سوریه

A key player and an unrelenting obstacle in the Middle East peace process, Syria has long been a thorn in Washington's side when it comes to forging strategic alliances with powers in the region. But only after the events of 9/11 and Damascus's staunch opposition to the War in Iraq

Western powers and their regional allies are increasingly understanding that just talking to Syrian president Bashar al-Asad about his brutality will not be enough to stop it.

Washington has several policy options short of military action to torque the pressure on the Syrian regime and to help the Syrians themselves topple the dictatorship.

Although the recent storming of the U.S. embassy in Syria ended without bloodshed, American personnel may not be so lucky in the future.

The United States should work with Turkey and other allies to halt the Asad regime's violence, avoid anarchy in the event of regime collapse, and prepare for a post-Asad era.

Testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. House of Representatives. "Recently, I journeyed to Lebanon's Wadi Khaled to visit with Syrian refugees who fled from the Sunni Muslim village of Tal Kalakh, which is surrounded by a constellation of villages dominated by Alawites -- the heterodox offshoot of

As the Syrian crisis spills over into Turkey, the AKP's conflict-avoidance policy may not be sustainable.

An Interview by Lara Setrakian, ABC News As the Syrian government's brutal crackdown on protesters continues, so do calls for the international community, and the United States, to do more to end the bloodshed. But what can the U.S. realistically do to convince President Bashar al-Assad, once considered a reformer

Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs. Four months ago, I had the privilege of testifying to this committee when the hope and optimism of the potential for democratic change in the region was at its height. Now that we have seen what reactionary forces in