David Lesch speaks with Newsweek about New Syrian Leader Winning Over the White House

David Lesch, Ph.D. , Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of history at Trinity University, who has advised successive U.S. administrations, including the Trump administration, spoke with Newsweek in December about his firsthand experience in witnessing how hopes for new leadership in Syria have "previously devolved into disappointment."

Lesch explains that while the White House appears more willing to engage Syria's new leadership a year after Bashar al-Assad's fall, expectations remain deliberately limited. U.S. officials, he notes, are balancing the desire for regional stability with lessons from earlier transitions that failed to deliver meaningful reform, leaving American confidence tentative and closely tied to what comes next. Read the full story here .

Note: Newsweek is a paywalled publication.