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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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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.

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Content

SyriaSource

May 6, 2016

Aleppo: A View from Idlib

By Saleem al-Omar

These days, Idlib residents all have their eyes fixed on the sky following the fighter jets heading north to strike Aleppo. The air strikes destroyed Al-Quds hospital and the infrastructure in Aleppo. Local residents are fearful of a looming war in Idlib that will have the same fate as Aleppo.

Syria

MENASource

May 5, 2016

Operations in the Manbij Pocket: Finding A Way Forward in the War against ISIS

By Aaron Stein

The Islamic State (ISIS) threat to Turkey has increased considerably in recent months, following an increase in rocket attacks on the Turkish city of Kilis and the deliberate targeting of Turkish tanks and artillery near Karkamış. The rise of the Islamic State threat prompted Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, to underscore the need to clear […]

Iraq Syria

In the News

May 5, 2016

Stein Quoted by Foreign Policy on US-Turkey Relationship in Syria

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Syria Turkey

SyriaSource

May 5, 2016

Keeping Syria in Focus

By Frederic C. Hof

On May 11, I will become Director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East. Leading an extraordinarily talented cadre of Hariri Center colleagues in their quest to understand the dynamics of change in the Middle East-North Africa region and to identify how the United States and its transatlantic partners can influence […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

May 4, 2016

US Middle East Policy Must Include Allies and Adversaries

By Danielle Leopold

A sustainable US Middle East policy should include closer cooperation with longstanding allies—including the United Kingdom and France—but also a strategic dialogue with adversaries such as Russia and China, according to Bilal Y. Saab, a Senior Fellow for Middle East Security at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security. In light of the […]

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

May 4, 2016

Hof Interviewed by The National Interest on US Role in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full interview here.

Syria

SyriaSource

May 3, 2016

Saving the Ceasefire, Moving Forward

By Frederic C. Hof

Secretary of State John Kerry is investing quality time trying to salvage the “cessation of hostilities” in Syria that began on February 26. For much of March, violence—particularly attacks on civilians—subsided and the United Nations was able to move a modicum of humanitarian aid into desperately needy Syrian communities. But violence is now on the […]

Syria

SyriaSource

May 3, 2016

The EU-Turkey Deal: View from Greece

By Miriam Berger

Shahira, 57, from Deir Ezzor knows that there’s a widespread refugee fatigue: the numbers—over one million people fleeing by sea to Europe just in 2015—have overwhelmed western countries and publics. She also knows painfully well that—despite the strong efforts of many—Europe’s system is failing Syrians like her. Spend just a day in the Greece she’s […]

Syria

In the News

May 3, 2016

Hof Quoted by Business Insider on the Collapse of the Syrian Peace Talks

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

Issue Brief

May 3, 2016

Turkey’s Syria predicament

By Faysal Itani and Aaron Stein

Turkey has been the most engaged regional player in northern Syria and is the external actor most responsible for the emergence of the opposition to the Syrian regime. In “Turkey’s Syria Predicament,” authors Faysal Itani and Aaron Stein of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East examine Turkey’s involvement, its implications for […]

Syria Turkey

Experts