fate
Debra Tice’s visit to Syria was the latest leg in her long quest to learn the fate of her son Austin.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Debra Tice, mother of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice, has arrived in Beirut en route to Syria to join in the search for him. Let’s hope that he will soon be found now that Assad has gone
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
Danish officials are being warned by Trump advisers & allies that he is “much more serious” about acquiring Greenland than he was in his first term. This time, the threat can’t be dismissed edition.cnn.com/2025/01/08/politics…
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
Israel says it needs to prepare for a potential war with Turkey & sees the new Sunni government in Syria as potentially a “greater threat” than Iran. Israel needs a policy of “eliminating threats entirely and maximising response”. Setting up the region for endless wars
middleeasteye.net
Turkey-backed Syria may be bigger threat than Iran, says Israeli government panel
Government committee warns a direct clash between Turkey and Israel may be possible in Syria in the future
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Emma Beals @ejbeals.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Reflections from Syria. Very briefly, for now. Lots more to come in the days/weeks ahead. Three things are happening at once: 1/ The joy, relief, and miracle of it all. 2/ The huge grief and horror.  3/ The uncertainty, complexity, and huge work ahead.
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Louisa Loveluck @leloveluck.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
It's been two weeks since the Assad regime fell, and in Syria, the scale and pace of the change has been dizzying. Here's a thread of some of our @washingtonpost.com coverage: 🧵
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Vali Nasr @valinasr.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
@lizsly.bsky.social on the dangers of growing outsider posturing to have a say in Syria's future wapo.st/4ffuszH
wapo.st
Foreign powers jockey for control in Syria, risking new conflict
In the days since the collapse of the Assad regime, multiple countries have bombed targets in Syria, as the power vacuum unleashes a battle for the heart of the Middle East.
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Zoë Flood @zoeflood.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
"That he had survived all this time under the terrible conditions only to be killed at the very end is one of the hardest things for his friends to bear... [But] he died a hero" Sarah Afshar on death of Syrian activist Mazen al-Hamada. By @lizsly.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Mazen al-Hamada, symbol of Syrian regime’s brutality, confirmed dead
His body was found with about 40 others wrapped in bloody sheets and dumped at a military hospital outside Damascus.
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Erin Cunningham @erinmcunningham.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
The joy felt by millions of Syrians at Assad’s departure has been tempered by the realization that most of the estimated 100,000 people who went missing in the gulag of his prison system will probably never return. — @lizsly.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Mazen al-Hamada, symbol of Syrian regime’s brutality, confirmed dead
His body was found with about 40 others wrapped in bloody sheets and dumped at a military hospital outside Damascus.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Mazen al-Hamada told the world about the horrors of Assad’s prisons & the torture he suffered. No one listened & now he is dead, under torture in the last hours of Assad’s regime www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Mazen al-Hamada, symbol of Syrian regime’s brutality, confirmed dead
His body was found with about 40 others wrapped in bloody sheets and dumped at a military hospital outside Damascus.
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Dan Murphy @bungdan.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
I assume lots of reporters will be in Syria soon. There will be lots of interest in stories about people released from Assad's torture houses. Hacks: Please consider the extreme trauma such people have gone through. Talk to trauma specialists before you go. Don't add to trauma to fill your quota.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Assad’s fall was swift & unexpected, stunning a world that had come to accept his survival. But with hindsight it wasn’t so surprising. He miscalculated, refused to compromise and relied solely on brute force to survive (plus Russia & Iran) www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Assad’s fall was swift and unexpected. But the signs were always there.
Assad missed multiple opportunities to reconcile with his opponents and the international community, and failed to address his country’s economic suffering.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
There’s only one way to wrap up today’s momentous events: -The rebels have reached Damascus -Government soldiers are abandoning their posts -The Assad regime is effectively gone, it can only be a matter of hours -A new Syria is being born, for better or worse
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
Iran has begun evacuating its military personnel from Syria. “We cannot fight as an advisory and support force if Syria’s army itself does not want to fight.” Even Assad’s staunchest ally is giving up on him www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/w...
nytimes.com
Iran Begins to Evacuate Military Officials and Personnel From Syria
The withdrawals by one of President Bashar al-Assad’s key backers comes amid a resurgent rebel offensive.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
The Syrian rebels have taken Hama. The Syrian army announced its withdrawal. This is momentous. The next city is Homs. After that, Damascus. www.reuters.com/world/middle...
reuters.com
Syrian rebels enter Hama as army announces departure from key city
Syrian rebels ousted pro-government forces from Hama on Thursday, bringing the insurgents a major new victory after a lightning advance across northern Syria and dealing a new blow to President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.
