Syria

Syria

Syria stands at a pivotal juncture as it charts a path following the fall of the Assad regime. Syria’s new government faces the task of rebuilding a shattered economy and establishing state institutions capable of managing a diverse and war-affected population. A durable US-Syria partnership depends on sustained cooperation across reconstruction, governance, and Syria’s reintegration.

Featured commentary & analysis

Itani in New York Times: Bashar al-Assad Knows What He Can Get Away With

MENASource
Jul 1, 2026

The US is sending Syrian asylees back. Syria isn’t ready.

By
Diana Rayes 

The US Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status programs crates a troubling global precedent.

Migration
Syria

Itani in New York Times: Bashar al-Assad Knows What He Can Get Away With

MENASource
May 4, 2026

Syria needs a trustworthy digital ecosystem to support its revival

By
Nadia Farra

Robust digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and cybersecurity are no longer luxuries for high-income nations but fundamental requirements for national stability and economic resilience.

Freedom and Prosperity
Inclusive Growth

Itani in New York Times: Bashar al-Assad Knows What He Can Get Away With

MENASource
Feb 20, 2026

Syria is not Libya, but it could become one if the world looks away

By
Kurt Davis Jr.

There are lessons from Libya’s fragmentation and collapse that can be applied now as Syria sits at a similar inflection point.

Conflict
Libya

Programs

Syria Project

The Syria Project advances policy engagement and international partnerships during a pivotal political transition. It serves as a leading platform for independent analysis and high-level dialogue on US-Syria relations, economic recovery, governance, and regional reintegration, leveraging deep networks across Washington, Damascus, and the broader Middle East.

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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

In the News

Apr 9, 2018

Itani in New York Times: Bashar al-Assad Knows What He Can Get Away With

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here

Syria

In the News

Apr 9, 2018

Itani Quoted in The Atlantic on U.S. Policy on Syria

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here

Syria

In the News

Apr 9, 2018

Hof Quoted in Financial Times on Syria’s Chemical Weapons Attack

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here

Syria

SyriaSource

Apr 9, 2018

Assad’s Chemical Attack: Why Now?

By Hossam Abouzahr & Tarek Radwan

World leaders once again accused the Syrian regime of resorting to a chemical weapons attack, killing dozens in Douma on April 8. While the regime regularly uses chlorine—a choking agent that causes respiratory problems, vomiting, and death—this attack involved something deadlier. Witnesses described symptoms that mirror those who fell victim to sarin gas, but this […]

Syria

In the News

Apr 9, 2018

Dungan Quoted in The Washington Post on Macron and Syria Chemical Weapons

By Nicholas Dungan

Read the full article here.

France Syria

In the News

Apr 9, 2018

Bechev in The American Interest: Less Than Meets the Eye

By Dimitar Bechev

Read the full article here

Syria
JohnBoltonFeature

New Atlanticist

Apr 9, 2018

Syria: John Bolton’s First Crisis

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Syria presents newly minted US National Security Advisor John Bolton with his first foreign policy crisis. On April 9, hours after US President Donald J. Trump vowed Bashar al-Assad’s regime will pay a “big price” for an alleged chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held Damascus suburb, unidentified jets were reported flying over Lebanon and the […]

Israel Russia

In the News

Apr 8, 2018

Hof Quoted in The New Yorker on Syria’s Chemical-Weapons Attack

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here

Syria

In the News

Apr 8, 2018

Simakovsky Quoted in USA Today on Air Strikes in Syria

By Mark Simakovsky

Read the full article here

Syria

New Atlanticist

Apr 8, 2018

Assad May Have Just Tested Trump’s Chemical Weapons Red Line

By Frederic C. Hof

If the reported Assad regime attack on civilians in a suburb of Damascus is as it appears to be—a chemical assault with something much stronger than chlorine—then it is more than the mass murder business-as-usual of a rogue government: it is a signal of utter contempt for the United States and a real challenge to […]

Syria
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Experts

Fellow

Ibrahim Al-Assil

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Yesar Al-Maleki

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Iraq Initiative Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Geopolitics & Energy Security

Fellow

Samir Altaqi

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Middle East

Fellow

Wa’el Alzayat

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economy & Business

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
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