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

Nov 13, 2015

Vienna II: From Hope to Reality

By Dan DePetris

In a November 11 interview with The Washington Post, British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond explained the psychology that underwrites the negotiations to end the Syrian civil war. “You get people together,” Hammond said, “you force them to make some forward movement, keeping them at it, keeping their noses to the grindstone, keep them in a […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 13, 2015

Kerry on Strategy

By Frederic C. Hof

Speaking for the better part of an hour at the US Institute of Peace on November 12, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry sought to bring his listeners “up to speed” on the Obama administration strategy to defeat and dismantle the Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS, or Da’esh), end Syria’s civil war, and support “friends in […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 12, 2015

Top News: November 12, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Opposition oppose Russia’s draft proposal; Iran says resolution should not focus solely on Assad– At least 100 fighters killed in Syria during storming of besieged airbase– UN launches app to help feed Syrian refugee children– Turkey’s Erdogan puts Syria, Iraq on G20 leaders’ agenda– Seven children among fourteen dead in migrant boat sinking off […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 10, 2015

Between Regime Brutality and Society’s Cruelty

By Khaled Rawas

“I will not forgive him, nor will I let God’s mercy descend onto him,” uttered a woman activist working to support rape victims at a secret humanitarian organization in Damascus. The activist leveled this charge not against the regime and its Shabiha militias—which use this most cruel weapon of war systematically to intimidate, suppress, and […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 10, 2015

Top News: November 10, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Next round of Syria talks in Vienna on Saturday– Clashes near Syrian base besieged by ISIS– Militants shell Syrian city of Latakia– ICRC works to avoid massive water crisis in Aleppo– Turkey detains eighteen al-Qaeda suspects, days before G20– Turkey’s Erdogan calls for new constitution, reform in next four years– Attacks kill at least […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 9, 2015

A Problem from Hell: Dealing with the Crisis in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Remarks of Ambassador Frederic C. Hof to the American Committees on Foreign Relations in Boise, Idaho, on November 9, 2015.

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 9, 2015

The Army of Conquest Advances in the Shadow of Russian Warplanes

By Saleem al-Omar

In late March 2015, armed groups opposing to the Assad regime gathered to plan for the liberation of the Idlib in northern Syria. The groups included the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya, Sham Legion, Jund al-Aqsa, and the Sunna Army, most of whom are considered jihadist forces. They formed Jaysh al-Fatah (Army of […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 9, 2015

Top News: November 9, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Pentagon chief says more US troops possible in Syria; US to launch refugee screening centers– Iran plans to attend next round of Syria talks, demands identifying terrorist groups– ISIS frees thirty-seven kidnapped Syrian Christians – France hits ISIS oil facility in Deir Ezzor; Russian air strikes kill eleven civilians in Idlib– Syrian children in Turkey […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 6, 2015

Top News: November 6, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Syrian rebels recapture village from regime forces in western Syria; Russia, Turkey discuss Syria– Mustard gas used in Syria in August– Russian air strikes kill forty-two in Raqqa– Turkish police detain twenty ISIS suspects; Crackdown on Gulen continues

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 5, 2015

Keeping Vienna on Track

By Frederic C. Hof

If the Vienna Joint Communique of October 30, 2015 is to spur progress toward peace and political transition in Syria, the United States and its partners must first devise and agree upon a comprehensive collective strategy. With all respect to the dogged creativity of Secretary of State John Kerry, the administration’s eagerness for a deal […]

Syria
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