Syria Program Commentary & Analysis

Event Recap

Oct 30, 2023

Addressing the captagon crisis in MENA: Strategies & Challenges

By Diane Mohamed and Rachel Friedman

The Syria Program hosted a panel discussion taking stock of current captagon landscape in Syria and captagon’s place within the global illicit supply chain.

Corruption Crisis Management

Podcast

Oct 26, 2023

Prosecuting the Wagner Group

By Alia Brahimi

Host and Nonresident Senior Fellow Alia Brahimi speaks with international human rights lawyer Jason McCue about the legal mechanisms available to prosecute the Wagner Group.

Conflict Crisis Management

MENASource

Oct 16, 2023

Is captagon going to halt the Arab normalization deal with Syria? An expert weighs-in

By Holly Dagres

New Lines Institute’s Caroline Rose was interviewed by our MENASource editor about the captagon crisis plaguing the region and what can be done to curb the illicit trade of the popular drug.

Economy & Business Middle East

Podcast

Sep 21, 2023

Tracking mercenaries

By Alia Brahimi

Host and Nonresident Senior Fellow Alia Brahimi speaks with investigative journalist Eliot Higgins about his open-source investigations into mercenary warfare

Conflict Crisis Management

MENASource

Sep 5, 2023

The uprising in Sweida will continue until the regime changes in Syria

By Rima Flihan

These demonstrations call for a change in the Syrian regime and the full implementation of UNSC Resolution 2254.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Aug 24, 2023

No quick fixes for the Middle East’s captagon crisis

By Karam Shaar

Counter-captagon policies should look further ahead and deeper into the causes of the demand in the first place.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Jun 28, 2023

The Wagner rebellion is over—for now. But how will the events reverberate in the Middle East and North Africa?

By Mark N. Katz

The June 23-24 rebellion led by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin—aimed, he claimed, at replacing the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov (not Russian President Vladimir Putin)—has ended. However, reverberations from it are likely to continue being felt beyond Russia, such as in the Middle East and North […]

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

MENASource

Jun 20, 2023

‘Any nationality just not Syrian’: Refugee deportations surge in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey

By Arwa Damon

While Syria’s neighboring countries have long been struggling to host their Syrian refugee populations, with many, like Lebanon, being in a complete crisis of their own, the sheer lack of care provided to refugees is inhumane.

Civil Society Human Rights

MENASource

Jun 12, 2023

<strong>I work in Syrian civil society. There were gaps in our performance after the February 6 earthquake.</strong>

By Kenda Hawasli

It is clear that humanitarian response planning in Syria requires a full review process that reconsiders existing approaches and involves local partners while listening to their experiences.

Civil Society Crisis Management

MENASource

Jun 9, 2023

Assad is appointing new military officials to escape sanctions on Syria

By Muhsen AlMustafa

Of the thirty Syrian army and security officers in new leadership positions, only two are blacklisted. This indicates a significant gap.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Middle East