Syria

Giving Diplomacy in Syria a Chance

By Frederic C. Hof

During the first six years of conflict in Syria, American diplomats tried to bring order to chaos but found themselves disabled by a White House determined not to alienate Iran. Consciously or not, the Trump administration has resurrected American diplomacy as a potential player in the Syrian crisis. It did so by using military force […]

Shia Pakistani Fighters in Syria

By Ali Alfoneh

Among Tehran’s Shia proxies participating in the Syrian civil war in defense of the Assad regime, the Pakistani Zeinabiyoun Brigade remains the most understudied. This may in part be due to the militia’s small size and limited contribution to the war, and because of the militia’s attempt to remain invisible to the prying eyes of […]

Ending the War on Civilians: A Discussion with Syria’s White Helmets

By SyriaSource

On April 24, the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East was honored to host members of the Syrian Civil Defense, informally known as the White Helmets, for a discussion covering the war on civilians, the potential for safe zones, and a view from the ground of the conflict in Syria. Senior Fellow […]

‘Political Will’ Needed to End War in Syria

White Helmets seek safe zones to protect civilians As US sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime have failed to end the war in Syria, the international community must exercise the political will to do so—and, in the meantime, establish safe zones that would put civilians out of harm’s way, according to two members of […]

Bottom Up Development: Recreating a Civilian Syrian Police Force

By Ross Longton

The Syrian revolution has been, at least in part, a consequence of demands for a more transparent rule of law based on trust and legitimacy.

Russia’s Desperation for More Soldiers Is Taking It to Dark Places

By Valentyn Badrak, Lada Roslycky, Mykhailo Samus, and Volodymyr Kopchak

Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and intensive military operations in Syria have caused a very big problem: a shortage of qualified people to man its occupation forces. This personnel gap, caused by permanent, heavy losses suffered by Russia’s forces, has drastically changed the scale and character of its military missions. At the early stages of […]

Ending the War on Civilians: A Discussion with Syria’s White Helmets

By Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

On April 24, 2017, Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Faysal Itani moderated a discussion with Syria’s White Helmet’s Jehad Mahameed and Manal Abazeed on the war on civilians, the use of chemical weapons, and the case for a no-fly zone in southern Syria. Jehad Mahameed is the liaison officer of the Syria Civil Defense (SCD). […]

A Strike Does Not a Strategy Make: Trump, Tomahawks, and the Trouble with Targeted Tools

By Anthony Elghossain

President Donald Trump may have already missed the mark in Syria. A fortnight ago, in a process that was as perplexing as it was rapid, Trump reacted to the Assad regime’s attack on Khan Sheikhoun by inadvertently inverting the Obama administration’s approach to the Ghouta gassings in 2013. Even so, Trump has not crafted a […]