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

Jul 30, 2025

After Swaida: How Syria’s periphery is shaping its future

By
Ibrahim Al-Assil

What comes next in Syria will not be determined by battlefield victories or summit declarations, but by the evolving realities on the ground.

Conflict
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Jul 24, 2025

In a sectarian Syria, the winners should refrain from taking all

By
Marie Forestier 

To avoid the complete supremacy of HTS-supporting Sunnis, it is crucial to adopt power-sharing mechanisms ensuring inclusiveness

Democratic Transitions
International Norms


MENASource

Jul 22, 2025

Why the violence in my hometown, Swaida, goes beyond ‘rivalry.’

By
Majd AlGhatrif

US officials described the events as “a rivalry” between Syria’s Druze and Bedouins. But this framing strips the crisis of its historical and political context.

Civil Society
Conflict


MENASource

Jul 2, 2025

Why al-Sharaa’s success in Syria is good for Israel and the US

By
Itai Melchior and Nir Boms

Israel will be wise to align its policy with those who seek to integrate Syria rather than with those who seek to fragment it.

Democratic Transitions
Israel


MENASource

Jun 26, 2025

Dispatch from Damascus: Church attack shows transition’s fragility

By
Ibrahim Al-Assil

The bombing at Mar Elias Church is more than an isolated tragedy. It is a signal that Syria’s transition remains vulnerable to sabotage.

Democratic Transitions
Middle East


MENASource

Jun 20, 2025

On World Refugee Day, complexities persist for Syrian returnees

By
Sinan Hatahet

While Syria’s political shift brings new hope, it also highlights the complex realities that still define the Syrian landscape.

Middle East
Migration


MENASource

Jun 10, 2025

Why DDR programs are the missing link to Syrian stability

By
Muhsen al-Mustafa

With the end of Western sanctions, Syria faces a rare opportunity to address the imbalances of the post-conflict period.

Middle East
Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding


MENASource

Jun 4, 2025

Why Iraq should build bridges with its ‘new’ neighbor, Syria

By
Shermine Serbest

Iraq’s position on the Syria transition is split between two camps: the official government, and that of the powerful non-state actors.

Iraq
Middle East


MENASource

May 28, 2025

Sectarianism, social media, and Syria’s information blackhole

By
Gregory Waters and Kayla Koontz

Since Assad’s December ousting, Syrians have struggled to sift the truth from fake claims about security incidents across the country.

Civil Society
Middle East


MENASource

May 22, 2025

Lebanon’s 1982 war reverberates in Israel’s Syria campaign

By
Sinan Hatahet

Israel’s ongoing intervention in Syria appears different from its 1982 invasion of Lebanon—but beneath the surface, parallels are striking.

Israel
Lebanon

Content

SyriaSource

Jan 9, 2017

The Water War in Damascus

By Youssef Sadaki

Battles have erupted in recent weeks between regime forces and rebels in the area of Ain al-Fijah and neighboring villages, causing the water pumps and the area’s main Ain al-Fijah water facility to cease operation.

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 6, 2017

The Consequences of Merger Talks among Syrian Rebels

By Haid Haid

The internal divisions among rebel groups in eastern Aleppo and their infighting during the recent Syrian regime’s offensive led to a poor military performance and helped the latter to recapture the rest of the city. Protests erupted, as a result, in many opposition-held areas, condemning rebels’ mistakes and demanding them to unite. Many rebel fighters […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 6, 2017

Ceasefire in Syria: Good News?

By Frederic C. Hof

Turkey and Russia are struggling to sustain a Syrian ceasefire. The Assad regime and a range of nationalist, Turkish-supported rebel organizations are supposed to stop shooting. Excluded from the terms are Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly the Nusra Front), the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), and Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS, Daesh). If the ceasefire somehow takes […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 3, 2017

The United Nation’s Failure is Not de Mistura’s Fault

By Daniel R. DePetris

On December 19, the United Nations Security Council managed to do something on Syria that it has rarely been able to do over the past six years: pass a binding resolution with the unanimous support of all five permanent members.  Indeed, the Security Council has been so deadlocked over the Syria question that even a […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jan 3, 2017

Advising Trump on Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

The incoming president and his national security team suffer no shortage of free advice on a full range of national security and foreign policy issues. Syria is no exception. Prospective senior officials are sipping from the proverbial fire hose preparing for January 20th. What do they need to know now, especially in the wake of […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Dec 22, 2016

After the Loss of Aleppo, the Military Opposition is under Pressure to Reconfigure Itself

By Hosam al-Jablawi

The victories of the Syrian opposition forces came to an end with their taking of the city of Idlib over a year and a half ago. After the Russian military intervention on behalf of the Syrian regime, these forces have turned to defending their own areas. Since that time, they have lost key regions—the most […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Dec 22, 2016

How the Regime Capturing East Aleppo is Affecting Syria’s Salafi-Jihadist Scene

By Mona Alami

The regime retaking east Aleppo and decreased support from Turkey for Syria’s rebels is having a deep impact on Syria’s Salafi-jihadi scene. In the last couple of weeks, several statements, leaks, and information from other Islamist groups point to internal struggles in Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. In both cases, the power struggles within […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Dec 20, 2016

Syria ‘On the Cheap’

By Frederic C. Hof

The five-plus year failure of the United States to protect a single Syrian from the relentless mass homicide campaign of a rogue Syrian government will help to define the impact and the values of the Obama administration for as long as historians parse the humanitarian abomination that is Syria. It is a failure that facilitated, […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Dec 19, 2016

Analysis: The Fall of Rebel-Held Aleppo Is a Warning to Others Who Oppose Assad

By Annia Ciezadlo

For moderate, unarmed rebels, as well as anyone wanted by the government, the rapid and brutal offensive to retake east Aleppo is a sign of what’s to come elsewhere in Syria.

Syria

SyriaSource

Dec 15, 2016

Scenes from East Aleppo as the Regime Closes in

By Saleem al-Omar

It is difficult to describe the situation in Aleppo. As of the writing of this article, opposition forces and an estimated 75,000 civilians are now encircled in a space no larger than three square kilometers in the al-Ansari and Mashad neighborhoods. The latest massacre was the killing of all civilians and wounded at the al-Hayat […]

Syria
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