SyriaSource
SyriaSource followed the dynamics in Syria through in-depth analysis of the impact of the conflict on Syria, its neighbors and the international community. Amplifying a diverse range of Syrian and regional voices—to reach both English—and Arabic-speaking audiences, SyriaSource transforms their words from strong but distant ideas to resounding perspectives not often heard among Washington and international policymakers. For the latest work on Syria, please visit MENASource.
The Latest on Syria
Tue, Oct 6, 2020
I survived Assad’s torture—here’s why I’m a proud advocate of the Caesar Act
The Caesar Act is not the solution, but an important tool that the US and the international community must use alongside others to end the killing in my homeland.
MENASource by Omar Alshogre
Tue, Sep 22, 2020
The Gordian knot of Kurdish unity talks in Syria
On September 20, US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey visited northeast Syria for a meeting with delegations of the Kurdish National Council (KNC), the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and allied Kurdish parties who have been engaging in so-called unity talks since November 2019.
MENASource by Rena Netjes and Lars Hauch
Tue, Sep 22, 2020
Reliable no more? The current state of the Syrian armed forces
The current conflict has truly impacted the configuration of the Bashar al-Assad regime as well as the structure and orientation of its military institution, putting the latter’s loyalty in question.
MENASource by Abdulrahman al-Masri
Wed, Sep 16, 2020
The limits of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and what Syrians can learn
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s shortcomings provide multiple lessons for future accountability in Syria.
MENASource by Reem Salahi and Bachar El-Halabi
Wed, Sep 2, 2020
Caesar Act: The Syrian people are sapped while Assad grows stronger
The Bashar al-Assad regime is unconcerned about Syrian lives and, thus, worsening economic misery is unlikely to shift its calculations.
MENASource by Qussai Jukhadar & Elizabeth Tsurkov
Mon, Aug 24, 2020
The Caesar Act might alter the UAE’s normalization policy with Syria
Even if the US chooses to withhold more punitive measures against Emirati entities for the time being, Abu Dhabi’s posture of rapprochement with Syria may come under closer scrutiny from Washington down the road.
MENASource by Emily Santucci
Fri, Aug 21, 2020
Will nine years of war and deteriorating governance spark a new movement inside Syria?
Unbearable living conditions and a lack of hope in both the Assad regime and the international community have pushed Syrians to a new level of anger and outrage. It would be a mistake to think that this alone will push people to act after nine years of war and so much loss. However, it would be a bigger mistake to let this opportunity slip without trying to seize it in order to bring positive change to the Syrian people who are so desperately in need of it.
MENASource by Noura Darwish
Wed, Aug 12, 2020
The Syrian regime wheels and deals minorities to remain in power
The Bashar al-Assad regime operates merely to preserve itself, undermining chances of Syrians uniting across religious and ethnic lines.
MENASource by Ayman Abdel Nour
Fri, Jul 31, 2020
The American moment: Creating a new balance of power in Syria
The United States should seize this moment on changes in the Syrian landscape to create a new balance of power in Damascus.
MENASource by Ayman Abdel Nour and Dania Koleilat Khatib
Fri, Jul 31, 2020
The Syrian parliamentary elections were a mockery
All in all, the July 19 result was not great for the Bashar al-Assad regime, but the veneer of a normal election was achieved, especially given that the low turnout could be excused by the pandemic.
MENASource by Michel Duclos
Content
Wed, Jan 29, 2020
The uncounted: Life after war for Syria’s living martyrs
For all Syrians, honoring the men who died fighting for their side’s cause is a central social event. But while martyrs are immortalized in life-sized posters on every street corner, wounded fighters, known as “living martyrs,” risk becoming outcasts in their communities.
SyriaSource by Gregory Waters
Tue, Dec 24, 2019
The relentless assault on Idlib
The relentless airstrikes campaign on Idlib by the Syrian regime and Russia air forces predicted by many analysts, including this author, remains a defining battlefield to the regime in the Syrian conflict, nine years later. Seen as a last opposition stronghold populated by extremists and a millions of civilians and internally displaced people (IDP), Idlib province and its surroundings are a deadly place.
SyriaSource by Reema Hibrawi
Tue, Dec 24, 2019
Looking back at 2019: Our top five blogs
It was an especially bleak year for Syria as displacement across the country continued especially in Idlib province. Below are our top five blogs in 2019 that touched on these important issues that captured the attention of our readers.
SyriaSource by Reema Hibrawi
Wed, Dec 18, 2019
Hof’s analysis of Susan Rice’s Syria comments
Former national security advisor, Susan Rice, recently wrote an op-ed lamenting the lack of options in solving the Syrian crisis, much like Samantha Powers, however, their arguments do not hold up against scrutiny.
SyriaSource by Frederic C. Hof
Tue, Dec 10, 2019
Life after war: The impact of conflict on Syrian artists
After a scrawled graffiti message in Daraa, Syrian artists began to express themselves more than they ever could since the Assad family took power. Revolutionary art exploded on to the global scene during the Arab Spring. Particularly in Syria, artists, writers, and filmmakers found a new voice, free of fear. Defiance, grief, and frustration were […]
SyriaSource by Natasha Hall
Fri, Dec 6, 2019
Reconstruction and security sector reform in Syria must go hand in hand
The structure and characteristics of the pre-conflict Syrian security sector contributed heavily to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war; for decades, it stood for corruption, discrimination, violent repression, and large-scale human rights abuses. When the Arab Spring began to unfold in Egypt and Tunisia in early 2011, a group of Syrian school boys got […]
SyriaSource by Nora-Elise Beck and Lars Döbert
Mon, Nov 18, 2019
After the Syria withdrawal, it’s time the US rethinks the use of proxy forces
Proxy warfare is a 21st century military playbook utilized by great powers, like Russia, and the United States with some using it better than others.
SyriaSource by Mona Alami
Fri, Nov 8, 2019
The death of Baghdadi: How ISIS used al-Qaeda’s mistakes to grow a caliphate
Optimistic predictions about the end of the Islamic State (ISIS) surged in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s October 27 press conference announcing the death of the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but prove misguided in the long term. The threat posed by ISIS remains high, particularly outside the para-state’s previously held territories in […]
SyriaSource by Amanda E. Rogers
Thu, Nov 7, 2019
Journalists in northeast Syria fear the return of state security services
US President Donald Trump’s decision in early October to withdraw American troops from the Syria-Turkey border put the US’s local partner in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS, Daesh), the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in an unenviable position. Faced with an offensive by Turkey, NATO’s second largest military, the SDF struck a deal with […]
SyriaSource by Dan Wilkofsky
Wed, Oct 23, 2019
What the Turkish-Russian deal in Syria means for Vladimir Putin
The Kremlin stands to reap significant rewards from its agreement with Turkey on Syria.
SyriaSource by Frederic C. Hof