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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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Content

In the News

Nov 23, 2014

Hof on Key Players in Syrian Conflict

By Frederic C. Hof

Huffington Post quotes Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic Hof on the role of Iran and the Obama administration in the ongoing conflict in Syria:

Iran Syria

MENASource

Nov 21, 2014

Syria: Can Washington and Ankara Get on the Same Page?

By Frederic C. Hof

Although Turkey is part of the anti-Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) coalition, it has attached a condition to its full participation in and support of military operations against the forces of the self-proclaimed caliph.

Syria

Event Recap

Nov 20, 2014

Ex-US Officials Urge Broadened US Strategy in Syria, Iraq Wars

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Ground Forces Will Be Needed, General James Jones Says Ground troops, perhaps even Special Forces, will ultimately be required to defeat the Islamist militant army of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, General James L. Jones told the Atlantic Council’s Energy & Economic Summit in Istanbul today. Jones, a former national security advisor in the Obama […]

Iraq Syria

In the News

Nov 18, 2014

Hof on No-Fly Zones in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

The Daily Telegraph quotes Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic Hof on creating buffer zones for Syrian refugees:

Syria

Article

Nov 17, 2014

Hezbollah in a Time of Transition

By Bilal Y. Saab and Daniel Byman

With the Middle East in flux and sectarianism on the rise, the Lebanese group finds itself overtaxed and on the defensive. Read Now (PDF) The Syrian conflict is transforming the Lebanese Hezbollah. A movement that long claimed to transcend sectarianism is now the longest pole in the Syrian regime’s tent, and has become a bogeyman […]

Middle East Syria

In the News

Nov 17, 2014

Itani on the Fate of Aleppo

By Faysal Itani

The Daily Beast quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Fellow Faysal Itani on whether the Syrian city of Aleppo is likely to fall to the Assad regime:

Syria

MENASource

Nov 17, 2014

Moving from Words to Action in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

In his Brisbane, Australia press conference at the end of the G20 summit, President Barack Obama sought, through a simple rhetorical expedient, to put an end to rumors that the United States would collaborate with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as […]

Syria

MENASource

Nov 12, 2014

Countering ISIS: Obama Administration Strategy

By Frederic C. Hof

At Andrews Joint Base on March 14, 2014 President Barack Obama told visiting uniformed defense chiefs that a key aspect of destroying the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS, also known as ISIL and the Islamic State) would be the promotion of moderate, legitimate governance inside Syria; governance that would ultimately be extended to […]

Syria

MENASource

Nov 10, 2014

Reassuring the Supreme Leader?

By Frederic C. Hof

The Wall Street Journal published a report by Jay Solomon and Carol Lee on November 6, saying that in mid-October of this year President Barack Obama dispatched a secret letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Iran Syria

In the News

Nov 8, 2014

Hof on Iran’s Involvement in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Al Arabiya quotes Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic Hof on President Obama’s letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:

Iran Syria

Experts