Threats
Mattis Confirms Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria, But No Trump Decision to Strike Yet
The National Security Council discussed options with the president for responding to the attack, but the administration was still syncing up with allies Thursday evening.
Threats
The US Military Budget Shows Just How Deep Donald Trump is Getting Into Syria
Despite Trump's distaste for global entanglements, the U.S. is spending more and more in Syria.
Threats
If Trump Won't Lead in Syria, Someone Else Will
Unless the president can articulate and lead a plan, Syria’s future will be determined by Russia, Iran, and Turkey.
Threats
Assad Defies Another American President
The Syrian strongman saw the red line on sarin as a green light to do everything else.
Threats
What Is America Going to Do About Syria Now?
After the latest suspected chemical attack, the United States has four options.
Ideas
The Logic of Assad's Brutality
No meaningful American response will be forthcoming, no matter how hideous the war crime.
Ideas
Time to Get Out of Syria
The national security 'blob' who warn departure would be a disaster are wrong.
Threats
Trump Reverses, Says He’ll Keep US Troops in Syria
The president officially walked back last week’s off-the-cuff remark that the U.S. would leave Syria ‘very soon,’ leaving even more questions about the mission.
Policy
A Day of Whiplash in the US’s Syria Policy
At simultaneous live events, the president and military leaders offered conflicting views about America’s involvement.
Policy
Trump's 'Very Soon' Withdrawal From Syria Is Exactly What Many Troops Feared
What the president said is exactly what some special operations forces worried would happen — under President Hillary Clinton.
Ideas
Russia's Favorite Syrian Warlord
Brigadier General Suheil al-Hassan has won over Putin and played a central role in the assault on eastern Ghouta.
Ideas
In the Competition over Syria's Reconstruction, China Is the Likely Winner
Beijing sees a double opportunity in rebuilding the wartorn country: to extend its new Silk Road and expand its economic and political influence westward.
Threats
Russia ‘Incredibly Destabilizing’ as Syrian Conflict Threatens Region, Top US General Warns
Weeks after Tillerson said the U.S. and Russia share a postwar vision, Votel says Moscow is playing both “arsonist and firefighter.”
Ideas
The US Will Spend $500M on Syrian Kurds This Year. For What?
The Trump administration is embarking on a state-building project with no clear strategy, benchmarks, or goals.
Ideas
Russia Is Abetting Mass Murder in Syria
By standing by and watching a slow-motion Rwanda unfold, the U.S. risks becoming an accessory to evil.
Ideas
America Is Teaching Syria a Dangerous Lesson
Bashar al-Assad seems to have gotten the message that he can do whatever he wants short of using sarin gas.
Ideas
After ISIS, the US Faces Its Next Battle: Syria's Erupting Fault Lines
Without leadership, Washington’s options are limited in the chaos of the civil war's end game.
Ideas
Putin Is Playing a Dangerous Game in Syria
Is he in control in Syria, or stuck in the sand? The honest answer: a bit of both.
Ideas
Will the Israeli-Iranian Showdown Be in Syria — or New York?
Iran's various rivals and opponents are seeking a UN resolution that would return Tehran to pariah status and undermine its regional gains.
Threats