Syria’s leader charms the world, crushes the Druze. Israel should be wary
Sharaa seems to be a pragmatic diplomat, but before pursuing warmer ties, Jerusalem needs guarantees that he will stop repressing his minority citizens
As-Suwayda Governorate
Suwayda’s Struggle
Syria’s Druze are trapped between Israeli protection and Damascus’s rule.
Op-eds
Turkey’s Hejaz Railway Revival Is a Bid To Undermine Israel’s Regional Role
A railway originally built by the Ottoman Empire to project power across the Arab world is receiving a second lease on life as Turkey launches its latest bid to become the Middle East’s logistics...
Policy Briefs
Jordanian Warplanes Strike Drug Traffickers in Southern Syria, Where Damascus Exerts Little Control
In an operation codenamed “Jordanian Deterrence,” Amman’s fighter jets carried out strikes on at least five separate locations in the Syrian governorate of Suwayda on May 2, targeting “sites belonging...
Policy Briefs
Israel-Syria Negotiations Show Promise, But Significant Obstacles Remain
After months of rising tensions, Israel and Syria are back at the negotiating table in Paris. Syria’s state news agency reported that Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein...
Policy Briefs
Jordan carries out airstrikes in Syria against drug smugglers
The Kingdom of Jordan conducted airstrikes in Syria that targeted drug smugglers between December 23 and 25. The strikes came days after reports at the Jordan News Agency, a state media...
Op-eds
United States reportedly eyes military foothold in Damascus, Syrian official denies the claim
On November 6, Reuters reported that “The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an air base in Damascus to help enable a security pact that Washington is brokering...
Op-eds
Tensions grow between Damascus and eastern Syria amid continuing efforts to integrate factions
On September 2, the state-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Damascus intercepted an arms shipment destined for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-supported military force...
Op-eds
Sunni Arab tribes mobilize against the Syrian Democratic Forces
Several Sunni Arab tribes in northeastern Syria, an area that encompasses 30 percent of Syrian territory and is currently under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have called...
Op-eds
Clashes erupt in Syria’s Suwayda following US-brokered ceasefire
On August 3, clashes between local Druze militias, Sunni Arab tribal forces, and Syrian government troops in Syria’s Suwayda Governorate reignited after a two-week hiatus following a US-brokered...
Op-eds
Syrian Druze are not entitled to self-determination, and Kurds cannot yet pursue secession
Syria is a patchwork of identities, par for the course in a region where novel nationalities vie with tribe and religion for the citizenry’s loyalty. For most of the country’s history, the Assad family...
Op-eds
New head of anti-Islamic State mission in Iraq and Syria takes command
Brigadier General Kevin Lambert took over as the new commander of the anti-Islamic State coalition of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in a ceremony in Iraq on...
Op-eds
Clashes intensify between Arab Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in Suwayda, Syria
Tensions in the Syrian governorate of Suwayda continue to rise following clashes between government forces and Druze militias affiliated with prominent Druze leader Hikmat al Hijri between July 14 and...
Op-eds
Israel intensifies airstrikes on Syria to deter attacks on Druze
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted strikes near the Syrian Presidential Palace and targeting the Syrian government’s military headquarters in Damascus, the Israeli military said on July...
Op-eds
Ahmed Al-Shara’s Foreign Jihadist Problem
The man President Donald Trump hailed as a “tough guy” who will bring stability to Syria is empowering extremists tied to Al Qaeda.
Op-eds
Suwayda Military Council: A new Druze coalition emerges in Syria
A group of Druze militants in Suwayda, southern Syria, has announced the formation of the Suwayda Military Council, a coalition of local armed groups aimed at protecting the region and maintaining...
Op-eds
Jordan Carries Out Rare Strike in Syria Against the Assad-Backed Narco-Trade
Jordan carried out airstrikes in southern Syria on Monday morning targeting a prominent drug lord and a narcotics factory in nearby Daraa province. Jordanian airstrikes in Syria are extremely rare and...
Policy Briefs
Hezbollah’s Growing Threat Against U.S. National Security Interests in the Middle East
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Legislative Testimonies
A Thorn in the Lion’s Paw
The politics of the Druze in the Syrian revolution have witnessed serious developments over the last couple of months, as evidenced by the escalation in the rhetoric of Lebanese Druze leader Wali...