Prisoner Exchange in Syria’s Sweida: A Fragile Step Amid Failed Governance and Foreign Entanglements

In a rare moment amid years of chaos, Syrian government forces and Druze militias controlling parts of southern Sweida province conducted a prisoner exchange on Thursday. This interaction, brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and supported by international actors like the U.S. and Jordan, marks what some see as cautious progress toward easing long-simmering tensions.Yet beneath this gesture lies a grim reality: the Assad regime remains incapable of fully restoring control or ensuring national unity across its territory. The prisoner swap—25 detainees from the government side for 61 held by Druze authorities—is less a triumph of governance...