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
Fri, Sep 17, 2021
Syria after the fall of Kabul: A European perspective
There is at least one common factor between Syria and Afghanistan: just as the Taliban has not changed once it took back power, the Bashar al-Assad regime will not change once its power is affirmed.
MENASource by Michel Duclos
Wed, Sep 15, 2021
Renewed hostilities in Daraa offer lessons and opportunities in Syria. But will Washington pay attention?
Prolonged unrest in the south highlights rifts within the pro-Bashar al-Assad camp, notably between Iran and Damascus on one side and Russia on the other, potentially presenting a unique opportunity for diplomacy.
MENASource by Alexander Langlois
Fri, Sep 3, 2021
Afghanistan demonstrates why it’s time for a clear Syria policy, starting with northeast Syria
If Afghanistan is to teach us anything, the Biden administration should not ignore Syria by having a non-existent policy. The longer the Syrian conflict continues, the more intractable and unmanageable it becomes.
MENASource by Reem Salahi
Thu, Sep 2, 2021
To honor two generations of service members, prevent the next GWOT ribbon
Today, executive and legislative actions signal a shift: America’s military footprint in the Middle East is shrinking and thousands of troops are coming home.
MENASource by Caroline Donnal
Wed, Sep 1, 2021
On the way out like Afghanistan? The Biden administration’s Syria policy labyrinth
The United States’ narrow objectives and continuous wait-and-see approach are not sustainable and the likelihood is that America’s rivals in Syria would work towards a US departure.
MENASource by Abdulrahman al-Masri
Tue, Aug 10, 2021
This organization is working with armed groups to protect Syrian civilians. Here’s how they do it.
While international efforts have not succeeded in ending the civil war in Syria, the humanitarian organization, Geneva Call aims to reduce violations committed by armed non-state actors against civilians.
MENASource by Francois Zankih
Sat, Aug 7, 2021
The situation in Daraa is dire. Here’s how it might play out.
Daraa province hasn’t witnessed a military campaign like this since the Bashar al-Assad regime took control of the province in July 2018.
MENASource by Navvar Saban and Manaf Kuman
Thu, Jul 15, 2021
Empower Syrians Not Warlords: Against the re-branding of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
Currently, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s ambition for complete governance is only lacking external legitimacy. If HTS gains this, it will be to the detriment of civil society groups and Syrians who aspire toward human rights.
MENASource by Rahaf Aldoughli and Azzam Al Kassir
Mon, Jun 14, 2021
Narcos: Syria edition—and what the US can do about it
Little-consumed outside the Middle East, captagon—also known as the “poor man’s cocaine”—has proliferated, owing to an industrial boom centered predominantly in war-torn Syria, where the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad now relies on narcotics as a financial lifeline.
MENASource by Ian Larson
Tue, Jun 8, 2021
Five years of Russian aid in Syria proves Moscow is an unreliable partner
After Russia’s first year in Syria, Russia became even more explicit with its intentions about the use of humanitarian aid. In other words, humanitarian aid had become a key soft power instrument.
MENASource by Jonathan Robinson
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