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

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


MENASource

Sep 10, 2025

Ten questions (and expert answers) on Operation Inherent Resolve’s end in Iraq

By
Atlantic Council experts

This new frontier in the US-Iraq relationship leaves many opportunities, challenges and unknowns. Our experts unpack it all.

Defense Policy
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Aug 25, 2025

Dispatch from Syria’s Christian strongholds: A new government, a full political spectrum

By
Gregory Waters

The conditions of Christian communities across the country remain varied, with the opinions of religious and community leaders deeply mixed.

Civil Society
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Aug 8, 2025

Sweida’s humanitarian crisis presents a test for Syria’s transitional government and its global partners

By
Diana Rayes 

Sweida is not an isolated tragedy—it is a litmus test for Syria’s fragile political transition and for the international community’s resolve to respond to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Conflict
Economy & Business


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

Content

SyriaSource

Sep 27, 2016

Refugee Victims’ Families Still Search for Answers and Solutions

By Jiwan Soz

In August of last year, 71 refugees (59 men, 8 women, and 4 children) from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan traveling from Hungary to Austria were found dead in a truck on the side of the road. The incident was covered briefly in the news and quickly forgotten, but for the victims’ families, who are still […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 26, 2016

Syria: The High Cost of Taking Russia at its Word

By Frederic C. Hof

The all-out assault on Aleppo by Russian and Assad regime aircraft, targeting as it does aid convoys, hospitals, homes, market places, and mosques, seems to have mildly surprised and deeply upset senior American officials. Saddled with a president content to look the other way while mass murder unfolds, they had persuaded themselves that Moscow’s demands […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 23, 2016

The MOC’s Role in the Collapse of the Southern Opposition

By Youssef Sadaki

The southern fronts in Syria have come to near standstill: the opposition’s dream to topple Damascus is unachievable, while factions in Daraa and Damascus fight amongst themselves. How did this happen when there were such high hopes of victory for factions in the south, especially after they united under an umbrella group called the Southern […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 21, 2016

Why Turkey Taking al-Bab is a Bad Idea

By Aaron Stein

Operation Euphrates Shield—Turkey’s recent incursion into Syrian territory—succeeded in its initial goals of clearing the Islamic State (ISIS) from its border and preventing the Syrian Kurdish militia, the YPG (People’s Protection Units), from taking the city of Jarablus. Turkish military forces and allied Arab and Turkmen insurgent groups now control a 55-mile strip of territory […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 20, 2016

Who Will Succeed Al-Adnani?

By Feras Hanoush

The death of Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami, official spokesperson of ISIS, on August 30 dealt a harsh blow to the organization. Al-Adnani was killed in international coalition airstrikes while in the city of al-Bab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, for the significant role he played in the Islamic State (ISIS) since the organization was […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 16, 2016

Long Read: Game of Shrines and the Road to Darayya

By Annia Ciezadlo

As the Syrian government and its allied militias evacuate mostly Sunni populations from rebel-held areas, sectarian narratives are filling the vacuum.

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 16, 2016

Factbox: Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act

By Brittany Keroack

On July 12, 2016, Representative Eliot Engel of New York introduced H.R. 5732, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016. This bill uses sanctions to put pressure on the Syrian government and anyone supporting it to stop committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Syrian government, empowered with support from Iran and Russia, […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 15, 2016

What’s the Alternative?

By Frederic C. Hof

One prays that Secretary of State John Kerry’s latest foray into the tangled web of Syrian diplomacy will bear the most precious fruit of all: the sustained and even permanent protection of Syrian civilians from the rapacious assaults of the Assad regime (fully supported by Iran), Russia, the Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS, Daesh), and others. […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 14, 2016

Fighters from the Caucasus Join ISIS to Fight Russia

By Feras Hanoush

People from the countries of the Caucasus, a region situated between Europe and Asia that broke politically from the Soviet Union in the late twentieth century, are an important resource for the Islamic State (ISIS).

Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 14, 2016

The Fears of Syrians Living in Turkey

By Hasan Arfeh

During the hours of the failed coup against the Turkish government last month, Syrians living Turkey—including refugees, employees, politicians, and journalists—were just as anxious as the Turks. The same anxiety was present when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Russia on Tuesday, August 10, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Syria
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