Syria

Rebel Commander Implores Obama to Protect the Syrian People, Take Action Against Assad

In a written appeal to US President Barack Obama, Syrian Supreme Military Council leader General Salim Idris calls for international support to protect the Syrian people and rid the world of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Download the PDF

Syria and Geneva: No Precondition, but a Certain Result

By Frederic C. Hof

US President Barack Obama’s Syria-related objective remains one of negotiated political transition consistent with what the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P5) decided in Geneva in June 2012. It is important, therefore, to understand what was actually agreed.

The Economics of Civil War in Syria

By Faysal Itani

Without foreign military intervention or a substantial boost in military support for the rebels, the civil war in Syria will probably destroy its state and economy. This has spurred much discussion in policy circles about Syria’s postwar reconstruction and economic recovery, which could cost an estimated $80 billion. Much of it has rightly focused on […]

The No-Fly Zone Conundrum

By Frederic C. Hof

Since the very start of armed resistance to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad there have been demands that US President Barack Obama declare and impose a no-fly zone over parts of Syria. Over the past several months these demands have increased exponentially, as the regime has established a deadly pattern of terror: when […]

The Syrian National Fund: One of Many Tools to Save Syria

By Hussein M. El-Amach

Saving Syria is conditional on the immediate and total removal of the Assad regime, by force or via political settlement. Otherwise, dragging on the stalemate will leave nothing to be saved. The cost of the Arab Spring in Syria has been catastrophic in comparison to other countries. Syria has suffered severe destruction at the hands […]