Syria

Featured reading

Five big questions as America votes: Middle East

New Atlanticist Dec 8, 2024

Experts react: Rebels have toppled the Assad regime. What’s next for Syria, the Middle East, and the world?

By Atlantic Council experts

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been ousted as opposition forces quickly took the Syrian capital. Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the developments.

Conflict Corruption

Fast Thinking Dec 8, 2024

Assad has fallen. Now what?

By Atlantic Council

The power shift in Syria will reverberate across the Middle East and the world. Our experts explain what’s next.

Conflict Iran

New Atlanticist Dec 9, 2024

Dispatch from Doha: Assad’s fall, Iran’s weakness, and the impact of unintended consequences

By Jonathan Panikoff

In just six months, Iran has slid from a position of strength to perhaps the weakest it has been since 1979.

Conflict Iran

MENASource Dec 10, 2024

Where Syria goes next after the fall of Assad

By Frederic C. Hof

With the Assad family agone, Syria, at long last, has a chance to achieve the kind of political transition envisioned by the 2012 Geneva Final Communique and UNSCR 2254.

Conflict Middle East

New Atlanticist Dec 10, 2024

A blueprint for bringing about a new Syria

By Kirsten Fontenrose

For a reconstruction strategy in Syria to be effective, all parties must adopt a unified approach that is clear-eyed about the country’s new leaders.

Crisis Management International Organizations

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

Leadership

Fellow

Qutaiba Idlbi

Resident Senior Fellow, Syria

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economic Sanctions Entrepreneurship

Fellows

Fellow

Michel Duclos

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Conflict Crisis Management

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Ömer Özkizilcik

Nonresident Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic English

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economic Sanctions

Former fellow

Hind Kabawat

Former 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

Past events

Public Event Mon, March 18, 2024 • 1:00 pm ET

The Syria Strategy Project: A public launch

Civil Society Conflict Freedom and Prosperity Human Rights

Online Event Mon, February 12, 2024 • 12:00 pm ET

One year on: Assessing the February 6th earthquake response in Syria

Civil Society Economy & Business Human Rights International Organizations

Online Event Fri, May 31, 2024 • 9:30 am ET

Serving communities with disability in conflict contexts

Civil Society Conflict Crisis Management Human Rights

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

Sign up for the MENASource newsletter, highlighting pieces that follow democratic transitions and economic changes throughout the region.

Content

Elections 2020

Sep 29, 2020

Five big questions as America votes: Middle East

By Middle East Programs

In every US presidential election since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Middle East and North Africa has been a top foreign policy issue. The 2020 presidential election is no different.

Conflict Crisis Management

MENASource

Sep 22, 2020

The Gordian knot of Kurdish unity talks in Syria

By Rena Netjes and Lars Hauch

On September 20, US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey visited northeast Syria for a meeting with delegations of the Kurdish National Council (KNC), the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and allied Kurdish parties who have been engaging in so-called unity talks since November 2019.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Sep 22, 2020

Reliable no more? The current state of the Syrian armed forces

By Abdulrahman al-Masri

The current conflict has truly impacted the configuration of the Bashar al-Assad regime as well as the structure and orientation of its military institution, putting the latter’s loyalty in question.

Conflict Middle East

MENASource

Sep 16, 2020

The limits of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and what Syrians can learn

By Reem Salahi and Bachar El-Halabi

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s shortcomings provide multiple lessons for future accountability in Syria.

Lebanon Middle East

MENASource

Sep 2, 2020

Caesar Act: The Syrian people are sapped while Assad grows stronger

By Qussai Jukhadar & Elizabeth Tsurkov

The Bashar al-Assad regime is unconcerned about Syrian lives and, thus, worsening economic misery is unlikely to shift its calculations.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Aug 24, 2020

The Caesar Act might alter the UAE’s normalization policy with Syria

By Emily Santucci

Even if the US chooses to withhold more punitive measures against Emirati entities for the time being, Abu Dhabi’s posture of rapprochement with Syria may come under closer scrutiny from Washington down the road.

Politics & Diplomacy Syria

MENASource

Aug 21, 2020

Will nine years of war and deteriorating governance spark a new movement inside Syria?

By Noura Darwish

Unbearable living conditions and a lack of hope in both the Assad regime and the international community have pushed Syrians to a new level of anger and outrage. It would be a mistake to think that this alone will push people to act after nine years of war and so much loss. However, it would be a bigger mistake to let this opportunity slip without trying to seize it in order to bring positive change to the Syrian people who are so desperately in need of it.

Politics & Diplomacy Syria

MENASource

Aug 12, 2020

The Syrian regime wheels and deals minorities to remain in power

By Ayman Abdel Nour

The Bashar al-Assad regime operates merely to preserve itself, undermining chances of Syrians uniting across religious and ethnic lines.

Politics & Diplomacy Syria

MENASource

Jul 31, 2020

The American moment: Creating a new balance of power in Syria

By Ayman Abdel Nour and Dania Koleilat Khatib

The United States should seize this moment on changes in the Syrian landscape to create a new balance of power in Damascus.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Jul 31, 2020

The Syrian parliamentary elections were a mockery

By Michel Duclos

All in all, the July 19 result was not great for the Bashar al-Assad regime, but the veneer of a normal election was achieved, especially given that the low turnout could be excused by the pandemic.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Experts

Fellow

Amany Qaddour

Nonresident Senior Fellow

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

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Nicholas Blanford

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Alia Brahimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

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Featured reading

Experts react: Rebels have toppled the Assad regime. What’s next for Syria, the Middle East, and the world?

Assad has fallen. Now what?

Dispatch from Doha: Assad’s fall, Iran’s weakness, and the impact of unintended consequences

Where Syria goes next after the fall of Assad

A blueprint for bringing about a new Syria

Explore our Syria work

Syria Project

Syria Strategy Project

Featured experts

Leadership

Fellows

Past events

The Syria Strategy Project: A public launch

One year on: Assessing the February 6th earthquake response in Syria

Serving communities with disability in conflict contexts

Learn more about the Middle East Programs

Content

Five big questions as America votes: Middle East

The Gordian knot of Kurdish unity talks in Syria

Reliable no more? The current state of the Syrian armed forces

The limits of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and what Syrians can learn

Caesar Act: The Syrian people are sapped while Assad grows stronger

The Caesar Act might alter the UAE’s normalization policy with Syria

Will nine years of war and deteriorating governance spark a new movement inside Syria?

The Syrian regime wheels and deals minorities to remain in power

The American moment: Creating a new balance of power in Syria

The Syrian parliamentary elections were a mockery

Experts

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