Syria

List of Syria articles

An aerial view of collapsed buildings as search and rescue efforts continue in Idlib, Syria on February 13, 2023.
An aerial view of collapsed buildings as search and rescue efforts continue in Idlib, Syria on February 13, 2023.

Don’t Rely on Assad to Get Aid to Syria’s Earthquake Victims

The announcement of border openings is reversible, and it won’t stop the regime’s ongoing obstruction of aid to rebel-held areas.

Rescue workers search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Jableh in Syria's northwestern province of Latakia following an earthquake, on February 7, 2023.
Rescue workers search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Jableh in Syria's northwestern province of Latakia following an earthquake, on February 7, 2023.

Syria’s Earthquake Victims Are Trapped by Assad

Russia left the war-torn region with only a single border crossing—and it’s no longer open for aid.

Portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are hung on buildings at a polling station in Douma, near the capital Damascus on May 26, 2021.
Portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are hung on buildings at a polling station in Douma, near the capital Damascus on May 26, 2021.

Something Has to Give in Postwar Syria

Thirteen years of constant crisis is heading toward inevitable breakdown.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar chairs a meeting in Ankara, Turkey on Nov. 21, 2022.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar chairs a meeting in Ankara, Turkey on Nov. 21, 2022.

Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.

Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.

Turkish army members of 1st and 3rd Border Regiment Commands guard the border near Gaziantep, Turkey on Nov. 20.
Turkish army members of 1st and 3rd Border Regiment Commands guard the border near Gaziantep, Turkey on Nov. 20.

Will Waging War in Syria Save Erdogan?

Turkey’s president appears to be betting on conflict to bolster his political prospects in 2023.

A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces and a U.S. soldier stand beside each other looking out over a field with smoke in the distance.
A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces and a U.S. soldier stand beside each other looking out over a field with smoke in the distance.

How the U.S. Can Compromise With Turkey on Syria

Washington should build on past three-way Turkey-U.S.-SDF arrangements to put a real offer on the table.

An Israeli flag is seen placed on Mount Bental in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on May 10, 2018.
An Israeli flag is seen placed on Mount Bental in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on May 10, 2018.

Biden Can’t Denounce Russia’s Annexations and Ignore Israel’s

From the Baltic Republics to Crimea, Washington has opposed forcible annexation—and the Golan Heights should be no exception.

Two men are seen from the back as they man a turret.
Two men are seen from the back as they man a turret.
Josep Borrell stands in front of a microphone in front of a blue backdrop that reads "Supporting the future of Syria and the region"
Josep Borrell stands in front of a microphone in front of a blue backdrop that reads "Supporting the future of Syria and the region"

Is the EU Starting to Wobble on Freezing Out Assad?

Cracks have begun to emerge between EU member states on Syria policy.

A fighter from the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army is deployed on a checkpoint in the area of Kafr Jannah on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Afrin on Oct. 19.
A fighter from the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army is deployed on a checkpoint in the area of Kafr Jannah on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Afrin on Oct. 19.

Turkey Combats Jihadi Expansion on Syria Border

An extremist alliance with links to al Qaeda is making headway across northern Syria, drawing Russia and Iran deeper into the conflict and posing problems for Turkey.

A woman looks down at her phone on a sidewalk near a banner showing Assad's and Putin's faces with the caption “Justice Prevails" on it in Arabic.
A woman looks down at her phone on a sidewalk near a banner showing Assad's and Putin's faces with the caption “Justice Prevails" on it in Arabic.

The Folly of Reengaging Assad

Jordan tried to reestablish ties with the Syrian dictator’s regime. It was a disaster.

A women holds up her hands making "peace" or "V for victory" signs with her fingers amid a group of women waving flags.
A women holds up her hands making "peace" or "V for victory" signs with her fingers amid a group of women waving flags.
Two women stand in a street with strollers and four children.
Two women stand in a street with strollers and four children.

Will Turkey Expel Its Syrian Refugees?

Nearly 4 million refugees are caught in the crossfire of Ankara’s heated domestic politics.

A man walks through Mariupol, Ukraine.
A man walks through Mariupol, Ukraine.

Russia’s Imperial Arrogance Is Destroying Ukrainian Heritage

The Kremlin believes it’s the true heir of classical civilization—and is poised to replicate its pillage of Syria in Ukraine under the guise of cultural preservation.

Workers attach a banner with a photo of a pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher after the bombing of a maternity ward in Mariupol during Russia's war in Ukraine that is displayed as part of an exhibition at the railway station in Vilnius, Lithuania on March 25, 2022, where transit trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad make a stopover.
Workers attach a banner with a photo of a pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher after the bombing of a maternity ward in Mariupol during Russia's war in Ukraine that is displayed as part of an exhibition at the railway station in Vilnius, Lithuania on March 25, 2022, where transit trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad make a stopover.

Putin Is Targeting Ukrainian Hospitals. That’s a War Crime.

The Kremlin is reviving the brutal methods it used in Syria, and the World Health Organization is refusing to name the crime and its perpetrator.

A U.N. peacekeeper keeps guard in Bria in the Central African Republic.
A U.N. peacekeeper keeps guard in Bria in the Central African Republic.

Putin Resorts to Syrian Mercenaries in Ukraine. It’s Not the First Time.

The Kremlin has been recruiting thousands of hardened Syrian fighters to join its war in Ukraine.

A banner depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin
A banner depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin

Syrian Fighters May End Up on Both Sides of the Ukraine War

Young Syrians have already served as mercenaries elsewhere.

A Syrian woman walks with a boy past a banner showing Russian President Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Abu al-Zuhur checkpoint in Idlib province, Syria, on June 1, 2018.
A Syrian woman walks with a boy past a banner showing Russian President Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Abu al-Zuhur checkpoint in Idlib province, Syria, on June 1, 2018.
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