Tom Barrack’s diplomacy of optics: Fast deals, fragile peace
Tom Barrack’s high-speed diplomacy in Syria and Lebanon backfired, fueling instability, alienating allies and deepening mistrust across the region.
Kurds
Syrian integration in focus as Syrian President Sharaa speaks at UN
On September 24, Syrian interim President Ahmed al Sharaa addressed the UN General Assembly and spoke about the country’s attempt to rebuild itself after years of conflict. “Syria...
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
Renewed Fighting Between Kurds and Government Forces Threatens Syria’s Unity
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian forces traded rocket artillery fire near Deir Hafir, east of Aleppo, on September 10. While no military personnel were killed, two civilians died and...
Policy Briefs
3 Years Since Mahsa Amini’s Death, More Protests Remain a Matter of When, not If
Helen of Troy’s face may have launched a thousand ships, but Mahsa Jina Amini’s name unleashed thousands of protests. September 16 marks three years since the death of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish...
Policy Briefs
Three years later, Iran’s freedom martyr Mahsa Amini inspires demands for change
Mahsa Jina Amini wasn’t looking to become a martyr: She was an ordinary Iranian-Kurdish 22-year-old, stopped by Iran’s “morality police” for not properly wearing the mandatory veil known as the...
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
Turkey’s Quiet Relationship with ISIS
On June 29, 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in al-Sham (ISIS), was recorded on video speaking at the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq. (“Al-Sham” is the traditional Arabic...
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
Syria’s Deadly Wrong Turn
Ahmed al-Shara’s attempts to concentrate power and spurn Syria’s minorities are destabilizing the country.
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
UN Report Ties New Syrian Army to Coastal Massacres
The Syrian coastal massacres in March marked one of the deadliest violent episodes since the downfall of the Assad regime. An August 11 report by the United Nations’ Independent International Commission...
Policy Briefs
Turkey Signs Military Accord With Syrian Government
Latest Developments Military Memorandum Signed: Turkey’s Ministry of Defense has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Syria for the training of Syrian troops and military...
Flash Briefs
Stalled Syria-SDF Deal Risks Sparking Wider Conflict
Clashes have erupted between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. Since August 2, the SDF has reported five clashes, leaving tens wounded. The...
Policy Briefs
Tehran Seeks to Consolidate Its Influence in Iraq
Iran still seeks to project power in the Middle East — not only by arming proxies and smuggling oil but also by shaping regional parliaments and policies. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s new Supreme...
Policy Briefs
Turkey ramps up military support for Syria
On August 13, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that Turkish Minister of Defense Yasar Guler and Syrian Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qusra signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU)...
Op-eds
Assad Is Gone. The Syrian Problem Persists
Nine months after Bashar al-Assad’s fall and Ahmad al-Sharaa’s rise to power, the UN Security Council met to address Syria’s ongoing crisis. The Council urged Damascus to establish a government “of...
Op-eds
Violence Resurges in Syria After Armed Groups, Kurdish-Led SDF, Clash With Government Forces
SDF Clashes With Troops: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) claimed on August 4 to have repelled an “attack” by “factions affiliated with the Syrian Transitional...
Flash Briefs
Can Iraq Stop the Iranian-Backed Drone Attacks?
Recent drone attacks in Kurdistan are once again bringing the issue of Iraq’s Iran-backed militias to the fore.
Op-eds
Choose the Druze
Syria’s endangered minorities deserve protection