All Policy Analysis by Aaron Y. Zelin

Beijing specializes in exactly the type of infrastructure reconstruction assistance that Syria so urgently needs and may look to exploit any further delays or prohibitions stemming from U.S. export controls.

An in-depth study of how the Islamic State’s administrative apparatus and activities in its Syrian “capital” affected local residents, and how it sought to instrumentalize the populace in a quest to sustain its wider international state-building project for the long term.

Even before a high-profile new attack in the east, shifting trends in the number, nature, and location of plots showed why the United States isn’t quite ready to take a victory lap in the battle against IS in Syria.

The two leaders raised a wide array of crucial proposals, giving Secretary Rubio and the rest of the Trump team unprecedented room to set the terms for a mutually beneficial post-sanctions relationship.

Watch or read an in-depth conversation with three experts who have spent weeks on the ground in Syria and met with the interim authorities who toppled the Assad regime.

Amid fears of Uyghur militancy and hopes of expanding business ties with Syria, Beijing has been rapidly adapting to the new reality in Damascus.

An in-depth look at how the new rulers tackled these counterterrorism issues in Idlib province for years prior to Assad’s fall, and what steps they are taking at the national level today.

Amid mounting civilian deaths and rampant disinformation, the conduct of Syria’s fact-finding committee will either make or break the new government’s legitimacy and the prospects for a stable transition.

Activists and experts from Syria, Europe, and Washington share on-the-ground insights about how the post-Assad transition is going and where local grievances might erupt into bigger problems.

A terrorism expert discusses what U.S. policymakers and tech companies can do to stem the proliferation of jihadist activity online, including greater attention to multilingual content moderation, cryptocurrency abuse, and other evolving factors.

With the clock ticking on the post-Assad honeymoon period, Washington still has time to acknowledge the realities on the ground by providing crucial U.S. know-how and strategic support to the international aid, recovery, and counterterrorism missions.

Ankara and Washington should offer incentives to the new leadership in Damascus to encourage an inclusive governance process and make Syria work.

While the new government’s relative stability is a success, more details are needed on developing and implementing a national dialogue, a new constitution, and inclusivity measures.

What are the risks and potential rewards for Washington and its partners working with the new government of Syria, which is led by members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)?

The delegation’s findings on key political and security issues will have a major impact on future U.S. engagement with Syria’s new leaders, including the decision on whether or not to remove sanctions.

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani has worked for years to rebrand himself, but has he truly broken from his extremist past?

The director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force joins three Washington Institute experts to discuss the stunning rebel advances in the west.

Despite the group's expansion in other parts of the world, its original base in Iraq and Syria remains relevant due to the area's uncertain status quo and the looming prospect of U.S. military withdrawals.

As the group consolidates control in newly seized Aleppo, its leader is seeking to allay fears among minorities, pro-Assad residents, and skeptical Western officials alike.

The former jihadist affiliate has changed tremendously in the past few years, and understanding this new reality is crucial to identifying how its current offensive might unfold.