© 2026 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The normalization of Syria’s dictator in the Middle East

Season 2024 Episode 203 | 8m 11s

For 14 years, the authoritarian regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has waged a bloody war against the Syrian people, killing and displacing millions. Other Arab states and the West had shunned Syria in response, making it a pariah. But now, relations with the Syrian dictator are beginning to thaw. Ali Rogin speaks with the Middle East Institute’s Charles Lister to learn more.

Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by Consumer Cellular and Cunard Cruise Line. For a complete list of funders for the PBS NewsHour and PBS NewsHour weekend, click here.
Extras
Remembering neon artist and glass-bending master Wil Kirkman
News Wrap: Senate votes down measure to reopen Department of Homeland Security
Iran’s new supreme leader vows continued retaliation across Gulf and oil routes
Lebanese Christian villages caught in Israel-Hezbollah war
Synagogue attack and Old Dominion shooting renew security concerns in U.S.
Middle East analysts on what the Iran war has accomplished and how it might end
March 12, 2026 - PBS News Hour full episode
Minnesota immigration crackdown continues to spark fear among people in U.S. legally
How Trump's SAVE America Act would reshape voting