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 22, 2016

Top News: March 22, 2016

By SyriaSource

– ISIS massacres Kurds in Aleppo town– Syrian Kurds defend federal plan, deny autonomy aim – Regime says Assad’s fate still ‘excluded’ from Syria peace talks– UNHCR will not work in Greek ‘detention centers,’ at EU-Turkey deal

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 22, 2016

Bombings in Brussels

By Frederic C. Hof

Mass murder in the Brussels airport and metro was almost certainly either Islamic State-planned-and-executed or inspired. Coming as they did very soon after the arrest of a Brussels-based perpetrator of the November 13, 2015 ISIS massacres in Paris—an operation planned in Raqqa, the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) “capital” in Syria—these Brussels outrages may have […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 22, 2016

#5YearsWeFled: Cutting Ties to the Past

By Ayman Jalwan

This is the second part of a series of interviews with the lawyer Ayman Jalwan. It highlights the difficult choice that Syrians face—dying in the war zone that Syria had become, or fleeing the land they love. Last year, Ayman Jalwan and his wife said goodbye to their families and joined the wave of citizens […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 21, 2016

Top News: March 21, 2016

By SyriaSource

– Pro-regime fighters killed battling ISIS near Palmyra – Syria peace talks grind toward pivotal Assad question – Death toll climbs from air strikes on ISIS-held Raqqa – Russia says might use force against ceasefire violators in Syria – Suicide bomber kills four, wounds 36 in Istanbul shopping district – EU-Turkey deal to return refugees from Greece comes into force

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 18, 2016

Top News: March 18, 2016

By SyriaSource

– ISIS claims killing of five Russian troops killed near Palmyra– UN seeks to reach over 1 million besieged Syrians in six weeks– UN envoy urges clear proposals from Damascus at Syria talks – White House says ready to help ICC genocide probe in Syria, Iraq– Bomb kills policeman in southeast Turkey

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 18, 2016

ISIS and Genocide: A Narrow Approach to Mass Murder in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

It is right and proper that the US House of Representatives (by a vote of 393 to zero) and the Obama administration have declared that the Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS, Daesh) is employing genocide in its effort to fill vacuums of political legitimacy in Syria and Iraq. As Secretary of State John Kerry accurately noted […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 18, 2016

Russia’s Withdrawal from Syria is not a Defeat

By Faysal Itani

Shortly after Russia announced it would withdraw most of its forces from Syria, the first Russian military aircraft left Hmeimim air base. This was quite abrupt and unexpected but it was not shocking, nor did it indicate that Russian fortunes and commitment in Syria have collapsed. More likely, the withdrawal shows Russia’s sufficient if incomplete […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 18, 2016

Behind the Russian Withdrawal

By Daniel R. DePetris

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he would begin a withdrawal of military assets from Syria caught nearly every observer of the conflict by surprise—even close military advisers in the Kremlin. After six months of bombing, over 9,000 strike sorties, and the deployment of approximately 4,000 Russian personnel, Putin’s declaration of “mission accomplished” is a […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 17, 2016

Putin and Assad: Is There a Split?

By Frederic C. Hof

Speculation abounds on the relationship between Moscow’s military drawdown announcement and the state of bilateral relations between Russia and Syria’s Assad regime. Does the Russian move indicate a split between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad? If there is a split, is it strategic or tactical? If these parties are diverging, what are the implications […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 17, 2016

Top News: March 17, 2016

By SyriaSource

– Syrian Kurds declare federal region amid wide criticism– Kurdish group claims responsibility for second Ankara attack– Russia to complete Syria pullout within days– Aid agencies call for full access in Syria as conflict enters sixth year– Japanese journalist Junpei Yasuda missing in Syria, surfaces in video– EU leaders push on with contested Turkey migrant plan

Syria
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