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Syria

Chemical Terrorism
commentary
Arms Control Hostage to Skripal and Syria Attacks
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Apr 19, 2018
RealClearDefense
Two prominent poisoning assassination attempts and Kremlin denials of gas attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad raise doubts about Moscow's commitment to the purposes of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Never has the future of negotiated arms control involving Russia been at greater risk.
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Chemical Weapons and Warfare
commentary
A Norm in Crisis: Implications of Persistent Chemical Weapons Use
Natasha Lander
Apr 18, 2018
RealClearDefense
The international community should consider serious options to hold perpetrators of chemical attacks accountable and stop further attacks. These are not easy choices. But the alternative is accepting that long-held norms are crumbling, and humanity is sliding back to inhumane tools of war.
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Turkey
commentary
Turkey's Double Standard: How Ankara's Actions Contradict Its Claims of Opposing the Islamic State
Ahmet S. Yayla, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Apr 13, 2018
Foreign Policy
Turkey wants to take credit for the demise of the Islamic State, insisting that Turkey's actions in northern Syria have helped lay the groundwork for a sustainable peace. But the evidence clearly suggests otherwise.
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Syria
commentary
Conditioning American Withdrawal from Syria
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini
Apr 9, 2018
Al-Monitor
U.S. forces will soon withdraw from Syria, and the U.S. State Department put a hold on further stabilization assistance to areas liberated from the Islamic State. The U.S. and its partners should offer stabilization and reconstruction help, particularly in regions where much of the damage was the result of American-supported military operations.
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Turkey
commentary
What's Turkey Trying to Achieve in Syria?
Ahmet S. Yayla, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Apr 2, 2018
The National Interest
Turkish President Erdoğan is attempting to cement his political legitimacy among Syrian Sunnis by portraying himself as their savior. If the United States withdraws from Syria after the mission to defeat ISIS is complete, it will essentially be ceding the advantage to Erdoğan, who can continue pushing his agenda.
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Domestic Violence
commentary
Tackling Gender-Based Violence Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
Mahlet A. Woldetsadik
Mar 22, 2018
The RAND Blog
Increased poverty and major shifts in traditional gender roles for Syrian refugees have worsened interpersonal tensions, increased the risk of domestic violence, and caused challenges for aid workers.
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Israel
commentary
Israel Prepares to Take on Iran and Hezbollah in Syria
Richard Charles Baffa @R_Baffa
Feb 19, 2018
Newsweek
Clashes between Israeli, Iranian, and Syrian forces have injected new volatility into the Middle East. This increases the likelihood of miscalculation and escalatory military action across the region.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Expanding the ISIS Brand
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Feb 19, 2018
The National Interest
Since its founding, the Islamic State has consistently expanded and contracted in order to achieve its objectives. To discern how ISIS might continue to expand, it makes sense to trace Al Qaeda's trajectory, which followed a similar pattern in the 2000s.
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Syria
commentary
Tillerson's All of the Above Policy for Syria
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Feb 1, 2018
Newsweek
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson proposed to suppress any ISIS resurgence in Syria, oust Bashar al Assad, reduce Iranian influence, continue to back a Kurdish-dominated enclave, and reassure Turkey. It's important to understand why such an “all of the above” approach would not be workable.
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United States
blog
Trump's First State of the Union: Insights from RAND
Jan 31, 2018
RAND research, analysis, and expertise provide context for the issues discussed in the president's first State of the Union address, including infrastructure, North Korea, and opioids.
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Iran
commentary
Counteracting Iran's Gray Zone Strategy in Syria
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Jan 25, 2018
Lawfare
Iran is extending its influence throughout Syria as the Islamic State's influence declines. To counter Iranian efforts and the inevitable similar actions of other countries, the United States should dedicate significant resources to crafting its own strategy to prevent Tehran from taking advantage of the current conflict and humanitarian crisis.
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Political Reform Movements
commentary
Iran's Efforts to Create Instability Abroad Have Led to Protests at Home
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Jan 12, 2018
The National Interest
Iran has spent billions of dollars in its quest to be a regional leader, but its main achievement has been to spark instability across a wide swath of the Middle East. Ordinary Iranians are struggling and protesters are urging a retreat from costly foreign fights and more aid at home.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
essay
What Life Under ISIS Looked Like from Space
Jan 9, 2018
Satellite images show how ISIS attempted to govern in Iraq and Syria, the economic damage the group left behind, and what it will take to rebuild.
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Threat Assessment
commentary
Where Is Assad Getting His Fighters from? (It's Not Just Lebanon and Iraq)
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Phillip Smyth
Jan 4, 2018
The National Interest
The Assad regime's defense against insurgents in Syria's ongoing civil war is being provided by forces imported from Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Lebanon and Iraq. Most of these fighters are being trained and equipped by Iran. Could this network of foreign fighters help Iran establish a greater presence beyond the Middle East?
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Russia Trapped in Syria
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Dec 20, 2017
The Cipher Brief
Russia alone can neither guarantee the future security of Syria nor mobilize the resources to enable it to recover and rebuild. Only by linking arms with the international community to edge out Iran, forge broader-based governance and spur economic growth can Russia hope to achieve lasting success in Syria.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
ISIS Could Rise Again
Benjamin Bahney, Patrick B. Johnston @J0HNST0N
Dec 15, 2017
Foreign Affairs
ISIS has a tried-and-true playbook for bringing itself back from near death. Just a few years ago, it managed to resurrect itself after apparent defeat. And the history of that resurrection should serve as a warning of what may be coming now.
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Syria

Arms Control Hostage to Skripal and Syria Attacks

A Norm in Crisis: Implications of Persistent Chemical Weapons Use

Turkey's Double Standard: How Ankara's Actions Contradict Its Claims of Opposing the Islamic State

Conditioning American Withdrawal from Syria

What's Turkey Trying to Achieve in Syria?

Tackling Gender-Based Violence Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Israel Prepares to Take on Iran and Hezbollah in Syria

Expanding the ISIS Brand

Tillerson's All of the Above Policy for Syria

Trump's First State of the Union: Insights from RAND

Counteracting Iran's Gray Zone Strategy in Syria

Iran's Efforts to Create Instability Abroad Have Led to Protests at Home

What Life Under ISIS Looked Like from Space

Where Is Assad Getting His Fighters from? (It's Not Just Lebanon and Iraq)

Russia Trapped in Syria

ISIS Could Rise Again

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