Syria appoints new parliament as Israel tensions continue
On July 1, Syria’s government said that the country’s Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections had announced the final list of names for the country’s new parliament. The...
Idlib
Syria’s Accommodation of Foreign Jihadists Backfires
The Syrian government’s effort to integrate foreign fighters into its armed forces may be unraveling. On May 5, Syrian authorities arrested 16 Uzbek fighters following a standoff with armed members...
Policy Briefs
Syria investigates deadly attack on US forces, US names 2 National Guard soldiers as victims
On December 15, the Iowa National Guard released the names of two US soldiers who were killed in a terrorist attack in Syria on December 13. “Our entire National Guard family mourns...
Op-eds
Sharaa in Washington: A Turning Point for Syria
The question for Damascus is what comes next, with Sharaa showing that he is ready for the global prime time. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the White House on Monday for a historic...
Op-eds
Syrian Government Launches Operation to Apprehend Wanted French Jihadist Fugitives
Clashes Erupt Near Idlib: Syrian government forces surrounded a camp near Idlib on October 21, launching a large-scale operation to apprehend French jihadist fighters wanted by...
Flash Briefs
US kills Al Qaeda-linked ‘attack planner’ in Syria
The US military killed a “senior Al-Qaeda affiliated attack planner” in an airstrike in Syria on October 2. The jihadi was a member of Ansar Islam, a terrorist organization that has operated in Iraq...
Op-eds
The United States Should be Prudent Regarding al-Sharaa’s Turn
Al-Sharaa’s turn away from the Nusra Front upon his seizure of power needs to be treated with prudence by the United States.
Op-eds
Turkey’s Push for Regime Change in Syria: The Jihadi Highway
Syria’s civil war broke out in March 2011, in reaction to the brutal crackdown by the regime of Bashar al-Asad of popular protests that were part of the wider Arab Spring. In supporting the Syrian...
Op-eds
Turkey is Making a Power Play to Dominate the Middle East
With Iran’s regional influence in steep decline, Turkey is aggressively positioning itself to fill the vacuum and assert dominance across the eastern Mediterranean and the broader Middle East....
Op-eds
UN report shows Islamic State and Al Qaeda exploiting post-Assad chaos in Syria
On July 29, the United Nations Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team released its latest report detailing terrorist group activities around the world. The section...
Op-eds
Can Syria’s President Control His Troops?
After two massacres by government forces, the U.S. should turn up the heat.
Op-eds
US strike in northwestern Syria kills Islamic State’s external attack planner
The US military killed an Islamic State (IS) commander in an airstrike in northwestern Syria on June 10. The commander, who was identified as Rakhim Boev, was involved in planning attacks against the US...
Op-eds
The Druze chessboard between Syria and Israel
On May 29, an Israeli security official told the Saudi-owned Arabic news channel Al Arabiya that Israel “will not fight in support of any group in Syria.” The official added that while Israel...
Op-eds
Has the Era of Extremism Ended in the Middle East?
On May 20, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke about the U.S. decision to engage with the new Syrian government in Damascus. Rubio said that an unstable Syria has historically...
Op-eds
Syrian military integrates Al Qaeda-linked terror group into its ranks
The new Syrian government is integrating a Central Asian terrorist group that is part of Al Qaeda’s network into its military, despite the objections of US President Donald Trump. The head of this terror...
Op-eds
Trump’s Syria Opportunity
Syrian president Ahmed al-Shara will need to show commitment to stabilizing the country and integrating its regions, while the United States may find it has more leverage now by embracing Damascus.
Op-eds
Trump presses Sharaa on foreign fighters as jihadists rise in Syria’s new army
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump held talks with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a designated terrorist by both the US and the United Nations and the former head of Syria’s...
Op-eds
Turkey reportedly plans to take control of airbases in Syria
Media reports indicate that Turkish forces are planning on deploying to the Tiyas Airbase, also known as the T4, and the Palmyra military airport in Syria’s Homs province—two sites recently...
Op-eds
Profiles of commanders in the new Syrian army’s regional divisions
On January 29, Syria’s new leadership announced the dissolution of the Assad regime’s Syrian Arab Army and launched a unification process to integrate various armed militias into a single national...
Op-eds
Fierce clashes erupt between Assad loyalists and government forces in western Syria
On March 6, Syria witnessed the most intense and bloodiest clashes between the new Syrian government and loyalists to dictator Bashar al Assad since the Assad regime’s downfall on December 8. These battles...