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Leila @leilashami.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
This map shows recent developments in north-west Syria.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Syria’s rebels reorganized, rearmed & seized the moment of maximum weakness among Syria’s allies. Iran is “the weakest it’s been in decades.” Hezbollah too. Russia is preoccupied in Ukraine. By @leloveluck @kfahim & @sgreports www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Syrian rebels regrouped, seized on weakness of government’s key allies
The rebels have made stunning gains against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah distracted by other conflicts.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
Events are moving fast in Syria: -The rebels have reached Hama, a day after taking Aleppo -Protests & attacks reported around Syria -Rumors of gunfights in Damascus -Assad surfaces to call Iraq’s PM. Asking for militia help? -Russia has fired the top general in Syria -Iran’s FM due in Damascus Sun
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
Simply astonishing advances by Syrian rebels into Aleppo city. They’ve reached parts of the city they couldn’t take in 4 years of fighting a decade ago. It goes to show how much the Assad regime depended on Hezbollah and Iran for its survival.
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Aram Shabanian @aramshabanian.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
Brand new to following Syria? Followed back in the day but need a refresher? Bored this weekend? Have I got a thread for you. Much of this will rely on @frontlinepbs.bsky.social's phenomenal coverage of the conflict. First up: www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli...
pbs.org
The Regime
A profile of the dictator who has managed to hold on longer than any amidst the Arab unrest -- President Bashar al-Assad.
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Hala Gorani @halagorani.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
With winter approaching and storms rippling through the region, a look at the worsening living conditions for tens of thousands of displaced Gazans. @nbcnews @hallieonnbc with @brionysowden.nbcnews and our indefatigable teams in Gaza. www.nbcnews.com/now/video/ra...
nbcnews.com
Rainstorms flood tents of Gaza’s displaced people as approaching winter brings humanitarian concerns
Rainstorms flooded the tents of Gaza’s displaced families in Khan Younis. Many took to the beach to escape bombing. NBC News' Hala Gorani reports on the devastating conditions as approaching winter br...
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Iraq has banned alcohol again - but this time it seems pretty serious. Even private clubs like Alwiyah & the Hunting Club have shut their bars, and so have hotels. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Iraq bans alcohol in hotels and clubs, bringing country close to near-total ban
Alcohol has long been easily accessible in Baghdad, but a crackdown in recent years has made booze much more difficult to find.
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Criminal gangs that are rivals to Hamas are stealing much of the already meagre aid reaching Gaza. Israel appears to be turning a blind eye, giving the gangs “passive, if not active benevolence” according to an internal UN memo www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
washingtonpost.com
Gangs looting Gaza aid operate in areas under Israeli control, aid groups say
A U.N. memo obtained by The Post concluded that gangs “may be benefiting from a passive if not active benevolence” or “protection” from Israel’s military.
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Joyce Karam @joycekaram.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
👋🏽 Some FP journalists/Middle East voices here @halagorani.bsky.social @lizsly.bsky.social @natansachs.bsky.social @libyaliberty.bsky.social @leahmcelrath.bsky.social @lkrozen.bsky.social @leloveluck.bsky.social @hdagres.bsky.social @acarvin.bsky.social @annettef24.bsky.social Worth FF
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Liz Sly @lizsly.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
This is such a heartbreaking story about the children injured by air strikes in Israel’s war on Lebanon, beautifully written by @seldeeb.bsky.social apnews.com/article/92c8...
apnews.com
Traumatized by war, hundreds of Lebanon's children struggle with wounds both physical and emotional
Israeli airstrikes have increasingly hit residential areas around Lebanon. More than 100 children have been killed in the past six weeks and hundreds injured.
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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 05/07/2023
“Russia has lost nearly half the combat effectiveness of its army,” Radakin said. “Last year it fired 10mn artillery shells but at best can produce 1mn shells a year. It has lost 2,500 tanks and at best can produce 200 [new] tanks a year,” he said.
on.ft.com
Russia has lost half its combat capability in Ukraine, says UK armed forces chief
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin rejects concerns that Kyiv’s counter-offensive is advancing slowly
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