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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

Feb 14, 2017

Hof Testifies Before House Foreign Affairs Committee on Defeating Terrorism in Syria: A New Way Forward

By Frederic C. Hof

Watch the full hearing here.

Syria
Breaking Aleppo

Report

Feb 13, 2017

Breaking Aleppo

By Maks Czuperski, Emma Beals, Faysal Itani, Eliot Higgins, and Ben Nimmo

The DFRLab's report captures the final months of the breaking of Aleppo using innovative open source methodologies and geolocation analysis.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Feb 9, 2017

Hof in Foreign Policy: If Trump Wants Safe Zones in Syria, There Have to Be Boots on the Ground

By Frederic C. Hof

Read full article here.

Syria

MENASource

Feb 9, 2017

How Trump’s Executive Order Played Out in Cairo

By Jihad Abaza and Muhammed Al Kashef

US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on January 27, barring refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries—Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Iran, and Iraq—from entering the United States for at least 90 days, leaving refugee and immigrant communities in limbo. Trump’s Executive Order also suspends the US refugee resettlement program for 120 […]

North Africa Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 8, 2017

Resilience through Sport for Refugee Girls in Jordan

By Dominique Spencer

We know that conflict exacerbates existing gender inequalities within a society and disproportionately affects women and girls, many of whom experience abuses such as rape, domestic violence, early marriage, lack of educational opportunities, and harassment.

Syria

In the News

Feb 8, 2017

Hof in Defense News: Russia and Iran: Split over Syria?

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 8, 2017

Understanding How the Syrian Conflict Politicized Religious Identity

By Basma Alloush

The Syrian conflict has transformed Syrians’ identity by politicizing religion, forcing Syrians to either associate with or disassociate from their religion. To better understand this identity transformation in the Syrian diaspora, I interviewed twenty-seven Syrians that have fled the country. The sample size, although small, included Sunni Muslims, Christians, Alawites, Ismaelis, atheists, and agnostics. The […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Feb 7, 2017

PYD Governance in Northeastern Syria

By Emily Burchfield

The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) is an influential actor in the Syrian conflict. Yet the PYD was excluded from recent peace talks in Astana at the request of Turkey, who jointly backed the negotiations with Russia and Iran. Turkey designates the PYD as a terrorist organization due to its ties to the Kurdistan […]

Syria

In the News

Feb 6, 2017

Khoury Quoted by the New Arab on Turkey’s Position Change on Syria’s Assad

By Nabeel Khoury

Read the full article here.

Syria Turkey

In the News

Feb 6, 2017

Jones in Foreign Policy: Operation Provide Comfort: A Forgotten Mission with Possible Lessons for Syria

By General James L. Jones, Jr.

Read the full article here.

Syria

Experts