Syria
Syria: There's method in Assad's election madness
The Syrian Government's successful effort to re-take the Qalamoun area from opposition forces was designed with two aims in mind: to reassert government control over an area…
Commentary
The new jihadists
The new jihadistsAnthony BubaloThe Saturday Paper12 April 2014Anthony Bubalo
Analyses
Next-gen jihad in the Middle East
In this Analysis Lowy Institute Research Director, Anthony Bubalo, argues that the current turmoil in the Middle East is incubating a new generation of jihadists. In many respects…
Year four of Syria's civil war: Elections and more fighting
Last week, the Syrian civil war entered its fourth year. Two events highlighted how intractable this conflict has become.
First, the Syrian parliament passed an electoral law…
Lebanon: Second front in the Syria war
This weekend's blast at an army checkpoint on the outskirts of Hermel, claimed by Sunni jihadists, is just the latest in a series of vehicle-borne suicide attacks aimed at…
Syria: Here endeth diplomacy
The Vietnamese, in their battles with US forces, used to talk of the need to 'hug the belt', or to engage so closely with US ground forces that the Americans' overwhelmingly…
Splitters: Syria's Pythonesque Islamist opposition
One of many great scenes from The Life of Brian was the depiction of the schism among anti-Roman groups that resulted in the standoff between the Judean People's Front, the…
Syria and the Geneva conference
The so-called Geneva II conference ended last Friday. The key to any negotiation regarding Syria is to aim low and keep one's expectations realistic. It is fair to say that UN…
Geneva II: If we get progress on humanitarian issues, it'll be worth it
While any talks between combatants should be seen as a positive move, the expectation of any substantive outcome at Geneva II is virtually zero.
Under intense pressure from its…
Syria: Is Assad the solution?
As Syria stumbles into its third year of conflict, President Assad continues to bank on his belief that the longer he remains in power, the more likely that the opposition will be…