Recent analysis

Obama’s Confusing Syria Calculus

MENASource
Dec 8, 2025

States shouldn’t waste the chance to establish a Syria Victims Fund

By
Kate Springs, Celeste Kmiotek

A centralized fund would better support victims of international law violations in Syria, who face unique challenges.

Democratic Transitions
International Norms

Obama’s Confusing Syria Calculus

MENASource
Dec 7, 2025

One year after Assad’s fall, here’s what’s needed to advance justice for Syrians

By
Elise Baker and Ahmad Helmi

The second year of a post-Assad Syria requires structural reform, victim-centered leadership, and international reinforcement.

Democratic Transitions
International Norms

Obama’s Confusing Syria Calculus

MENASource
Dec 7, 2025

Syria’s civil society must take center stage in reconstruction

By
Tara Kangarlou and Merissa Khurma

One year since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria stands to have the most potential to showcase how local ownership can accelerate reconstruction.

Civil Society
Middle East

Explore our Syria work

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.


Group of world leaders sitting around table set up.

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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Featured experts

Fellow


Ibrahim Al-Assil


Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Conflict

Fellow


Sinan Hatahet


Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Economic Sanctions

Fellow


Ömer Özkizilcik


Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
English

Fellow


Arwa Damon


Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow


Diana Rayes 


Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow


Amany Qaddour 


Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Civil Society

Fellow


Nadia Farra


Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Cybersecurity
Defense Technologies

Expert


Gregory Waters


Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Democratic Transitions
Middle East

Fellow


Marie Forestier 


Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
French

Fellow


Samir Altaqi


Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic
Middle East

Past events

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

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

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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

New Atlanticist

Jun 18, 2013

Obama’s Confusing Syria Calculus

By Rajan Menon

There’s something morally perplexing about President Obama’s stance on the war in Syria. It’s not any clearer in its strategic logic.

Security & Defense
Syria

New Atlanticist

Jun 12, 2013

Can the West Afford Not to Act in Syria?

By Ulrich Speck

The civil war in Syria reveals many uncomfortable truths about today’s geopolitics. One of them is that the EU has made little progress on a common foreign policy in the last two decades.

European Union
International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 7, 2013

US Is Syria’s Only Hope

By R. Nicholas Burns

Syria’s savage civil war may have just entered a new and darker phase. During the past few weeks, momentum has shifted sharply away from the rebels in favor of the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. The real possibility that his government, long presumed to be on life support, may now survive is bad news for rebel […]

Security & Defense
Syria

New Atlanticist

Jun 6, 2013

Why NATO Won’t Intervene in Syria

By James Joyner

NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen reiterated Friday that the Alliance will not intervene militarily in Syria. While he repeatedly made the same assurances regarding Libya before NATO’s ultimate action, there’s good reason to believe him this time.  First, as Rasmussen noted, “There is a clear difference between Libya and Syria. We took responsibility for the […]

National Security
NATO

New Atlanticist

Jun 3, 2013

What’s Russia Doing in Syria and Why

By Rajan Menon

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has killed some 80,000 of his citizens and driven another 1.7 million into neighboring countries. Unsurprisingly, he has few foreign friends these days. But two have played a pivotal part in his survival: Iran and Russia.

Missile Defense
National Security

New Atlanticist

May 30, 2013

Syrian Supernova?

By Harlan Ullman

Syria is dying. A further tragedy is that there is little the outside world can do to end that war.

Syria

New Atlanticist

May 17, 2013

Challenges in Measuring Violent Conflict, Syria Edition

By Jay Ulfelder

As part of a larger (but, unfortunately, gated) story on how the terrific new Global Data on Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) might help social scientists forecast violent conflicts, the New Scientist recently posted some graphics using GDELT to chart the ongoing civil war in Syria. Among those graphics was this time-series plot of violent events per […]

National Security
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

May 16, 2013

How Turkey and Israel Could Force US Action in Syria

By Sarah Grebowski and Maksymilian Czuperski

Early this week, the world looked to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a response to the bombings in Reyhanli that killed 47 people and left more than 100 wounded. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Turkey since the 2003 Istanbul bombings, shocking the nation and fueling anxiety over the war in neighboring […]

Security & Defense
Syria

New Atlanticist

May 15, 2013

Stand with Our Allies on Syria

By Ross Wilson

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan comes to Washington at a time of domestic crisis over car bombings at Reyhanlı on the Syrian border that killed over 50 and resulted in hundreds of wounded, many seriously. The Turkish public, which has never supported Ankara’s tough line on President Bashar al-Assad, is alarmed. Syria was already […]

Syria
Turkey

New Atlanticist

May 9, 2013

In Syria, America’s National Interests Do not Coincide with Israel’s

By Sarwar Kashmeri

Israel’s military intervention in Syria destroyed Hezbollah bound missiles that might soon be aimed at Israeli cities and was clearly in Israel’s national interests.

Missile Defense
Security & Defense
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Experts

Expert

Gregory Waters

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Democratic Transitions Middle East

Fellow

Nadia Farra

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Cybersecurity Defense Technologies

Fellow

Samir Altaqi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Middle East

Fellow

Amany Qaddour 

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes 

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Lukas Andriukaitis

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation Eastern Europe
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