Syria

Syria: Will the Great Middle Eastern War Begin in the Levant?

2020-06-24

It is well known that Israel possesses enormous firepower and strong armed forces for land, sea, and air combat, and is better equipped than any other army in the Middle East.

details

State Atrophy and the Reconfiguration of Borderlands in Syria and Iraq: Post-2011 Dynamics

2020-06-16

Since 2011, borderlands in the MENA region transformed into considerable sites of contested power by a plethora of actors.

details

The Wrath of Caesar

2020-06-11

The Makhlouf affair may accelerate a generalized collapse of Syrias economy and effective control over the country.

details

Pandemic politics: Will COVID-19 exacerbate or mitigate conflicts in Libya and Syria?

2020-05-27

Will COVID-19 prolong conflict in Libya and Syria, or will such wars exacerbate the pandemics spread?

details

How Will the Coronavirus Crisis Affect Your Middle Eastern Focus Area in the Coming Months?

2020-04-07

A regular survey of experts on matters relating to Middle Eastern and North African politics and security.

details

Will an attack on Turkish troops in Syria change the course of the war?

2020-03-02

The battle for Idlib is raising fears of a big-power conflict

details

Erdogan Visits the White House

2019-11-18

Although a NATO partner, Turkey has purchased the Russian air defense system. And, Turkey and the US stand on different sides when it comes to Syria.

details

The US no longer matters in Syria

2019-11-03

Fundamentally, the ceasefire, assumes the U.S. still matters in Syria. It does not.

details

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in US raid in Syria

2019-10-28

Military commander in Idlib and others living nearby describe eight helicopters swooping in at low altitude, multiple explosions and three-hour battle

details

Syria: Winners and Losers

2019-10-22

In the week since Turkey launched its forces invading Syria in order to establish a buffer or (safe zone), a lot has happened...

details

Putin in the Gulf: Working with the Saudis on arms, oil and Syria

2019-10-16

Moscow and Riyadh agreed to disagree but it does not exclude their cooperation in areas of mutual interest

details

Russia Will Not Allow Turkey to Attack Syria, Sends in Troops to Front Lines

2019-10-16

Russia has warned it would prevent Turkey from attacking Syrian troops after the U.S. withdrew from a looming clash between rival ...

details

ISIS Is Gloating

2019-10-15

The best one could say about Americas abandonment of the Kurds is that they should have known we would sell them out eventually.

details

Calling a Halt to Turkeys Offensive in North-eastern Syria

2019-10-14

Turkeys incursion into north-eastern Syria threatens to reduce a region of relative calm to hotly contested terrain: it could meet determined resistance, cause mass displacement and revive ISIS. Washington should urgently press Ankara to stop the offensiv

details

Turkey on a Tightrope

2019-09-22

Ankara is dealing with the United States and Russia, but what is defining this treacherous triangle?

details

Much More Than a Border

2019-09-16

Albukamal and Qaim lie on a Syrian-Iraqi boundary that has had regional implications for decades.

details

Iraq plans to launch pipelines to export oil through Jordan, Syria

2019-07-22

Iraq plans to diversify its oil exports via new pipelines through Jordan and Syria

details

Drunk with power: How Trump is destroying the Middle East

2019-03-28

If you want to know who will pay the price of a re-energised Trump, the answer is the Palestinians

details

Trump signs order recognising Israeli sovereignty over Syria's Golan Heights

2019-03-26

US presidents contentious move seen as a boost for Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections next month

details

Leaving Syria

2019-01-15

The main argument is that it is a mistake to think that ISIS has been defeated just because the last town that it held has been liberated...

details

Why Trump’s Advisors Keep Quashing His Realist Whims

2019-01-15

Over a period of mere days in late December the Trump administration made two troop withdrawal decisions that startled Washington

details

The U.S. Isn’t Really Leaving Syria and Afghanistan

2019-01-09

Even if American troops come home in a timely fashion, they will likely return before long

details

Israel and Russia’s Strange Relationship

2018-10-07

The fact is that Israel and Russia have a relationship that goes back over a century

details