Syria

Security Cooperation
commentary
The U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Is an Opportunity for China
Mollie Saltskog, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Feb 15, 2019
Lawfare
The U.S. withdrawal from Syria could allow Beijing to further assert its role as a key international partner in Syria and, by extension, further its interests in the Middle East. The extent of Sino-Syrian cooperation remains ambiguous but it has reportedly deepened, with China supplying intelligence personnel, strategic advisors, and special forces.
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Refugees
commentary
Syrian Skills: A Missed Opportunity
Shanthi Nataraj @ShanthiNataraj, Louay Constant
Feb 14, 2019
RealClearWorld
Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are finding ways to get by. But many refugees are not able to fully use their skills, and that is a lost opportunity both for the Syrians and the host countries.
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Intelligence Collection
commentary
Intelligence Losses Pose Large Risks as U.S. Troops Head Home
Jason H. Campbell @JasonHCampbell, Javed Ali
Jan 24, 2019
The Hill
Departing theaters such as Syria and Afghanistan carries a host of associated risks, challenges and potential benefits. Leaders would be well served to factor into the debate the importance of U.S. intelligence collection capabilities, its connection to U.S. presence overseas and its role in anticipating current and future threats.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
America's Absence Could Be Syria's New Nightmare
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Jan 10, 2019
The National Interest
President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria reverses his administration's recent policy of retaining them as long as Iranian troops stay. U.S. withdrawal would give Bashar al-Assad, Iran, and Russia freer rein to subdue opposition forces. And Assad could feel emboldened to act with greater impunity and brutality.
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Syria
commentary
Confusion Over the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Jan 9, 2019
Reuters
Washington's strategy in Syria has been to impose costs on the Syrian government by diplomatic ostracism and economic sanctions. This punitive approach is morally satisfying and politically expedient, but as a practical matter it just helps perpetuate the conflict and sustain Assad's dependency on Iran.
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Syria
commentary
Withdrawing from Syria Leaves a Vacuum That Iran Will Fill
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Jan 8, 2019
Foreign Affairs
President Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria may be unintentionally signaling that the United States is unwilling to compete in critical geopolitical hotspots. Such a message could embolden powerful states—including Iran—to expand their presence.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
The United States Can't Rely on Turkey to Defeat ISIS
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ahmet S. Yayla
Jan 2, 2019
Foreign Policy
Relying on Turkey to shoulder the burden of countering the Islamic State will provide the terrorist group with an opportunity to revive itself at a critical stage in the fight. Turkey's main focus is on the Kurds and Erdogan's opposition. Eradicating the Islamic State is a secondary priority that has often been ignored.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Trump's Syria Withdrawal: Right Idea, Wrong Way, Wrong Time
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Dec 26, 2018
Reuters
President Trump's desire to withdraw from Syria is consistent with his and his predecessor's national strategies, but the manner in which the decision has been taken is highly counterproductive. Unless modified it could have disastrous consequences, says James Dobbins.
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Refugees
commentary
For One Syrian Refugee, the Research Strikes Close to Home
Fadia Afashe
Dec 22, 2018
USA Today
Fadia Afashe came to the United States to study public policy in 2011, with every intention of eventually going home to Syria. But when her fellowship ended a year later, the possibility of returning home had vanished. She became a refugee success story, but a path for others is needed.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Is Major Realignment Taking Place in the Middle East?
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Oct 31, 2018
Foreign Affairs
The shifting alignments in the Middle East have intensified since the murder of the Saudi journalist Khashoggi in Istanbul. Turkey has drifted away from NATO and toward Iran and Russia. Like Tehran and Moscow, Ankara is now more anti-Western than at any point in recent memory. What does this mean for the United States?
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Iran
commentary
America's Indefinite Endgame in Syria
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Oct 16, 2018
The Atlantic
The Trump administration's position on the Syrian civil war has shifted from countering ISIS to containing Iran. America will remain in Syria as long as Iran does. But an unending timetable for the withdrawal of troops is far more problematic for Washington than it is for Tehran.
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Terrorism Financing
commentary
ISIS's New Plans to Get Rich and Wreak Havoc
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Oct 10, 2018
Foreign Policy
Although the Islamic State has lost nearly 98 percent of the territory it once controlled, it is ripe for a comeback in Sunni-majority areas of Iraq and Syria. The group has proven that it is capable of making money even without controlling large population centers.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
Why We Should Measure the Economic Impact of Terrorism in the Middle East
Antonia Ward @antoniahward
Sep 24, 2018
Georgetown Security Studies Review
Though physical impacts of terrorism in the Middle East should be the main focus of counterterrorism efforts, financial impacts should not be ignored. Officials could help mitigate devastating economic effects by identifying and protecting essential regional revenue streams like tourism and oil.
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Syria
commentary
The Growing Risk of a New Middle East War
Richard C. Baffa, Nathan Vest
Aug 21, 2018
United Press International
Escalating clashes between Israeli and Iranian forces in Syria have demonstrably increased the risk of a new, large-scale regional conflict that would likely involve the U.S. military. Tehran's continued provocations and violations of Israel's stated red lines are fueling escalation with the potential to rapidly spin out of control.
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Russia
commentary
Russia's Wars and Trump
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Jul 11, 2018
The Hill
At the July 16 summit in Helsinki, President Trump might stress that the West will persist in imposing costs on Russia for current and any future malign interventions. At the same time, he could offer to work with Putin in the search for peace in Syria and Ukraine if Moscow were to decide to withdraw its forces.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Time to Make a Deal on Syria
Samuel Charap @scharap, Jeffrey Martini
Jul 10, 2018
Foreign Policy
U.S. leverage is much diminished by the Assad regime's recent gains but there are still opportunities for Washington and Russia to achieve a settlement that preserves some U.S. interests. These include maintaining the gains made against the Islamic State and constraining Iranian influence in Syria.
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Syria

The U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Is an Opportunity for China

Syrian Skills: A Missed Opportunity

Intelligence Losses Pose Large Risks as U.S. Troops Head Home

America's Absence Could Be Syria's New Nightmare

Confusion Over the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria

Withdrawing from Syria Leaves a Vacuum That Iran Will Fill

The United States Can't Rely on Turkey to Defeat ISIS

Trump's Syria Withdrawal: Right Idea, Wrong Way, Wrong Time

For One Syrian Refugee, the Research Strikes Close to Home

Is Major Realignment Taking Place in the Middle East?

America's Indefinite Endgame in Syria

ISIS's New Plans to Get Rich and Wreak Havoc

Why We Should Measure the Economic Impact of Terrorism in the Middle East

The Growing Risk of a New Middle East War

Russia's Wars and Trump

Time to Make a Deal on Syria

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