Featured reading

Top News: October 29, 2015

New Atlanticist
Dec 8, 2024

Experts react: Rebels have toppled the Assad regime. What’s next for Syria, the Middle East, and the world?

By
Atlantic Council experts

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been ousted as opposition forces quickly took the Syrian capital. Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the developments.

Conflict
Corruption

Top News: October 29, 2015

Fast Thinking
Dec 8, 2024

Assad has fallen. Now what?

By
Atlantic Council

The power shift in Syria will reverberate across the Middle East and the world. Our experts explain what’s next.

Conflict
Iran

Top News: October 29, 2015

New Atlanticist
Dec 9, 2024

Dispatch from Doha: Assad’s fall, Iran’s weakness, and the impact of unintended consequences

By
Jonathan Panikoff

In just six months, Iran has slid from a position of strength to perhaps the weakest it has been since 1979.

Conflict
Iran

Top News: October 29, 2015

MENASource
Dec 10, 2024

Where Syria goes next after the fall of Assad

By
Frederic C. Hof

With the Assad family agone, Syria, at long last, has a chance to achieve the kind of political transition envisioned by the 2012 Geneva Final Communique and UNSCR 2254.

Conflict
Middle East

Top News: October 29, 2015

New Atlanticist
Dec 10, 2024

A blueprint for bringing about a new Syria

By
Kirsten Fontenrose

For a reconstruction strategy in Syria to be effective, all parties must adopt a unified approach that is clear-eyed about the country’s new leaders.

Crisis Management
International Organizations

Explore our Syria work

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.


Group of world leaders sitting around table set up.

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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Featured experts

Leadership

Fellow


Qutaiba Idlbi


Resident Senior Fellow, Syria

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economic Sanctions
Entrepreneurship

Fellows

Fellow


Michel Duclos


Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Conflict
Crisis Management

Fellow


Arwa Damon


Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow


Ömer Özkizilcik


Nonresident Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
English

Fellow


Sinan Hatahet


Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Economic Sanctions

Former fellow


Hind Kabawat


Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow


Diana Rayes 


Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Civil Society

Past events

Event Recap

Oct 30, 2023

Addressing the captagon crisis in MENA: Strategies & Challenges

By
Diane Mohamed and Rachel Friedman

The Syria Program hosted a panel discussion taking stock of current captagon landscape in Syria and captagon’s place within the global illicit supply chain.

Corruption
Crisis Management

Public Event
Thu, September 28, 2023 • 12:20 pm ET

Addressing the captagon crisis in MENA: Strategies & challenges

Civil Society
Corruption
Economy & Business
Freedom and Prosperity

Public Event
Wed, July 19, 2023 • 9:00 am ET

How can the United States counter normalization with Assad in the Middle East

Civil Society
Human Rights
International Organizations
Middle East

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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.

EXPLORE THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL’S MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS

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Content

SyriaSource

Oct 29, 2015

Top News: October 29, 2015

By SyriaSource

Increased strikes kill thirty-five in Syria hospitalsFour-way Syria talks begin in Vienna; Syria criticizes Saudi ArabiaChina, Germany call for political solution in Syria; Russia opposes resolution on barrel bombsMonitoring group reports Russian raids in Syria’s south for first timeTurkey marks 92nd Republic Day amidst deep political, social strainMembers of Iraq’s ruling coalition threaten to withdraw […]

Syria

In the News

Oct 28, 2015

Hof on the Obama Administration’s Response to Syria

By Frederic Hof

Rafik Hariri Center Resident Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof joins CNN to discuss the Obama administration’s response to the crisis in Syria and why the administration needs to rethink its strategy:

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 28, 2015

Top News: October 28, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Iran to join international Syria talks– ISIS advances on regime town in north Syria– Syria war costs oil industry over $50 billion – UN programs struggle to meet needs of Syrian refugees– Iraq says did not ask for US ground operations– ISIS behind October 10 Ankara massacre, says Turkey’s chief prosecutor

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 28, 2015

Iran and the Syrian Political Transition

By Frederic C. Hof

Whether or not Iran will accept an invitation to Syria-related discussions in Vienna this Friday with the United States, Russia, and others remains unknown, at least to the Department of State spokesman. Clearly Iran is a “stakeholder” in the Syrian conflict and a party vitally interested in that conflict’s outcome. Given its deep and abiding […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 27, 2015

Top News: October 27, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Obama weighs moving US troops closer to front lines in Syria, Iraq– Russians, Iranians killed in Syria– ISIS blows up columns in Syria’s Palmyra while executing three captives– France hosts Syria talks on Tuesday– UN says 120,000 displaced in Syria in October– Oman minister meets Assad to discuss conflict– Turkey fires at Kurdish forces […]

Syria

In the News

Oct 27, 2015

Alami on ISIS and Turkish Attacks

By Mona Alami

Rafik Hariri Center Nonresident Fellow Mona Alami writes for Asharq Al-Awsat on ISIS efforts to take advantage of Russian air strikes on the Syrian opposition and Turkish attacks on Kurdish forces: 

Syria Turkey

In the News

Oct 27, 2015

Slavin: UNHCR Head: It’s Time for Europe to Get Its Act Together

By Barbara Slavin

South Asia Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Barbara Slavin writes for Al Monitor on outgoing UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres’ comments on the need to find a solution to the war and migrant crisis in Syria: 

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 27, 2015

Ends and Means in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

With well over four-million refugees and roughly double that number internally displaced, Syria is an apt subject for the question, ‘How much worse can it get?’ The answer is much worse. With Russia now engaged militarily in an attempt to create for Syrians and the world a purely binary choice between two horrific criminal enterprises—the […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 26, 2015

Considering the Prospects for a Kurdish Alliance with Russia in Syria

By Daryus al-Darwish

Russia’s recent intervention in the Syrian crisis will create new circumstances to which the Kurdish forces must respond and adopt a position. Whatever the Kurds decide will alter the current equation and ultimate outcome of the Syrian crisis.

Syria

SyriaSource

Oct 26, 2015

Top News: October 26, 2015

By Syria Source

– France to present UN resolution banning use of Syrian barrel bombs– Russia says it wants Syria elections, ready to help Free Syrian Army– New FSA alliance formed in southern Syria; Syrian regime battles ISIS for Aleppo supply line– United States, Saudi Arabia to bolster support for moderate Syrian opposition– Nine killed in raid on ISIS cell in Turkey– Suicide bomber […]

Syria
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Experts

Fellow

Amany Qaddour 

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes 

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Lukas Andriukaitis

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Nicholas Blanford

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Alia Brahimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society
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