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 16, 2016

Top News: March 16, 2016

By SyriaSource

– Syrian Kurds say they will declare federal region in Syria– Russia withdraws almost half of Syria strike force– UN envoy to meet pro-Russia Syrian opposition group at talks– Kerry, Putin to discuss Syria as Russia seeks to bolster influence– Denmark’s TV2 channel opens office in Syrian capital

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 15, 2016

Putin Can Grant Assad Ground, Not Legitimacy

By Bassam Barabandi and Rudayna Baalbaky

Russia’s military intervention has dramatically transformed the Syrian conflict, enabling the battered Assad regime to reclaim lost territory and helping broker a ceasefire that locked the regime’s gains in place. But while the Russian-backed Assad offensive is able to regain control of the country, the regime has lost legitimacy in the eyes of Syrians and […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 15, 2016

Top News: March 15, 2016

By SyriaSource

– Moscow says Russian warplanes have started to leave Syria– Russian jets help Syrian army advance near Palmyra– UN convoys trying to reach besieged Syrian towns this week– Al-Nusra Front vows new offensive after Russian pullout– Syrian arrested in Sweden for war crimes

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 15, 2016

Russia’s Announced Withdrawal from Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Moscow’s announcement that the “main part” of its combat contingent will withdraw from Syria is interesting and potentially positive. Yet it must be treated with caution. What will be withdrawn? When? What will be left behind? What capabilities will reside in that which remains in Syria? Until these basic questions are answered the announcement, in […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 15, 2016

#5YearsWeFled: How Our Journey Began

By Ayman Jalwan

This series is from 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 leaving the country. First they […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 14, 2016

Top News: March 14, 2016

By SyriaSource

– UN Syria Envoy says Plan B in talks is a ‘return to war’ – ISIS commander Shishani clinically dead– Nusra Front attacks US-backed Syrian rebels– Syria aid deliveries from Red Cross postponed over violence– SAMS reports 161 chemical weapons attacks in Syria’s war– Russian FM Sergei Lavrov says evidence Turkish troops in Syria– Deadly explosion in the heart of Turkey’s capital

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 14, 2016

President Obama’s Atlantic Interview: The Syria Angle

By Frederic C. Hof

Jeffrey Goldberg’s interviews with President Obama as recorded in The Atlantic shed additional light on how the president has processed the multifaceted challenges presented by Syria. Employing the time-honored principle that the best defense is a good offense, the president described his September 2013 chemical weapons red-line reversal as a source of pride: a rejection of […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 14, 2016

The War on the Syrian Insurgency Continues in Plain Sight

By Faysal Itani and Hossam Abouzahr

It has been two weeks since a US-Russia brokered cessation of hostilities in Syria came into effect. Many analysts including these authors were skeptical about its prospects, due to the agreement’s terms and the regime’s perceived interests. Skeptics expected the regime and its allies to exploit a clause allowing attacks on the al-Qaeda affiliate Nusra […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 11, 2016

Top News: March 11, 2016

By SyriaSource

– In Aleppo, five civilians killed in regime raids– Syrian army aims for eastward advance with Palmyra attack– Syrian opposition groups to attend Geneva peace talks– UN-monitored elections in Syria to start 18 months from March 14– NATO to boost surveillance on Turkey-Syria border

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 10, 2016

Top News: March 10, 2016

By SyriaSource

– Syria opposition sees fewer truce breaches, UN prepares talks– Insurgents in Syria attack government positions in Hama– ISIS commander still alive, but badly wounded after US strike– Syria’s domestic opposition to boycott parliamentary vote– Syrian Kurds accuse Turkey of aiding sarin gas delivery to rebels

Syria
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