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Syria Project

Our work on Syria sheds light on the ongoing struggle of Syrians to fulfill their desire for democratic self-governance as the United States and the international community grapple with the aftermath of a devastating civil war, millions of refugees across the Middle East and Europe, and ongoing security and political challenges spilling over Syria’s borders.


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Syria Strategy Project

The Atlantic Council, Middle East Institute, and European Institute of Peace collaborate with subject matter experts and policymakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to sustainably forge a pathway to resolving Syria’s crisis.

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Middle East Programs

Working with our allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

Content

In the News

Jun 7, 2017

Hof Quoted by Iran Focus on the Role of the Tanf Border in the Syrian Conflict

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Jun 6, 2017

The Rise of Katibat Dir’ al-Watan: A Journey to the Lebanon-Syria Border Areas

By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

Four years ago, Lebanon’s north-eastern borderlands with Syria came to the forefront of media attention as the entry point for Hezbollah fighters to participate in the battle to capture the key Homs countryside town of al-Qusayr from Syrian rebels. Though there had already been reports of Hezbollah ‘martyrs’ through fighting in Syria, al-Qusayr was the […]

Syria

In the News

Jun 6, 2017

Hof Quoted by the Christian Science Monitor on the Role of the US in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria
Fighters of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham cheer on a pick up truck near the wreckage of a Russian helicopter that had been shot down in the north of Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, Syria August 1, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah

SyriaSource

Jun 2, 2017

What Is the Future of the Moderate Opposition?

By Hosam al-Jablawi

Since the Assad regime’s victory in Aleppo, the battlefield has moved to Idlib province, where armed groups opposed to Assad are battling for influence and a say in the future of the area. The first upshot of that struggle was that the extremist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly the Nusra Front) ousted several moderate Syrian […]

Syria
Protesters carry opposition flags as they march along a street during an anti-government protest in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret al-Numan town in Idlib province, Syria March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

SyriaSource

Jun 2, 2017

Idlib Is Becoming a Collective Home for the Opposition, Including Non-Syrian Jihadists

By Saleem al-Omar

The convoys of rebels arriving one after the other in Idlib, such as those coming from Hay al-Waer in Homs and the Damascus suburb of Qaboun, will not be the last. The regime has succeeded in turning Idlib into a hope for the remaining Syrian opposition as they are driven out of other areas. Turkey […]

Syria

In the News

Jun 1, 2017

Stein Quoted by Al-Monitor on Kurdish Progress in Raqqa

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Syria

In the News

May 28, 2017

Itani Quoted by the Arab Weekly on United States Involvement in the War in Syria

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here.

Syria

Defense Industrialist

May 27, 2017

Exports and end-use

By James Hasik

We can ask the US Army to arm, advise, and assist its allies in the Iraqi Army, or we can ask the Army to consolidate its spreadsheets. For Iraqis, this fight is existential, and I’d rather they simply crushed ISIS. Wars may be audits themselves, but wars this hot may be no time for audits.

Arms Control Defense Industry

In the News

May 26, 2017

Itani Quoted by Arab News on the United States and Iran in Syria

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

May 24, 2017

Securing Eastern Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

American airstrikes on a pro-Assad regime, Iranian-backed militia on May 18th and a Department of Defense press briefing on the following day provided clues of how the campaign to liberate eastern Syria—especially the Euphrates River Valley (which includes the cities of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor)—from ISIS (ISIL, Daesh, Islamic State) is shaping up. A key […]

Syria

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