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

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


MENASource

May 19, 2025

Could Trump be ‘mediator-in-chief’ for Turkey and Israel in Syria?

By
Rachel Bradenburg

If Trump wants to achieve the Middle East’s “deal of a century,” its important that Netanyahu and Erdogan resolve their differences in Syria.

Israel
Middle East


New Atlanticist

May 13, 2025

Experts react: Trump just announced the removal of all US sanctions on Syria. What’s next? 

By
Atlantic Council experts

Our experts provide their insights on how the removal of US sanctions on Syria would affect the country and the wider region.

Civil Society
Economic Sanctions


MENASource

May 8, 2025

From rubble to rebirth: A model for Syria’s reconstruction

By
Mahmood Alhosain

Almost six months since Assad regime collapse, four key pillars will determine whether this new Damascus can seize the opportunity.

Civil Society
Democratic Transitions


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

Content

SyriaSource

Nov 21, 2016

Moscow, Washington, and the Wreckage of Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

At a recent international conference, Russian scholars triumphantly upheld their country’s role in Syria and called on the West to organize a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Syria under Bashar al-Assad. In Peru, meanwhile, President Obama—he who has put American boots on the ground in Syria to help fight ISIS—lamented (without apparent irony) that he could […]

Iran Russia

SyriaSource

Nov 18, 2016

Dar al-Qada statement in Jabal al-Summaq: Translation & Analysis

By Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi

The Dar al-Qada (‘Abode of Judges’) serves as the de facto judicial branch of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, Syria’s official al-Qa’ida wing), whatever claims might be made of its supposed independence. Though the Dar al-Qada operates in certain areas where it enjoys wider backing (e.g. Hureitan in north Aleppo countryside), it […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 18, 2016

Aleppo Residents Confront the Siege with Rudimentary Methods

By Hosam al-Jablawi

The military siege imposed by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally has entered its second month. Its effects on the close to 4,000,000 people that are estimated to be living in this area are becoming more severe—most food and medical supplies are running out.

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 15, 2016

The Impact of the Kurdish-Led Campaign to Isolate Raqqa

By Haid Haid

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced in a statement on November 5 that they would be launching Operation Euphrates’s Wrath to isolate Raqqa—the Islamic State (ISIS)’s de facto capital. The operation—backed by the US-led coalition—aims to encircle Raqqa by taking control of surrounding villages and access routes to weaken ISIS and ultimately liberate the […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 10, 2016

How the White Helmets Have Evolved During the Civil War

By Hasan Arfeh

“To be able to understand accurately the damage, threat and the devastation of the disaster in Syria, [it is like] we are having a 7.6 earthquake 50 times a day,” writes Ammar Al-Salmo, leader of Syrian Civil Defense in Aleppo, on the agency’s website.

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 10, 2016

Trump and Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

For many Syrians, five-plus years of pain and suffering seem now to be crowned with another catastrophe: the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.  Feelings of foreboding and doom are deepened by much of the instant analysis pouring forth from Washington think tanks and editorial writers: analysis that recites […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 10, 2016

Part 2: This is How They Killed Me Twice

By Hadi Alabdullah

In a hospital ICU room in Aleppo, with doctors all around me, I tried to open my eyes after a series of surgeries on my stomach and legs. I could see the fear and pity in their eyes. This is how they treat all of their patients; despite their personal tragedies, their hearts still have kindness […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 8, 2016

Part 1: From Under the Rubble of Death

By Hadi Alabdullah

On June 14, 2016, Hadi Alabdullah and photographer Khaled al-Eissa rushed to the scene of a barrel bomb attack. As they were reporting from the scene, a second barrel bomb hit the same location—a tactic known as the “double-tap.” They survived. Just two days later, an assassination attempt was made on Hadi’s life. An IED […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 2, 2016

The Obama Administration Still Has a Range of Options to Pressure Assad and Russia

By SyriaSource

Steve Heydemann’s article in the New York Times explores the range of policy options available to the current White House administration, arguing that a no fly zone is not the only choice. Being flexible would allow the administration to judiciously exercise power to achieve its diplomatic objectives. He also points out that, although the current […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 1, 2016

Russia and Risk: Who is Answerable?

By Frederic C. Hof

Those who advocate modest military measures to stop or at least slow the mass murder of Syrian civilians by Russia and its Assad regime client should not evade the patently unfair question they are often asked: “Are you willing to risk World War III?” As important as it is to defend civilians—for both humanitarian and […]

Syria
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