Syria

Economic Sanctions
Entrepreneurship

Fellow

Michel Duclos

Conflict
Crisis Management

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow

Ömer Özkizilcik

Nonresident Fellow

Arabic
English

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Arabic
Economic Sanctions

Former fellow

Hind Kabawat

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes

Online Event
Thu, December 19, 2024 • 12:30 pm ET

Arabic
Civil Society

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

Allies concerned about a diminished US global presence

NATOSource

Get Ready, the Indispensable Americans are Pulling Back

By Gideon Rachman, Financial Times

[T]he most important emerging theme in world politics is America’s slow retreat from its role as global policeman.

France Israel

New Atlanticist

Some Good News from the Syria Talks

By New Atlanticist

Syria’s opposition movement made a credible start toward establishing itself as a serious interlocutor, one of two positive developments from the opening of UN-sponsored peace talks on the Syrian civil war that are noted by Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof. The other good news, writes Hof, is that Secretary of State John Kerry made clear […]

Syria

MENASource

Syria: Geneva II, Day One

By Frederic C. Hof

Thanks in part to a long, repetitive, rambling, and vitriolic statement by the representative of the Syrian government at the opening of the Geneva II peace conference in Montreux, Syria’s opposition made a good start toward achieving one of its goals: to be regarded by the international community as a serious, worthy, and relevant interlocutor.

Syria

In the News

Hof on Geneva II Prospects

By Frederic C. Hof

Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof is quoted by Al Arabiya on the prospects of the Geneva II peace conference resulting in the ouster of Bashar al-Assad:

Syria

MENASource

Jan 22, 2014

Syria: Is there a Constructive Role for Iran?

By Frederic C. Hof

The recent furor over the aborted United Nations invitation of Iran to the Geneva 2 conference on Syria, convening today in Montreux, Switzerland, provided a comic opera distraction from a central reality: the role of Iran in the survival of Syria’s Assad regime is absolutely vital.

Syria

MENASource

Jan 22, 2014

Syria Needs a Truce Before Talks About its Future Can Begin

By Frederic C. Hof

Syria’s 23 million people have little to gain from the talks that are scheduled to begin in Switzerland on Wednesday. Until the Assad regime agrees to unimpeded access for UN humanitarian aid workers, there will be no basis for dialogue and compromise.

Syria

New Atlanticist

Syria Talks Could Clarify an Alternative to Assad

By New Atlanticist

The “Geneva II” peace talks on Syria that begin this week under UN auspices have “absolutely zero” chance of achieving their formal goal – the creation of a transition to a new government – according to Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof. But, Hof told reporters in a briefing at the Council, the talks […]

Syria

In the News

Hof: US Must Stand Firm at Syria Peace Talks

By Frederic C. Hof

Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof writes in the New Republic on the Geneva II peace conference:

Syria

NATOSource

Europe’s Sole Military Force: Giving France Respect Where it is Due

By Gregor Peter Schmitz, Spiegel

In Damascus, Tehran, Tripoli and even Washington, Paris is taken very seriously indeed.

Africa Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Resident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Assad Goes into Geneva with the Upper Hand

By Rajan Menon

It would certainly be wonderful if Wednesday’s peace conference in Geneva were to result in some kind of blueprint, however fragile, for winding down a Syrian civil war that is now approaching the three-year mark. The carnage has consumed some 130,000 lives — at least half of them civilians — turned 2.4 million Syrians into […]

Syria

Experts

Fellow

Ibrahim Al-Assil

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Marie Forestier

Arabic French

Fellow

Amany Qaddour

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Lukas Andriukaitis

Nonresident Fellow

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project