Threats

The US Was Already Fighting in Syria

It has targeted ISIS and other terrorist groups, not the Assad regime—though that might change soon.

Ideas

Is Assad Using Sarin Gas?

If so, Tuesday's atrocity in Syria was only the fourth time the poison has been used as a weapon — so far.

Ideas

How Should the US Respond to Assad's Chemical Attacks?

Military intervention—even for the best moral reasons—always has unpredictable consequences.

Threats

UN Report Alleges Syrian War Crimes in Aleppo, Rebutting Russian Denials

The document backs up open-source and think-tank reporting on the Assad regime’s use of chlorine gas.

Ideas

At the Oscars: Syrians, White Helmets, and Migrants Lead Picture Nominees

Four films at the Academy Awards might interest you: '4.1 Miles,' 'Watani: My Homeland,' 'The White Helmets,' and 'Fire at Sea.'

Ideas

We’re Ignoring the Best Bad Option for Syria

A frozen conflict would give the country space to begin rebuilding.

Ideas

15 Questions Trump Should Answer About His 'Safe Zones'

If the president is serious about this, White House officials must clarify exactly what this new and expansive military mission would entail.

Threats

What We Know About the Syrian Ceasefire Announced by Putin

Russia and Turkey say Syrian government forces and rebels will begin a truce at midnight on December 30. Other details are thin.

Ideas

What Are Turkey and Russia Doing in Syria?

CFR’s Steven Cook offers context and backstory behind the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara.

Ideas

A Dictator Among the Ruins: What Comes Next in Syria

Putin and Assad’s victory in Aleppo will usher in a new phase of the conflict, rather than its end.

Ideas

The Syrian Kurds Try DIY Nation-Building in a Wartorn Land

The American military's radical, unlikely, democratic experiment in northern Syria now teeters on a knife’s edge.

Threats

US Special Operators Accelerate Killings of ISIS Leaders

Defense Secretary Ash Carter says this will weaken Mosul’s defenders and stop attacks in the United States.

Ideas

In Aleppo, Echoes of Guernica and Global Disorder

Nearly 80 years ago, a shattered town rang a death knell for international order. We must not let it happen again.

Ideas

How to Survive a Siege: We Made It Through Sarajevo. Here's How We're Keeping Connected In Aleppo

In Bosnia and in Syria, the tactic has been used to destroy bodies—but it’s really an attempt to annihilate the spirit.

Ideas

There’s a Way Obama’s White House Can Save Syrian Lives, There’s Just No Will

As Aleppo burns, little faith as Obama’s White House again considers military options in Syria.

Ideas

Syria Is the Thread That Russia Is Pulling to Unravel International Order

The U.S. must act soon, or see its post-WWII work come apart.

Ideas

Talking to Russia Cannot Save Syria

Putin and Assad make ISIS look hesitant by comparison when it comes to mass homicide.

Threats

Jets Are Targeting Syria’s Volunteer Rescue Workers

And some of the workers have already been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ideas

Violently Ousting Assad Won't Solve Anything in Syria

It is hardly surprising to hear calls for more U.S. action, but what happens next?

Ideas

It’s Time: The US Should Create A No-Fly Zone, Deliver Aid — and Save Syria

The act of alleviating human suffering may fuel a new dynamic that ultimately begins to change the course of the war.