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

Jan 25, 2018

Kurds Praise Construction of University in Kobani

By Sardar Mlla Drwish

Educational administrators in Kurdish controlled areas of northern Syria believe education and literacy improves people’s lives and helps to build a better future. The Kurds do not believe that the development of education should be dependent on the current Syrian government’s curricula despite the central government’s formal legal authority in this realm to date.

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 25, 2018

Response to Senator Cory Booker on Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

With the assistance of Yale Professor Oona A. Hathaway, Senator Cory A. Booker (Democrat of New Jersey) has published an op-ed in The New York Times (“A Syria Plan that Breaks the Law”) accusing the Trump administration of wishing to wage war illegally in Syria, in a manner violating both the American Constitution and international […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 24, 2018

The Battle for Afrin: Turkey’s Greatest Challenge in Syria

By Abdullah Almousa

Following news that Turkish forces and their Syrian opposition allies’ intend to enter Afrin and Manbij, both under the control of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Turkey now faces its greatest challenge in Syria to date. This challenge comes at a time when the United States, Russia, Iran, and the Syrian regime have divided […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 22, 2018

The Afrin Incursion: Will Turkey and the US Come to Blows?

By Frederic C. Hof

The decision of Turkey to mount air and ground operations in the Afrin district of northwestern Syria entails dangers that transcend even the potentially dire consequences for civilians of yet another Syrian combat zone swallowing lives and property. Despite the flamboyant anti-Turkish threats of its Syrian client, Russia has gingerly stepped aside in this corner […]

Syria

Rebuilding Syria

Jan 22, 2018

Considering a US Protectorate in Syria

By Faysal Itani

On January 18, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered some long-awaited clarity on US policy in post-ISIS Syria. As recently as a few weeks ago some observers (including this author) did not believe the United States would stay in Syria at all after defeating the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh). Secretary Tillerson presented an […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 19, 2018

The Conditions and Implications for the Afrin Attack

By Emily Burchfield

The first substantial evidence of a US plan for stabilization in post-ISIS Syria was revealed this week—and it didn’t go well. On Sunday, spokesmen from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) announced intentions to build a “border security” force of around 30,000 troops; made […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 19, 2018

Raqqa: As Terrorism Fades, A Return to Everyday Life Awaits Local Consensus

By Sardar Mlla Drwish

In a country that has seen war, destruction, and widespread war crimes committed by the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), the city of Raqqa is witnessing relative calm and a new rebirth with the slow return of its people. Local and foreign institutions intervened to focus on reconstruction and dispatching task forces to remove land […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 18, 2018

The New Strategy—Good Enough?

By Frederic C. Hof

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s Stanford University “Remarks on the Way Forward for the United States Regarding Syria” depict a major improvement in the American approach to the crisis in Syria, one consistent in many respects with recommendations offered here over the past five years. Officially gone is President Barack Obama’s disastrously erroneous view—opposed by […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 18, 2018

Chechen and north Caucasian militants in Syria

By Neil Hauer

One of the most heavily-discussed groupings of foreign fighters in Syria are those from Chechnya and the North Caucasus. While ultimately small in number, they have played an outsized role in the conflict,.

Syria

Rebuilding Syria

Jan 17, 2018

Lessons Learned: A Year After the Fall of Aleppo

By Abdullah Almousa

This past December marks one year since Aleppo fell back into regime control following six years of fighting and a bloody aerial bombing campaign. This put an end to the most violent theatre of war in Syria; marked by the departure of those expelled from Aleppo on the last convoy on December 22 to the […]

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