Middle East

Analysis: The Fifth Corps and the State of the Syrian Army

By Abdulrahman al-Masri

On November 22, the General Command of the Syrian Army announced the formation of its first official volunteer-based military force, the Fifth Assault Corps. The official statement described it as a commando force aimed at “fighting terrorism,” which would be deployed alongside other army units and foreign allied forces (but did not specify where). Among […]

Trump Has Tweeted Himself into a Red Line, Says Lindsey Graham

In order to end the war on terror and attain a lasting peace in the Middle East, as well as protect US security interests, Donald Trump’s administration must invest in long-term solutions, or face the consequences down the road, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on January 10. “To protect what we have here, we have […]

The Tillerson Hearing: What Was Said about the Middle East

By Elissa Miller and Emily Burchfield

On January 11, President Elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, participated in a marathon nine-hour confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee members pressed the former ExxonMobil CEO on a host of issues, including his reported ties to Russia and his views on extremism.

Combating Al-Qaeda in Syria: A Strategy for the Next President

By Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

On Thursday, January 12, 2017 the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted a panel discussion on a strategy for the next administration for combating al-Qaeda in Syria. The panel included Jennifer Cafarella, lead intelligence planner at the Institute for the Study of War; Sasha Ghosh Siminoff, president and co-founder of People Demand Change; […]

Escaping from Deir Ezzor

By Emily Burchfield

On December 27, Syrian media group Justice for Life Observatory in Deir Ezzor (JFL) published a report on the challenges facing civilians living in and fleeing from Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh)-occupied areas in Deir Ezzor. In early 2016, the Islamic State seized large swaths of the eastern province, establishing a conduit between the […]

Trump’s National Security Advisor Seeks to Reassure Allies

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President-elect Donald Trump’s national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, on January 10 sought to reassure US allies of the incoming administration’s commitment to alliances. Flynn said the incoming National Security Council’s mission, guided by Trump’s vision to “make America great again,” will be supported by an overarching policy of “peace through […]

What’s Behind Labeling the Events in Syria a “Civil War”?

By Hasan Arfeh

Many changes have taken place in the editorial practices of global and Arab media regarding Syria since the start of the 2011 revolution against the regime. But one shift which has become fixed—especially in the West—is describing what is occurring in the country as a civil war. This term began to appear in major international […]

Press Law in Egypt Diminishes Hopes for Independent Media

By Khaled Dawoud

Shortly after unprecedented jail terms were issued against leading members of Egypt’s Press Syndicate, President AbdelFattah al-Sisi approved a new press law, sparking further concern over the future of a relatively independent media in the country.