Syria Rejoices, WTF is Flying Over NJ & the Year in Photos

It's Friday, December 13, 2024.

Today marks the 21st anniversary of U.S. forces capturing Saddam Hussein, who was found hiding in a small hole on a farm near Tikrit. It’s also the 24th anniversary of Vice President Al Gore conceding the presidential election to George W. Bush.

This is the last edition of The Fifth until the new year. Until then, here’s what you need to know about this week:

SYRIA

One week after rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, ending his family’s 53-year rule, thousands of jubilant Syrians gathered for Friday prayers in Damascus.

Many exiled Syrians have returned to their homeland, while others are reuniting with loved ones they feared they might never see again. In the last week alone, thousands of people — including women, children, and elderly men — have been freed from Syria’s notoriously brutal prisons, where Assad’s regime detained countless innocents over decades to suppress dissent.

"Many emerged frail and emaciated into the bright December sunlight, greeted by weeping family members who had no idea they were still alive. Some struggled to comprehend that Assad was gone; a few, held even longer, had never been told that he succeeded his father, Hafez, who died in 2000." — The Guardian

We may never know just how many people Assad's regime captured and killed, but the United Nations estimates that more than 157,000 Syrians were detained during the civil war, including thousands of women and children.

Syrian civil defense forces and relief organizations are now searching for underground secret prisons believed to hold many more captives. Among the newly freed is 29-year-old Travis Timmerman, an American who vanished earlier this year. However, journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria since 2012, remains unaccounted for.

Last weekend, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces marched into Damascus after overtaking key cities in what many have described as a swift conclusion to Syria’s 13-year civil war. HTS has called for non-violent celebrations and is working with Syria’s former Prime Minister — who has offered his assistance — to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power.

As for former President Assad, he fled Syria secretly, seeking asylum in Russia, where his wife and three children were already waiting.

Israel Capitalizes

The aftermath of Assad’s fall has created uncertainty, and Israel has acted swiftly to exploit the situation. Since the regime’s collapse, Israel has launched more than 400 attacks on Syrian territory, claiming to target weapons caches to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. But, the locations of the Israeli strikes suggest a broader scope, raising concerns about their intentions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed that Israel will continue to occupy the demilitarized Golan Heights, a move deemed illegal under international law.

WHAT THE FLYING...

Mysterious drones have been lighting up the night skies over New Jersey, sparking concern and confusion. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the drones, leaving many wondering: what is going on?

Some witnesses claim the drones appear to be too large to be operated by regular consumers. White House spokesperson John Kirby claims the drones do not pose a security risk but admitted that they don't know who is operating them. The lack of answers or transparency is making New Jersey lawmakers furious.
More here: AP News and Reuters.

According to the Morristown Daily Record, at least eleven drones have been reported flying over Picatinny Arsenal, a military research facility in Morris County, NJ, where drones are manufactured. However, the base issued a statement confirming that the drones were not theirs and even verified seven separate sightings.

A MODERN ANTIHERO?

Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Twenty-six-year-old Luigi Mangione was spotted by a patron at a McDonald’s in Altoona, PA, who recognized him from a reward poster. Authorities have not speculated on a motive but confirmed that Mangione was not a UnitedHealthcare client.

"In trying to establish a motive for the alleged murder, authorities have cited a note that was apparently found on Mangione when he was arrested at a McDonald’s, in central Pennsylvania. “Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming,” it read. “A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy.” The note also stated that UnitedHealthcare’s size and power have permitted it to “abuse our country for immense profit.” Thompson, who became C.E.O. in 2021, increased UnitedHealthcare’s profits by five billion dollars in just two years. Between 2019 and 2022, UnitedHealthcare more than doubled its denial rate for prior-authorization requests for post-acute care. One of Thompson’s signature innovations was to use a predictive algorithm to kick ailing and disabled Medicare patients out of nursing homes and rehabilitative programs, causing untold misery and penury. And UnitedHealthcare has increasingly demanded—and often denied—prior authorization for any number of ordinary necessities: colonoscopies, or insulin, or pain medication following major surgery, or physical, occupational, or speech therapy. - The New Yorker

HEADLINES

TIME MAGAZINE has named President-elect Donald Trump as its Person of the Year, citing his influence—whether positive or negative—and his shocking “political comeback.” The shortlist for the award included Vice President Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, and the Princess of Wales, Catherine Middleton. Last year’s Person of the Year was Taylor Swift.

PRESIDENT BIDEN has commuted the sentences of 1,500 individuals and pardoned 39 others. Clemency is a presidential power often exercised near the end of a term. The pardons were granted to people convicted of non-violent crimes committed as young adults or teens who have since completed their sentences. Those whose sentences were commuted likely would have received shorter sentences under current judicial standards. Advocates argue that Biden could and should do more.

HAMAS HAS reportedly agreed to two key demands by Israel in ceasefire negotiations, according to The Wall Street Journal. The group has allegedly agreed to allow Israel to remain in Gaza after a ceasefire and to provide a list of hostages to be released. These terms were rejected in earlier talks. However, one member of Hamas’s political wing told NBC News they were unaware of such concessions. It’s worth taking this with caution, as ceasefire discussions are often portrayed more optimistically than they truly are.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to testify as a defendant in a criminal trial this week. Netanyahu faces fraud and bribery charges, with the trial expected to last several weeks.

FINALLY

As 2024 draws to a close, the Associated Press shares the year's most compelling, heartbreaking, and uplifting photos—capturing a world struggling to cope with immense suffering and grief. May the glimmers of hope that light Syria tonight spread throughout the world, for all.