Syria

Policy Analysis on Syria

Operation Inherent Resolve: An Interim Assessment

Coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria have had clear benefits, but a broader campaign involving more intelligence and targeting assistance on the ground is required to reap the full strategic benefits of turning back ISIS.

Jan 13, 2015

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Scott Vickery

Articles & Testimony

Questions About Egypt's Syria Policy

Even if Cairo wanted to normalize relations with the Assad regime, its need to stay on good terms with Saudi Arabia and the UAE would seriously constrain how far it could go in that direction.

Jan 12, 2015

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Marc Sievers

Brief Analysis

Kataib al-Imam Ali: Portrait of an Iraqi Shiite Militant Group Fighting ISIS

Although Iran's proxies are fighting ISIS in parallel with the U.S.-led effort, their actions and radical Shiite agendas are diametrically opposed to the goal of building inclusive governments and societies in Iraq and Syria.

Jan 5, 2015

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Matthew Levitt
Phillip Smyth

Articles & Testimony

Canada's Response to the Violence, Religious Persecution, and Dislocation Caused by ISIL

A detailed discussion of how to combat both ISIS and the Assad regime, including through diplomacy and other political means as complements to the existing military campaign.

Dec 15, 2014

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Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

Syrian Air Force Operations: Strategic, Effective, and Unrestrained

Absent more robust international intervention, the regime remains essentially unopposed in the air, allowing it to continue pursuing its strategic objectives and killing civilians with relative impunity.

Dec 11, 2014

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Jeffrey White

Video

Brief Analysis

Israel's Geostrategic Position at a Time of Regional Instability

2014 Scholar-Statesman Award Dinner

On December 2, 2014, Ambassadors Itamar Rabinovich and Michael Oren were presented with the 2014 Washington Institute Scholar-Statesman Award for their contributions to the academic study of the Middle East and the practice of diplomacy. Oren is the author of two acclaimed books -- Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in

Dec 5, 2014

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Itamar Rabinovich
Michael Oren

Fikra Forum

The Battle for Kobane Is also Political

The attack on Kobane, pitting ISIS against Kurdish forces, is a political as well as military battle given its presence on the border between Turkey and Syria.

Dec 5, 2014

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John Saleh

Brief Analysis

Jordan's King Abdullah Comes to Washington

Friday's meeting offers an opportunity to discuss the kingdom's domestic challenges, the proposed no-fly zone in northern Syria, and the potential ramifications of ramped-up training of Syrian opposition forces on Jordanian territory.

Dec 4, 2014

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

Not Alright With Syria's Alawites

Assad's power base is not monolithic, and rising discontent could serve as a vital opportunity to reconcile various Syrian religious groups.

Dec 4, 2014

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Oula A. Alrifai

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah's Syria Problem

The question remains open as to how effective the Iranian proxy can be fighting simultaneously against the Syrian rebels and the Israeli military.

Dec 2, 2014

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

The United States Has No Good Options on Syria

By rethinking its position on creating an opposition buffer zone along the Turkey-Syria border, the administration could spur Assad, Iran, and Russia to change their calculus.

Nov 23, 2014

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Don't Bank on Bankrupting ISIS, but Here's How We Shrink Its Wallet

By focusing on financial transactions and income from oil, kidnapping, and major donors, the Treasury Department could severely undercut the group's funding streams.

Nov 19, 2014

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

Welcome to a Post-Post-Cold War World

If the United States and its allies fail to manage the Syria and Iraq crises, victorious "anti-order" actors such as Russia, Iran, and ISIS could usher in an unstable era similar to the late 1930s.

Nov 17, 2014

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James Jeffrey
Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Terrorist Financing and the Islamic State

A detailed look at where the group's money comes from, how the Treasury Department and its international partners are working to cut it off, and what needs to be done next.

Nov 13, 2014

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Matthew Levitt

Video

Brief Analysis

The New 'Tri-Border' Region: Emerging Threats Along the Israel-Lebanon-Syria Frontier

A detailed discussion of the various factors fueling or constraining chaos on Syria's borders, including Arab tribal politics, Israeli security calculations, Iranian-Hezbollah military strategy, and a seemingly hesitant U.S.-led air campaign.

Nov 12, 2014

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Boaz Ganor
Hussain Abdul-Hussain

In-Depth Reports

Defeating ISIS:

A Strategy for a Resilient Adversary and an Intractable Conflict

A new study on how Washington can overcome various military and political obstacles -- some of them self-imposed -- to improve the chances of success against ISIS.

Nov 4, 2014

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Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

Fear, Loathing, and an Ottoman Shrine in the Cold War Between ISIS and Turkey

The current stalemate between the two adversaries will persist unless ISIS overreaches or Turkey becomes more proactive in clamping down on jihadists.

Oct 27, 2014

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Responding Effectively to the Military Challenges in Syria

The moderate rebel force currently envisioned by Washington would take far too long to arrive on the battlefield and could be easy prey for ISIS and Assad.

Oct 27, 2014

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Jeffrey White

Brief Analysis

Hezbollah's Message for Israel

Given its recent track record of targeting Israelis, Hezbollah's decision to take public responsibility for a new border attack likely has more to do with burnishing its domestic "resistance" credentials than sending a deterrent signal to Israel.

Oct 21, 2014

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Matthew Levitt

Maps & Graphics

Articles & Testimony

ISIS Has Almost No Popular Support in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or Lebanon

New polls show that the group has curried little favor in key countries, but the nuances behind the numbers have important implications for U.S. policy toward Syria, Iran, and other actors.

Oct 14, 2014

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David Pollock

Supported by the

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

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Featured experts

Andrew J. Tabler

Andrew J. Tabler is the Martin J. Gross Senior Fellow in the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, where he focuses on Syria and U.S. policy in the Levant.

Grant Rumley

Grant Rumley is the Meisel-Goldberger Senior Fellow and Director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

David Schenker

David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.

Elizabeth Dent

Elizabeth Dent is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy toward the Gulf states, Iraq, and Syria.

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Syria

Policy Analysis on Syria

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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Syria

Policy Analysis on Syria

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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