Thanassis Cambanis | Foreign Policy

The Post-Obama Syrian Playbook

By Thanassis Cambanis
August 21, 2016 - 12:59 pm

The current president is right that America can’t win the war against Bashar al-Assad. Here’s how his successor can avoid defeat.

The Syrian Revolution Against al Qaeda

By Thanassis Cambanis
March 29, 2016 - 2:00 pm

An unexpected turn after a clash between Free Syrian Army forces and Jabhat al-Nusra fighters offers a window into who’s really winning hearts and minds.

Syria’s Stalingrad

By Thanassis Cambanis
December 23, 2015 - 3:18 pm

Assad hopes to turn Homs into a symbol of his government's resurgent fortunes — but it might end up as an icon of his utter brutality.

In Syria, You Can’t Go Home Again

By Thanassis Cambanis
November 27, 2015 - 3:55 am

The refugees arriving in Europe are just the tip of the iceberg: Millions of internally displaced Syrians are struggling to survive, even those seen as a potential fifth column in government-controlled areas.

Assad’s Sunni Foot Soldiers

By Thanassis Cambanis
November 5, 2015 - 8:11 pm

Russia and Iran's intervention in Syria gets all the attention, but many in the country’s majority sect are still fighting for the government. They may hold the key to Syria’s future.

The War to Save Syria’s History

By Thanassis Cambanis
October 26, 2015 - 6:18 pm

Maamoun Abdulkarim works for Bashar al-Assad’s government, but he says he serves a much higher purpose — saving his country’s culture from anyone who threatens it.

The Slow Death of Damascus

By Thanassis Cambanis
October 15, 2015 - 2:55 pm

The hollowing-out of Syria’s middle class is leaving behind a dangerous vacuum — and forcing Russia and Iran to step in to bolster Assad’s depleted ranks.

Cheering Russia’s Airstrikes in Assad’s Heartland

By Thanassis Cambanis
October 2, 2015 - 7:37 pm

In the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, residents and soldiers are thankful for Moscow’s intervention -- and are looking forward to a bombing campaign that strikes at all their enemies.

Are We Witnessing the Birth of a New Mideast Order?

By Thanassis Cambanis
July 21, 2015 - 1:08 pm

As Obama tries to seize on the momentum of the nuclear deal, he’s going to find changing the Arab world is easier said than done.

Syria’s Humanitarians Are Going Broke

By Thanassis Cambanis
June 29, 2015 - 1:32 pm

Aid organizations are billions of dollars short of their funding requirements, and even the most effective groups are struggling to sustain interest in what seems to be a never-ending crisis.