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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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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

In the News

Jun 29, 2015

Hof on Obama’s ISIS policy

By Frederic C. Hof

Business Insider quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof on how the Obama administration’s reluctance to intervene too much in Syria is ultimately helping ISIS strengthen its hold on parts of the country:

Iran Syria

MENASource

Jun 29, 2015

Are Syria’s Kurds America’s New Best Friend?

By Michael Stephens and Aaron Stein

The recent capture of the Syrian border town of Tal Abyad held by the fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), by Syrian Kurdish forces (known as the YPG) is a major development in the course of the war in Syria. The result is that Kurdish forces are now poised to […]

Syria Turkey

In the News

Jun 28, 2015

Stein: The YPG: America’s New Best Friend?

By Aaron Stein

Rafik Hariri Center Nonresident Fellow Aaron Stein cowrites for Al Jazeera on why despite the fact that the Kurds are good allies on paper, alienating Syria’s central regions may cause more trouble for the United States:

Syria

In the News

Jun 26, 2015

Itani on Lebanon’s Political Fragility

By Faysal Itani

Global Risk Insights quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Fellow Faysal Itani on the coalition holding Lebanon together as the war in Syria drags on: 

Middle East Syria

SyriaSource

Jun 24, 2015

Syria: Civilians Pay the Price

By Frederic C. Hof

Washington’s strategy to degrade and destroy the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in Syria entails a significant contribution from Syrian civilians: their lives.

Syria

In the News

Jun 24, 2015

Itani on #SummerinSyria

By Faysal Itani

BuzzFeed News compiles tweets on Syria’s #SummerinSyria campaign, including one from Rafik Hariri Center Resident Fellow Faysal Itani:

Syria

SyriaSource

Jun 23, 2015

Seizing the Opportunity for a Druze Realignment

By Faysal Itani and Abigail Kukura

Recent rebel victories in southern Syria highlight the role of the Druze in the Syrian conflict. As the war’s frontlines shift towards the minority’s core territories, the Druze will come under pressure to redefine their stance toward the rebellion.

Syria

In the News

Jun 23, 2015

Itani on Kurdish Victories

By Faysal Itani

The Telegraph quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Fellow Faysal Itani on how the Kurds’ rapid advance into Raqqa province has defied expectations of a protracted battle between Kurdish and ISIS fighters:

Syria

MENASource

Jun 22, 2015

The Implications of a Kurdish Victory Over ISIS in Tal Abyad

By Aaron Stein

Last week, Kurdish forces fighting for the Syria-based Democratic Union Party (PYD) wrested control of the border town of Tel Abyad from the Islamic State. The seizure of the town cut off a key supply line to the Islamic State’s de-facto capital in Raqqa and allowed for the unification of two Kurdish controlled cantons, Kobane […]

Syria Turkey

MENASource

Jun 17, 2015

Protecting Refugees in Protracted Emergencies in the Middle East

By Bill Frelick

Um Ghassan was eleven in 1948 when her family fled Haifa. They joined the Palestinian exodus to Jordan, and later moved to Syria. “They welcomed us like we were their relatives,” she said. Decades later, when fighting broke out in Syria in 2011, Um Ghassan initially stayed in her house. “I would never leave my […]

Iraq Libya

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