Syria

Syria: the disgraceful stain left by the UN Security Council veto
Syria: the disgraceful stain left by the UN Security Council veto
Last week in the United Nations Security Council, Russia and China blocked a resolution that would have demanded an end to fighting in the Syrian province of Idlib, the final…
Syria: Is it time for the West to talk with Assad?
Syria: Is it time for the West to talk with Assad?
Syria is one among several Middle East regimes which believe that repression, if not used in moderation, provides a necessary answer to challenges to the existing political and…
Who bears responsibility for the children of ISIS?
Who bears responsibility for the children of ISIS?
The death of UK teenager Shamima Begum’s newborn son and the recent video of an Australian woman in Syria calling to be returned home with her sick infant daughter has…
Repatriating female foreign fighters: political not personal
Repatriating female foreign fighters: political not personal
The Islamic State is on the verge of total defeat. As a result, many of the remaining foreign fighters who travelled to the caliphate are coming out of the woodwork. One of…
Syria: emerging consequences of the US withdrawal
Syria: emerging consequences of the US withdrawal
Don’t confuse tactical loyalty with strategic sense. No Kurd in their right mind would have believed that the US presence was anything but temporary. It’s a new year and another…
What happens next? Trump’s sudden Syria exit
What happens next? Trump’s sudden Syria exit
Donald Trump’s announcement that he is pulling troops out of Syria is another example of the New York property developer turned president's decision-making style. If you don’t…
The danger of mission creep in Syria
The danger of mission creep in Syria
One of the ten principles of war taught at all military colleges is “Selection and Maintenance of the Aim”. It sounds simple enough, but when the principle is not adhered to then…
The crowded skies of Syria
The crowded skies of Syria
The downing of a Russian Il-20 aircraft off the Syrian coast this week with the death of 15 personnel is another reminder of the cost to Moscow of its pro-regime military…
Idlib – the (nearly) final frontier
Idlib – the (nearly) final frontier
The latest front to attract the wavering interest of the international community in the Syrian conflict is Idlib, a province where the population of rebels of various…
Dollars for Syria
Dollars for Syria
Bashar al-Assad’s forces have continued to re-assert government control over most of the major population centres in Syria, yet these cities and towns remain only partially…