World Mar 16 Analysis: Syria’s resurgence of violence does not signal a new civil war — for now By Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations
World Mar 07 Clashes in Syria’s coastal region between Assad loyalists and government forces kill more than 70 A war monitor says that clashes between Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to former President Bashar Assad in the country's coastal region have left more than 70 people dead and the area outside government control. By Omar Albam, Associated Press
World Dec 26 Uneasy calm, heightened security after flare-up of violence in Syrian city of Homs Syria's new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs on Thursday, a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country's fragile peace could break down. By Abby Sewell, Associated Press
World Dec 15 Analysis: What to know about HTS, Hezbollah and Iran after Assad’s fall in Syria The ascendance of Sunni Islamist rebels in Syria should be viewed with great caution by Western powers, but the Assad regime’s collapse disables a critical node in Iran’s regional proxy network, a counterterrorism expert explains. By Bruce Hoffman, Council on Foreign Relations
World Dec 14 U.S. has been in direct contact with Syrian rebel group that ousted Assad, Blinken says Blinken is the first U.S. official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that ousted Assad from power last Sunday. By Matthew Lee, Associated Press
Dec 08 Analysis: Syria faces risky new moment after fall of the Assad dynasty By Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations The swift collapse of Syria’s regime brings a humiliating end to Russia’s and Iran’s sway and opens the door for greater Turkish influence. But the Islamist movement that seized power has yet to show its full intentions. Continue reading
Dec 08 Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Syria’s insurgency that toppled Assad? By Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader whose stunning insurgency toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation… Continue reading
May 14 Syria’s main insurgent group seeks to distance itself from past al-Qaida ties By Ghaith Alsayed, Bassem Mroue, Associated Press The leader of an insurgent group that rules much of northwest Syria is rebranding his organization by cracking down on extremist factions and spreading a message of pluralism and religious tolerance. Continue reading