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

Apr 29, 2025

Why the US must not let Syria slip away

By
Luke Wagner

Reconsidering the uneasy US-Syria relationship amid reports that Trump and al-Sharaa will meet during the US president’s Saudi Arabia visit.

Economic Sanctions
Middle East


MENASource

Apr 1, 2025

Israel is making a miscalculation in southern Syria. Here is why.

By
Ömer Özkizilcik

Israel’s approach in southern Syria risks deepening sectarian divisions, eroding the Druze community’s standin, and fueling broader instability.

Conflict
Defense Policy


MENASource

Mar 31, 2025

Western sanctions against Damascus must evolve—Just as Syria has

By
Sinan Hatahet

The US can play a pivotal role in shaping the next chapter of Syria’s recovery by shifting its approach from maximum pressure to calibrated influence.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy


MENASource

Mar 25, 2025

Dispatch from Bekaa: Inside the sectarian skirmishes on the Syria-Lebanon border

By
Nicholas Blanford

Local Shia tribesmen have battled an assortment of Sunni jihadist militias and the new Syrian security forces dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

English
Lebanon


MENASource

Mar 19, 2025

Inside Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s diplomatic offensive with Syria’s Christians and Ismailis

By
Gregory Waters

HTS’s diplomatic offensive demonstrates the leadership’s political approach, which evolved over years of engaging with the Christian and Druze communities in Idlib.

Democratic Transitions
Freedom and Prosperity


MENASource

Mar 19, 2025

Why the United States must bridge the Iraq-Syria divide

By
Sarkawt Shamsulddin

With leverage over both capitals, the United States emerges as the linchpin in delicate diplomatic moment between Baghdad and Damascus.

English
Iraq


MENASource

Mar 18, 2025

Landmark SDF-Damascus deal presents opportunity, and uncertainty, for Turkey

By
Ömer Özkizilcik

Despite positive signals, critical ambiguities remain in agreement between Syrian President Ahmed Shara and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi.

English
Middle East


MENASource

Mar 10, 2025

Syria’s women face a new chapter. Here’s how to amplify their voices.

By
Diana Rayes , Hind Kabawat

It is critical for women to be involved in transitional justice and constitutional reform processes in Syria.

Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
Syria


MENASource

Feb 26, 2025

Why post-Assad Syria complicates the Iran-Turkey rivalry

By
Giorgio Cafiero

Depending on what unfolds after Assad’s fall, there could be reason to expect a degree of Iran-Turkey alignment in Syria.

Crisis Management
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Feb 13, 2025

Dispatch from Syria: ‘Syrians cannot focus on their future if they are still drowning in their past’

By
Arwa Damon

The pain felt by those searching for clues in the dark void of the former regime’s detention system is palpable, Arwa Damon reports from Syria.

Conflict
Crisis Management

Content

SyriaSource

Mar 6, 2017

Frederic C. Hof’s Opening Remarks at SAMS Gala

By Frederic C. Hof

Below are remarks by Ambassador Frederic C. Hof at the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) annual gala in Lombard, Illinois on March 4, 2017 that touched upon economic rebuilding of Syria, the war on civilians, supporting armed Syrian opposition and the limitations of US-Syria policy. 

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 3, 2017

Why Are Regime Supporters so Afraid of Rumors About Assad’s Fate?

By Saleem al-Omar

Bashar al-Assad finally made a public appearance to women from the Alawite sect who had been kidnapped. It was notable that on this occasion Assad spoke for a long time, gesturing with both hands, and denied rumors that he suffered a stroke. On January 29, prominent journalist Faisal al-Qassem claimed on his personal website that […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 2, 2017

Hezbollah Embedded in Syria

By Mona Alami

In a recent interview with Al-Mayadeen television, Hezbollah’s number two Sheikh Naim Qasssem insisted that “Hezbollah would be the one deciding when to leave Syria, “which will take place when the party is guaranteed that ‘Syria as a resistance’ will remain.”

Syria

Rebuilding Syria

Mar 1, 2017

It’s Time to Plan for Rebuilding Syria

By Faysal Itani and Tobias Schneider

Caught in the sixth year of its interminable civil war, Syria today is beset by a combination of fleeting ceasefires, bombings, localized offensives, and meandering negotiations. Most of the country is controlled either by terrorist groups or by a weak, isolated central government in Damascus. Meanwhile, the United States finds itself in the midst of […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 1, 2017

Hezbollah’s Diplomacy in Qalamoun

By Rhys Dubin

The past several weeks have been good for Hezbollah—both in their domestic stronghold in Lebanon and their Syrian areas of operation. In Lebanon for example, President Michel Aoun recently went out of his way to uncharacteristically praise the group’s militia. Though many other Lebanese politicians attempted to walk back his phrasing, the President’s words illustrated […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 28, 2017

Interview with the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo (FMAA)

By Youssef Sadaki

While Moscow is re-classifying armed groups as terrorist organizations on the ground in Syria, and the new US administration is attempting to identify and enable partners in its fight against the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) coalition in order to set policies, we are now faced with questions that have long haunted the Syrian […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 23, 2017

Unintended Consequences of Safe Zones in Fighting the Islamic State

By Ghaith al-Ahmad

“The sound of gunfire outside makes me forget the hunger pangs,” says Um Mohamed, trembling with fright. This was after the battle intensified between Syrian regime forces and fighters from the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh) in the city of Deir Ezzor. Military experts predicted that ISIS would fall back towards Deir Ezzor city […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 22, 2017

Report Summary: The Local Administration in Deir Ezzor

By Husayn Hosoda

This summary based on the Justice for Life Organization report which describes a number of potential reforms for the governorate of Deir Ezzor in Syria once a political solution allows it to reintegrate into the state. The future of the Syrian state remains unclear, but in its current form is no longer the centralized power it […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 21, 2017

The Syrian Economy Post 2011

By Rashad al-Kattan

Nearly six years of conflict have dramatically altered Syria’s economy. To better understand these changes, SyriaSource interviewed Rashad al-Kattan, a researcher on Syria, about the state of Syria’s economy. His responses give insight into how, even as the Syrian regime is winning on the military front, the long-term economic challenges paint a more complex picture […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 21, 2017

What is the Significance of the Fight in Southern Syria?

By Haid Haid

On February 12, rebel groups launched an offensive named Almawt Wala al-Muzaleh [Death Rather than Humiliation] targeting regime-controlled areas in Daraa. The ongoing operation is reportedly an attempt to prevent pro-Syrian regime troops from gaining control of a strategic border crossing with Jordan. The attack — which followed a long period of decline in fighting since […]

Syria
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