Syria

Economic Sanctions
Entrepreneurship

Fellows

Fellow

Michel Duclos

Conflict
Crisis Management

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow

Ömer Özkizilcik

Nonresident Fellow

Arabic
English

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Arabic
Economic Sanctions

Former fellow

Hind Kabawat

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes

Online Event
Thu, December 19, 2024 • 12:30 pm ET

Arabic
Civil Society

Past events

Putin loses in Syria. Is Russia in retreat?

Conflict
Europe & Eurasia
Middle East
Russia

Online Event
Tue, May 21, 2024 • 10:30 am ET

Exploring investment opportunities in northwest Syria

Conflict
Economic Sanctions
Economy & Business
Financial Regulation

Event Recap

Mar 29, 2024

Launching the Syria Strategy Project

By
JP Reppeto and Charles Johnson

On March 18, 2024, the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project, the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program, the European Institute of Peace, and Madaniya Civil Society Network launched the Syria Strategy, an intensive process of engagement with subject matter experts and policymakers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to […]

Civil Society
Conflict

Learn more about the Middle East Programs

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.

EXPLORE THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL’S MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS

Sign up for the MENASource newsletter, highlighting pieces that follow democratic transitions and economic changes throughout the region.

Content

SyriaSource

May 27, 2016

Nusra Front Accuses US of Betraying Syrian Revolution, Calls for Continuing Jihad

By SyriaSource

In a video recording released by the Nusra Front yesterday, titled Advancing in Your Victory, Sheikh Abdallah Atwan, nicknamed Abu Abdallah al-Shami and member of the Nusra Front’s Shura Council, accuses the United States of betraying the Syrian revolution and changing its attitudes toward the Assad regime and its allies. This article reviews the most […]

Syria

Bremain vs Brexit

May 25, 2016

Europe Facing a ‘Stress Test’

By Ashish Kumar Sen

British ambassador makes the case for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union Europe is facing a “stress test” in the form of challenges from a “belligerent” Russia, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a historic influx of migrants, high rates of unemployment, and low levels of trust in European institutions, the […]

European Union International Organizations

MENASource

May 25, 2016

The Non-Option of Disengagement from the Middle East

By Frederic C. Hof

In 2003 American forces successfully took Baghdad, but without the benefit of a ‘day after’ civil-military stabilization plan. The unintended results: a chaotic occupation, a vicious insurgency, the premature withdrawal of the United States from Iraq in 2011, and the subsequent rise of the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh). This and other disappointments—Libya 2011 (again […]

Iraq Libya

In the News

Stein Quoted by Financial Times on ISIS Strategy in Syria

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Syria

In the News

Itani Quoted by Middle East Eye on US Support for Kurds in Syria

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

#5YearsWeFled: Help at Every Turn

By Ayman Jalwan

This series is from interviews with the lawyer Ayman Jalwan. It highlights the difficult choice that Syrians face—dying in the war zone that Syria had become, or flee the land he loved. Last year, he and his wife said goodbye to their families and joined the wave of citizens leaving the country. First they had […]

Syria

SyriaSource

An Offer Well Worth Refusing

By Frederic C. Hof

On May 20, 2016 Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed that the United States and Russia coordinate air strikes against Nusra Front positions in northwestern Syria. Shoigu helpfully added that his proposal had been coordinated with the Assad regime in Damascus. His initiative represents an opening shot, as it were, in Russia’s attempt to forge […]

Syria

SyriaSource

May 20, 2016

Political Development as a Response to the Conflict in Syria

By Sarah Sheikh Ali

Of the five aspects of development, projects in Syria lack focus on political development, favoring projects of a social, economic, cultural, or environmental nature. In Syria, the spread of selective economic and social services projects without any political development component hinders development work from supporting the resolution of the larger conflict in Syria and sub-conflicts. […]

Syria

SyriaSource

May 19, 2016

The Latest from Vienna

By Frederic C. Hof

The International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) met in Vienna on May 17, 2016 and issued a statement summing up its work. The language of the statement on civilian protection and humanitarian access is positive and assertive. Russia and Iran have agreed on paper to things of potentially great significance in terms of reducing violence and […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

May 19, 2016

A ‘Shortsighted’ US Embrace

By Ashish Kumar Sen

For Obama administration, anti-terrorism agenda comes at the cost of human rights when picking partners, says Human Rights Watch’s Kenneth Roth The Obama administration has, in the conduct of its war against terrorism, embraced a “shortsighted” approach that sets aside a democratic agenda and overlooks human rights abuses committed by some of its closest allies […]

North Africa Saudi Arabia

Experts

Fellow

Amany Qaddour

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Lukas Andriukaitis

Nonresident Fellow

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Nicholas Blanford

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Alia Brahimi