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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.

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New Atlanticist

Apr 28, 2016

Donald Trump: A ‘Dangerous’ Man

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Former US diplomat, R. Nicholas Burns, discusses GOP frontrunner’s foreign policy speech R. Nicholas Burns, an Atlantic Council board director who served as the State Department’s number three official in the George W. Bush administration, offered a searing critique of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s April 27 foreign policy speech in an interview with the […]

China European Union

SyriaSource

Apr 27, 2016

What We Lose as the Ceasefire Collapses

By Kenan Rahmani

This post is an interview with Kenan Rahmani, a Syrian American political and human rights activist and a member of the Syrian Network for Human Rights. He has traveled regularly to Syria throughout the conflict, his most recent trip being this past March. His observations give us insight into the benefits of the cessation of […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Apr 27, 2016

Growing Tensions in Northern Syria Threaten Regional Stability

By Mona Alami

The recent battles in the northern Aleppo between Syrian Arab rebels and the Islamic State (ISIS) around al-Rai underline the of importance the region and the difficulty of resolving the Arab-Kurdish rivalry. The growth of this sub-conflict could threaten any chances for long term stability in northern Syria.

Syria

In the News

Apr 27, 2016

Hof Quoted by the Christian Science Monitor on a ‘Plan B’ for Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

MENASource

Apr 26, 2016

ISIS and Turkey: The Rocket Threat to Kilis

By Aaron Stein

The Turkish town of Kilis, located just three miles from the Syrian border, has come under rocket fire from Islamic State (ISIS) controlled territory in Syria. The intensity of the rocket attacks increased since April putting upward pressure on the Turkish government to address the threat. According to an on-going Atlantic Council study, the rockets […]

Syria Turkey

In the News

Apr 26, 2016

Daniels Joins Rudaw to Discuss the Effect of US Troops on Syrian Kurds

By Owen Daniels

Watch the full story here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Apr 26, 2016

A Closer Look at the Educational System of ISIS

By Hosam al-Jablawi

Two years after the Islamic State (ISIS) seized Raqqa and a number of areas in Syria, it successfully asserted itself and its way of thinking on most aspects of city life. ISIS’s changes encompass the social, educational, and cultural institutions. To make these changes, ISIS has at times used coercion and compulsion, and at other […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Apr 26, 2016

Remarks of Ambassador Frederic C. Hof at the Aspen Ministers Forum

By Frederic C. Hof

Ambassador Hof attended the Aspen Ministers Forum in Oslo, Norway, and on April 22 he opened the conference with a talk about Syria. The conference focused on the migrant crisis and featured the participation of about 20 former foreign ministers, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Syria

SyriaSource

Apr 26, 2016

#5YearsWeFled: Putting Your Life in a Dinghy

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

Apr 25, 2016

A Kurdish Youth Initiative to Unify the Kurds’ Political Vision?

By Jiwan Soz

Young Syrian Kurds launched a new initiative on April 1 to give voice to the Kurdish youth who demand a unified Kurdish position amongst political movements in Syria. Those in charge of the initiative said, “This initiative is not a movement, a political party, or a new organization. And it will not become one. The […]

Syria

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