Syria

Policy Analysis on Syria

Military coordination with Hezbollah may be providing a quick fix, but the country's long-term strength can only be achieved with a reconstituted March 14 coalition.

Jun 11, 2014

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David Schenker

Current Crisis in Syria

A senior fellow testifies on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria, with an emphasis on its effect on children.

Jun 10, 2014

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Andrew J. Tabler

Articles & Testimony

Well Done on Syria, Mr. President. Now Do It Again.

The White House could achieve significant gains in Syria if it once again threatened missile strikes against regime military facilities.

Jun 10, 2014

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Syria's Jihadis Are Coming Home to Roost

The death of operative Fawzi Ayoub shows the extent of Hezbollah involvement in the fight.

Jun 6, 2014

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Iran's Afghan Shiite Fighters in Syria

Afghan Shiite militants have been fighting on the Assad regime's side for some time, and the scope and strategic purpose of Iran's involvement is becoming increasingly clear.

Jun 3, 2014

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Phillip Smyth

Brief Analysis

Jordan and the Syria Crisis: Mitigating the 'Known Unknowns'

As extremists continue to move into southern Syria, growing security and humanitarian problems may soon outstrip Jordan's ability to handle spillover from the war.

May 30, 2014

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Andrew J. Tabler

U.S. Military Options in Syria

May 28, 2014

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Chandler Atwood
Joshua Burgess
Michael Eisenstadt
Joseph Wawro

Brief Analysis

How the FBI Is Evolving to Meet Threats in a Changing Environment

The bureau's deputy director discusses the diverse range of domestic and foreign threats to the homeland, including potential terrorist activity stemming from the war in Syria.

May 28, 2014

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Mark F. Giuliano

Syrian rebel fighters play a board game in a cafe

Articles & Testimony

Syria's Crazy Campaign to Lure Tourists

What civil war? The regime's Tourism Ministry thinks you'll enjoy these new beachside cafes.

May 28, 2014

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Adam Heffez
Noam Raydan

Brief Analysis

Syrian Air-Defense Capabilities and the Threat to Potential U.S. Air Operations

The regime's air defenses have been weakened by the war, leaving room for low-risk air operations that could achieve important military and humanitarian objectives with reasonable investment of resources.

May 23, 2014

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Chandler Atwood
Jeffrey White

Articles & Testimony

Sunni Foreign Fighters in Syria: Background, Facilitating Factors, and Select Responses

A detailed survey of how many fighters have joined the Syrian jihad, where they come from, how their efforts compare to past jihads in Afghanistan and Iraq, and what European governments are doing about the issue.

May 21, 2014

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

Proactive Measures: Countering the Returnee Threat

Governments across the Middle East and far beyond are already changing their policies to address the problem of jihadist returnees from Syria, highlighting the scope and seriousness of the threat.

May 18, 2014

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Aaron Y. Zelin
Jonathan Prohov

In-Depth Reports

Between Not-In and All-In:

U.S. Military Options in Syria

In light of the inability of diplomacy and sanctions to staunch the Syrian bloodletting, the Obama administration is reviewing its policy alternatives in Syria. This paper, and the associated briefing, provides an overview of U.S. military options, evaluating the pros and cons of each.

May 16, 2014

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Chandler Atwood
Joshua Burgess
Michael Eisenstadt
Joseph Wawro

Articles & Testimony

The Middle East's Forgotten Minority

The Syrian conflict is rattling the world of the Druze, an ethnic group that straddles national lines.

May 16, 2014

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Noam Raydan
Adam Heffez

Brief Analysis

The Battle for Southern Syria Heating Up

Recent developments indicate a credible, previously unseen rebel threat to Damascus.

May 14, 2014

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Ehud Yaari

Video

Brief Analysis

Israel vs. al-Qaeda: Emerging Challenges on Two Fronts

A CIA veteran and an Israeli security expert discuss the growing presence of al-Qaeda affiliates in Sinai and Syria.

May 9, 2014

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Ehud Yaari
Michael Morell

Video

In-Depth Reports

Syria and Its Repercussions

Before Hezbollah's massive intervention in 2013, Bashar al-Assad's forces were nearing exhaustion, Syrian Opposition Coalition chief of staff Monzer Akbik said during a panel discussion at The Washington Institute's 2014 Weinberg Founders Conference on May 8. Assad was facing a catastrophic human-resources and materiel crisis, Akbik said, which the dictator

May 8, 2014

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Monzer Akbik
Hanin Ghaddar

Video

In-Depth Reports

Assessing U.S. Policy across the Middle East

A panel of senior U.S. and foreign policy practitioners shared insights into the status and course of American policy in the Middle East.

May 8, 2014

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Elliott Abrams
Tim Kaine
Jean-David Levitte
James Steinberg

Video

In-Depth Reports

Strategy and Leadership: America's Core Challenges in the Middle East

Martin Indyk, U.S. special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, diagnosed the collapse of recent peace talks in a frank keynote address to the Institute's 2014 Weinberg Founders Conference. Watch his remarks and download a transcript. Also view other sessions, with speakers including Sen. Tim Kaine, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, and former French ambassador to Washington Jean-David Levitte.

May 7, 2014

Brief Analysis

Salafi Jihadists on the Rise in Jordan

The longer the war in Syria continues, the greater the threat these fighters will likely pose.

May 2, 2014

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David Schenker

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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Regions & Countries

Issues

Syria

Policy Analysis on Syria

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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