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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.


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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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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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SyriaSource

Aug 3, 2017

Thinking About Strategy: Part Three

By Frederic C. Hof

Parts one and two of this series discussed the difficulties of officials thinking strategically about Syria, given the policy catastrophe bequeathed to the Trump administration by its predecessor. It then offered a list of outcomes the United States might nevertheless try to achieve. Although seeking nothing is an option, American disengagement would be a roll […]

Syria

In the News

Aug 2, 2017

Stein Quoted in Al-Monitor on US Partnership with Syrian Kurds

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 1, 2017

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham: The Fatwas that Ignited a War for Money

By Saleem al-Omar

In an audio recording, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s cleric, Abu al-Yaqzan al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Naji, a former member of the Salafist al-Nour Party in Egypt according to Arabi 21, issued a fatwa on the need to fight his former faction, Ahrar al-Sham. He further urged Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters to kill anyone who […]

Syria

In the News

Jul 31, 2017

Khoury in The Cairo Review: After Raqqa’s Fall

By Nabeel Khoury

Read the full article here.

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 27, 2017

Thinking About Strategy: Part Two

By Frederic C. Hof

Part One of this series discussed why it is not easy to arrive at a coherent national security objective for Syria. The Trump administration inherited from its predecessor a policy catastrophe: the carcass of a state set upon by a ruling family whose homicidal excesses were protected by Iran (with which the Obama administration desperately […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 26, 2017

The War on Syria’s Borders

By Abdullah Almousa

The geopolitical war on Syria and its future has entered a new, more complicated phase that will draw a new map of influence across the country. That map will be defined by the presence of military bases belonging to regional and global powers who are attempting to strengthen and stabilize the map of future influence. […]

Syria

In the News

Jul 26, 2017

Itani Quoted in Christian Science Monitor on CIA Program in Syria

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here.

Syria

In the News

Jul 26, 2017

Itani Quoted in The Christian Science Monitor on Syria Pivot

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here.

Syria

Rebuilding Syria

Jul 25, 2017

Underground Hospitals: Investing in Protection

By Kathleen Fallon

Throughout the conflict in Syria, regime forces and their allies have deliberately and systematically targeted medical workers, ambulances, and hospitals in opposition-held areas. There have been more than 454 attacks on medical facilities in the conflict, with the Assad regime and Russia responsible for ninety-one percent of them. Over 814 Syrian health workers have been […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jul 25, 2017

Thinking About Strategy: Part One

By Frederic C. Hof

The decision of the Trump administration to end its support for armed, anti-Assad Syrian rebels again raises questions of what the United States considers a desirable and attainable end-state for Syria, and how it plans to achieve it. These questions were avoided by an Obama administration that treated Syria’s humanitarian and security catastrophes as a […]

Syria

Experts