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.

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The latest on Syria


MENASource

Jan 29, 2026

Why Syria’s government must turn inward in 2026

By
Gregory Waters

Necessary domestic reforms include continued security reforms, economic development, and writing a new constitution.

Civil Society
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Jan 28, 2026

Syria’s Kurds could be al-Sharaa’s partners in rebuilding. Why did Damascus assault them instead?

By
Amy Austin Holmes

The offensive on Kurdish neighborhoods was the third wave of sectarian violence after the targeting of Druze and Alawites.

Democratic Transitions
Middle East


MENASource

Jan 13, 2026

Eight questions (and expert answers) on the SDF’s withdrawal from Syria’s Aleppo

By
Atlantic Council experts

Our experts unpack why violence erupted, what it means for Kurdish safety and integration in Syria, and how Washington is engaging.

Civil Society
Conflict


MENASource

Dec 18, 2025

Russia’s most important Middle East base is not where you think

By
Frank Talbot

Before its future in post-Assad Syria was determined, Russia was actively searching for alternative strategic relationships in the region.

Defense Policy
Libya


MENASource

Dec 8, 2025

States shouldn’t waste the chance to establish a Syria Victims Fund

By
Kate Springs, Celeste Kmiotek

A centralized fund would better support victims of international law violations in Syria, who face unique challenges.

Democratic Transitions
International Norms


MENASource

Dec 7, 2025

Syria’s civil society must take center stage in reconstruction

By
Tara Kangarlou and Merissa Khurma

One year since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria stands to have the most potential to showcase how local ownership can accelerate reconstruction.

Civil Society
Middle East


MENASource

Dec 7, 2025

One year after Assad’s fall, here’s what’s needed to advance justice for Syrians

By
Elise Baker and Ahmad Helmi

The second year of a post-Assad Syria requires structural reform, victim-centered leadership, and international reinforcement.

Democratic Transitions
International Norms


MENASource

Nov 21, 2025

Syria joining the anti-ISIS coalition is a westward pivot—with opportunities and risks

By
Merissa Khurma and Giorgio Cafiero

The decision is a shift in the country’s alignment—from Russian and Iranian spheres of influence to one in NATO and GCC regional orbits.

Democratic Transitions
Middle East


MENASource

Sep 24, 2025

Is a new era of Turkey-Syria economic engagement on the horizon?

By
Ömer Özkizilcik and Levent Kemal

The convergence of Turkey’s and the Gulf’s economic strategies in Syria presents an opportunity for Washington.

Democratic Transitions
Middle East


MENASource

Sep 17, 2025

In landmark Syria elections, women still face electoral hurdles

By
Marie Forestier 

As the indirect electoral process begins, Syrian officials could take several steps to increase women’s chances in this process.

Civil Society
Democratic Transitions

Content

SyriaSource

Aug 27, 2018

President Carter’s plan for Syria is unrealistic

By Frederic C. Hof

In an op-ed (“In Syria, An Ugly Peace is Better than More War”) published in The New York Times on August 24, 2018, former President Jimmy Carter lays out a prescriptive course for Syria sure to be welcomed by an Assad regime preparing now to inflict state terror on civilians in Syria’s northwest.

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 23, 2018

Chemical warnings and unintended consequences

By Frederic C. Hof

On August 21, 2018 the United States, France, and the United Kingdom issued a statement to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Assad regime’s deadly chemical attack on civilians in the rebel-held Ghouta suburb of Damascus. According to the three powers, “we will respond appropriately to any further use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, which has had such devastating humanitarian consequences for the Syria people.”

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 20, 2018

Returning to mass graves in Raqqa

By Khalifa Al-Khudr

Since this story was first reported in April 2018, further updates have come out on Raqqa’s mass graves, highlighting the challenges of collecting bodies and identifying missing people. This is an analysis with eyewitness stories from people who have gone back to Raqqa.

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 15, 2018

The sticky situation of the final Idlib offensive

By Reema Hibrawi

The final offensive in Idlib has been an ongoing discussion among Syria analysts for years. Idlib province contains opposition fighters, activists, and civilians displaced from Homs, Aleppo, Hama, and various parts of Damascus.

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 8, 2018

Is Syria lost to Iran?

By Frederic C. Hof

The short answer is “No.” A family and an entourage that placed itself at the disposal of Iran while burning much of Syria to the ground will not prevail, provided the United States and its partners begin to push back. Yet termites are at work, and the fulfillment of this proviso is far from certain.

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 30, 2018

Russia’s refugee ploy

By Frederic C. Hof

Moscow’s sudden interest in expediting the return of Syrian refugees to their homes is not prompted by humanitarian concerns. Neither is it motivated by a desire to promote political conditions inside Syria that would encourage people to return to the country from which they fled.

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 26, 2018

Here’s why Syrian women are integral to peace

By Tamara Alrifai and Rachel Dore-Weeks

Eight years and many conferences into the Syria conflict, Syrian women still struggle to have their voices heard in decision making forums that directly impact them as citizens, and as political, economic, and civil society actors. Syrian women present at the western male-dominated EU-UN conference, Supporting Syria and the Region—known as Brussels II—in April 2018, explicitly spoke to the political processes that failed to include them, and to an aid industry that did not address their needs, including in protection from violence. 

Syria

Rebuilding Syria

Jul 25, 2018

What Exactly is the US Policy Toward Iran?

By Faysal Itani

On July 22, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed an audience that included many members of the Iranian diaspora. The speech focused on the Iranian regime as a danger to its own people and to US interests—kleptocratic, terroristic, and totalitarian. The accusations were specific and the language was strong which could indicate a harsh […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 24, 2018

The fractured relationship of the Alawite community and Assad regime

By Saleem al-Omar

The Alawite community, a Muslim sect from which the Assad family originates, has long been a major support base for both Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. Current estimates of the Alawite population place the group around 10 percent of the 22 million population. The regime historically favored Alawites giving them military and security positions within the […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 20, 2018

The Golan Heights: Avoiding an Unforced Error

By Frederic C. Hof

A July 17, 2018 hearing in the United States House of Representatives considered the possibility of Washington recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967. The hearing took up this issue months after it was first tabled by Republican Representative Ron DeSantis of Florida. At least one cabinet member of Israel’s […]

Israel
Syria
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