Featured reading

In solidarity with Sudan: Syria’s graffiti movement

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
In solidarity with Sudan: Syria’s graffiti movement

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
In solidarity with Sudan: Syria’s graffiti movement

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
In solidarity with Sudan: Syria’s graffiti movement

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
In solidarity with Sudan: Syria’s graffiti movement

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
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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

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Oct 3, 2019

In solidarity with Sudan: Syria’s graffiti movement

By Rana Riziq

Within this project, local volunteers planned and organized graffiti murals, based off of London artist and social commentator Banksy, reflecting on current events while tying in the Syrian conflict.

Civil Society Resilience & Society

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Sep 30, 2019

El-Gamal quoted in The Telegraph on the situation in Al-Hol camp in Syria

By Atlantic Council

Politics & Diplomacy Resilience & Society

Issue Brief

Sep 24, 2019

The United States in Syria: Why it still matters

By Frederic C. Hof

The objective of the United States in Syria must be a full political transition from criminal, terrorist rule by family and entourage to a consensual, legitimate system featuring rule of law. Its achievement would, barring unanticipated regime collapse, take years of patient, focused, and disciplined effort.

Politics & Diplomacy Resilience & Society

Issue Brief

Sep 24, 2019

The United States in Syria: Why it still matters

By Frederic C. Hof

The objective of the United States in Syria must be a full political transition from criminal, terrorist rule by family and entourage to a consensual, legitimate system featuring rule of law. Its achievement would, barring unanticipated regime collapse, take years of patient, focused, and disciplined effort.

Politics & Diplomacy Resilience & Society

SyriaSource

Sep 20, 2019

Samantha Power’s uneasy legacy on Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

It is the memoir of someone who is anything but a time server; someone who truly cares about things and who has tried—often successfully—to make a difference for the better.

Politics & Diplomacy Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 12, 2019

War and art: The graffiti movement in Syria

By Rana Riziq

A local Syrian civil society organization, Kesh Malek, is focused on supplying humanitarian aid and services to Syrians throughout Syria. One of its successful media campaigns this year is the Syria Banksy project.

Civil Society Syria

IranSource

Sep 3, 2019

Iran counters ‘Maximum Pressure’ by reaching out to the Kurds

By Tamer Badawi

Sensing the immense geopolitical challenges Iran is facing, these Kurdish groups—which seek autonomy through armed struggle—might be testing the waters amid mounting regional pressure on Tehran.

Crisis Management Iran

Report

Aug 13, 2019

The future of northeast Syria

By Aaron Stein and Emily Burchfield

Executive Summary The future of northeast Syria is unsettled after eight years of civil war and the US intervention to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). It also faces the various divergent interests of powerful external actors, including Russia and Turkey. In mid-April 2019, the Atlantic Council, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and the Foreign Policy […]

Resilience & Society Rule of Law

In the News

Aug 9, 2019

El-Gamal in The Cairo Review: In Syria, reconstruction brings little hope for peace

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

SyriaSource

Aug 5, 2019

The evolution of Syrian revolutionary art

By Natasha Hall

Perhaps, it is unsurprising then, that political posters and street art became so ubiquitous in the Syrian Revolution. The regimes of the Middle East knew the political potential for art. For this reason, it has always been closely monitored.

Syria
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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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