On 2 April 2015 at Harvard University`s Middle East Institute (MEI), Bassam Haddad presented a lecture in MEI Visiting Scholar Michael C. Hudson`s Spring 2015 Study Group "Rethinking the Arab State." In his lecture, Haddad assessed the fluctuating political reality in Syria and how various groups, including Bashar al-Assad`s regime, as well as ISIS and the unarmed civilian opposition, organize and govern areas and people under their control.

Listen to the full recording of the April 2, 2015 lecture here:

On 3 April 2015 at MEI, Bassam Haddad and Michael C. Hudson sat down to discuss the themes in Haddad`s lecture. They explored the many dimensions of the Syrian conflict, including the demise of the state as it existed before the 2011 uprising, and the murky nature of sovereignty and competitors for statehood in Syria today. Haddad and Hudson assessed Bashar al-Asad and the Syrian regime`s current level of control and capabilities against the power of the fragmented opposition. They also discussed ISIS` involvement in the Syrian mix, the often forgotten, unarmed civilian opposition inside Syria, and what lies ahead for Syria`s many competing regimes in 2015 and beyond.

Listen to the full recording of the subsequent conversation with Michael Hudson here: