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

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


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

Content

SyriaSource

Feb 29, 2016

Top News: February 29, 2016

By SyriaSource

– Syria truce brings sharp fall in death toll, but attacks continue in some areas – Syria ceasefire task force meets, France wants answers on violations– World powers trade accusations over ceasefire violations– Ban Ki-moon says ceasefire in Syria is holding– Russia says federalism is an option for Syria– Humanitarian aid begins to besieged towns

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 29, 2016

Cessation of Hostilities: So Far, So Good

By Frederic C. Hof

The opening hours of what would ideally be an open-ended cessation of hostilities in western Syria have reflected generally good results. Residential neighborhoods bombed mercilessly by Russian and Assad regime aircraft—attacks that often focused on medical facilities—are experiencing a modicum of calm for the first time in months and even years. A portion of the […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 29, 2016

Russia and the Regime’s War on Civilians in Deir Ezzor

By Fikram

The Syrian regime and its Russian ally are waging war against civilians, not only with light, heavy, and indiscriminate munitions, but also with economic weapons, as they demonstrated in Deir Ezzor these past two months.

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 26, 2016

Top News: February 26, 2016

By SyriaSource

– UN Security Council aims to endorse halt in Syria fighting– Putin says groups in Syria ready to comply with ceasefire; Russian air strikes intensify– Bombs hit Syrian hospitals, medical workers fear they are target – Rights groups slam ‘shameful’ Russia deportation of Syrian refugees– United States sensitive to Turkey’s YPG concerns, but wants more information– […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 25, 2016

Top News: February 25, 2016

By SyriaSource

Syria army excludes rebel town near Damascus from truceUN has high hopes for aid from Syria truce but airdrop flopsSyrian army recaptures town in Aleppo province from ISISUN to announce new round of Syria talksSaudi warplanes to arrive at Turkey’s Incirlik air baseTurkey says Syria ceasefire is not binding if it threatens security 

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 24, 2016

What Can Be Done for Syria’s Antiquities?

By Idir Ouahes

The hazy question of ownership lies at the core of the trade and destruction of Middle Eastern artifacts. As the Syrian civil war becomes increasingly complex, familiar questions call out for an answer: who owns a country’s antiquities and what can be done to protect them in times of unrest?

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 24, 2016

Top News: February 24, 2016

By SyriaSource

ISIS tightens grip on Syrian government road to AleppoUN aid convoys head to two Syrian besieged townsTurkey casts doubt on chances of ceasefire in SyriaDNA report suggests Ankara bomber was Turkish

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 23, 2016

Afrin and the Race for the Azaz Corridor

By Thomas Schmidinger

For the last five years Afrin (Kurdish: Efrîn) was the most tranquil of the three Kurdish enclaves in Syria. As in the other two Kurdish cantons, Kobane and Jazira (Kurdish: Kobanê, Cizîrê), the Syrian regime army pulled back from the region in spring 2012 and left it to the control of Democratic Union Party (PYD) […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 23, 2016

Cessation of Hostilities: Urgent, But Not Likely

By Frederic C. Hof

The cessation of hostilities in Syria originally scheduled to take effect on or about February 19 is now slated—per a Russia-United States joint statement—to take effect on February 27. Although Syrian rebel groups are being invited (along with the Assad regime and its external supporters) to signal acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 23, 2016

Aleppo, Azaz, and Failed US Syria Policy

By Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff

Aleppo and Azaz are two cities in northern Syria that represent the result of US Syria policy. After five years of half measures, false starts, broken red lines, and bouts of funding for Syrian aid and development projects, we have now entered a new phase: uncoordinated pieces of the US intelligence and defense community supporting […]

Syria
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