Syria

Arabic
Conflict

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Arabic
Economic Sanctions

Fellow

Ömer Özkizilcik

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Arabic
English

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow

Amany Qaddour

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow

Nadia Farra

Cybersecurity
Defense Technologies

Expert

Gregory Waters

Democratic Transitions
Middle East

Fellow

Marie Forestier

Arabic
French

Fellow

Samir Altaqi

Online Event
Thu, December 19, 2024 • 7:30 am ET

Arabic
Middle East

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

Content

SyriaSource

Jul 14, 2015

Syria’s Hidden Crisis (Part II)

By Valerie Szybala

The Syrian government has trapped hundreds of thousands of its own people in besieged areas, intentionally depriving them of food, medicine, electricity, and water, as a cruel tactic of war. Despite the inhumane conditions they have been living with for years now, the people of these areas have received little help from the international community.

Syria

In the News

Jul 12, 2015

Hof on Training Syrian Opposition Fighters

By Fred Hof

The Los Angeles Times quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof on US difficulties in creating an effective Syrian fighting force to counter ISIS:

Syria

Article

Jul 10, 2015

Syria’s worsening refugee crisis demands action from the West

By Nicholas Burns and David Miliband

The Obama administration and its European allies are confronted by multiple crises in an increasingly turbulent and violent Middle East — the Iran nuclear threat, a strengthening Islamic State and the disintegration of Iraq, Yemen and Libya as functioning nation-states. But no problem is as difficult, grave or pivotal as the brutal, bloody and worsening […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 10, 2015

Syrian No-Fly Zone: From Slogans to Details

By Frederic C. Hof

The Washington Post, on July 10th,contained an impressive commentary authored by Atlantic Council Director Nicholas Burns and International Rescue Committee CEO David Miliband. In Syria’s Worsening Refugee Crisis Demands Action from the West, the authors argue—among other things—that, “The debate about a no-fly zone across Syria to protect civilians from the Assad government’s deadly ‘barrel bombs’ needs to […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 9, 2015

Trouble in Train-and-Equip Land

By Frederic C. Hof

On July 7, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter revealed to incredulous members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Pentagon is currently training sixty Syrian anti-Assad rebels to fight the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL). Even in the context of a train-and-equip program that has aimed fatally low from the outset—some 15,000 fighters over […]

Syria

In the News

Jul 9, 2015

Itani on Recruiting Syrian Rebels

By Faysal Itani

The National quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Fellow Faysal Itani on the vetting process involved in US recruitment of Syrian rebels to combat ISIS:

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 7, 2015

Syria’s Hidden Crisis (Part I)

By Valerie Szybala

The conflict in Syria has trapped hundreds of thousands of civilians in parts of Homs and Damascus, besieged by their own government for years. They struggle to survive, facing shortages of basic goods including food, water, and medicine while continuing to endure violent aerial attacks.

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 6, 2015

US Human Rights Report on Syria Portends a Merciless 2015

By Andrea Taylor

The 2014 Syria Report on Human Rights Practices released on June 25, 2015 describes at length—and sometimes in graphic detail—the egregious violations taking place in Syria.

Syria

In the News

Jul 5, 2015

Khoury: The Rise of the ISIS

By Nabeel Khoury

Rafik Hariri Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Nabeel Khoury writes for The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, reviewing journalist Patrick Cockburn’s book which records his observations on the ground in Syria and Iraq:

Iraq
Syria

MENASource

Jul 2, 2015

A Unilateral Turkish Intervention in Syria?

By Aaron Stein and Faysal Itani

In recent weeks, Syrian Kurdish fighters made substantial territorial gains in northern Syria, along the Turkish border.

Syria
Turkey

Experts

Fellow

Beth Van Schaack

Distinguished Fellow

Human Rights International Norms

Expert

Gregory Waters

Democratic Transitions Middle East

Fellow

Nadia Farra

Cybersecurity Defense Technologies

Fellow

Samir Altaqi

Arabic Middle East

Fellow

Colin Brooks

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Iran Middle East

Fellow

Anthony J. Ruggiero