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Syria: The First Five Years
Five years into the conflict, a credible path toward peace has yet to emerge in Syria.
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After Palmyra, Where Next for Assad?
President Bashar al-Assad's advance into Palmyra has redrawn Syria's military battlefield and may accelerate a shift in the political landscape of the conflict as well.
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Assad's Other War: Winning on the Ground, Defeated by the Pound?
The rapid depreciation of the Syrian pound has caused a further decline in the living standards of ordinary Syrians and threatens the continued functioning of what remains of the state.
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An Islamist Experiment: Political Order in the East Ghouta
Rebels in Syria's East Ghouta enclave have established a unique system of coordination and governance under the auspices of one of Syria's most powerful rebel factions.
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After Zahran: Rising Tension in the East Ghouta
Tensions among rebel groups in Syria's East Ghouta threaten to destabilize the enclave and perhaps even the broader Syrian rebellion.
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Abadi's Gamble with Technocracy
Iraq's parliament is facing an unprecedented crisis centered around Prime Minister Abadi's two failed attempts to pass a list of candidates for a new cabinet of so-called technocrats.
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Showdown in East Ghouta
If negotiations fail to overcome the divide between rebel factions, the East Ghouta may be heading for a permanent internal split.
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Not Just Russia: The Iranian Surge in Syria
Russia's September 2015 aerial intervention in Syria would not have succeeded without a parallel Iranian intervention on the ground.
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Stand Together or Fall Apart: The Russian-Iranian Alliance in Syria
Russia and Iran are now trapped in a situation of mutual dependence where both stand to lose if the pact between Moscow, Tehran, and Damascus should fall apart.
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Sectarianism and the Campaign to Retake Fallujah
Highly sectarian media coverage and rhetoric surrounding the campaign to retake the Iraqi city of Fallujah threatens to further damage the strained social fabric of Iraq.
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The Algerian Connection: Will Turkey Change Its Syria Policy?
For Turkey, changing course on Syria would be problematic and painful, but staying the course would be no less costly.
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Will Turkey Change Its Syria Policy? Four Experts Answer
Recent changes in the Turkish foreign ministry and the consolidation of Kurdish gains in Syria and Iraq may cause a shift in Turkey's Syria policy.
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Russian Middle East Policy After Syria: An Interview with Nikolay Kozhanov
For Russia, the Syrian conflict is clearly a burden, but it is also a source of influence, through which the Kremlin has sought to develop its regional alliances, especially with Iran.
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Assad Advances in Damascus and Aleppo
While forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have suffered setbacks, recent advances have managed to reclaim strategic territories.
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How Will the Failed Coup in Turkey Affect Syria?
The attempted coup in Turkey and its aftermath may become a defining moment in both the country's contemporary history and the war in Syria.
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The Conundrum of the Coming Islamic State Collapse
Although the Islamic State's territory is shrinking it will continue to pose a threat in the long term as its virtual presence has become as dangerous as the physical one.
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Who Is Laying Siege to Whom in Aleppo?
Competing forces in the Syrian city of Aleppo have managed to place each other under siege, likely prompting further fighting at great human cost.
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Manbij: A Dress Rehearsal for Raqqa?
As it becomes possible to take stock of the situation in Manbij and a new administration moves in, the city will be seen as an important bellwether in the war against the Islamic State.
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Bombers Over Hasakah: Assad Clashes With the Kurds
Recent airstrikes in Hasakah by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may signal a shift in strategy against Kurdish movements in Syria.
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After Murky Diplomacy, Turkey Intervenes in Syria
Turkey's recent incursion into Syria aims to secure the self-proclaimed Islamic State's main smuggling and trade hub in northern Syria, but there may be other motives.
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