Syria

Syria: extinguishing the flame of the revolution
Syria: extinguishing the flame of the revolution
More than seven years after Deraa became the cradle of the Syrian uprising, the city has effectively surrendered to regime forces. Its final days reflected a…
Europe: the movers and the shakers
Europe: the movers and the shakers
The way in which the European Union and its member states responded to recent strikes by the US, France, and the UK on Syrian chemical weapons targets very clearly exposes the…
Syria strikes: mission accomplished?
Syria strikes: mission accomplished?
The US military claims the ability of the Syrian regime to use chemical weapons has been set back “for years” following strikes on Saturday. Given it is just one year since…
In Syria, Trump must collude with Russia
In Syria, Trump must collude with Russia
President Donald Trump is under enormous pressure to respond militarily to the latest provocation by the Assad regime, but he would do so against all of his instincts and earlier…
Rouhani, Erdogan, and Putin’s bizarre love triangle
Rouhani, Erdogan, and Putin’s bizarre love triangle
It appears a new regional security order is encircling Syria as the civil war grinds into its seventh year. This shift was visible last week, when the leaders of Turkey, Iran, and…
Sifting evil intent from charities doing good
Sifting evil intent from charities doing good
The nexus between charitable aid and terrorism is a delicate and often difficult subject to discuss, let alone research. Some troubling relationships do exist, but the number of…
To Russia: a plea of caution on Syria
To Russia: a plea of caution on Syria
The recent UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria was arguably a vital step towards the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to 5.6 million…
Russia a reluctant driver in the Syrian war
Russia a reluctant driver in the Syrian war
As we witness the slaughter of civilians in yet another part of Syria – most recently, the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta – the country appears to enter the endgame of the…
The depressing sameness of the fight for Ghouta
The depressing sameness of the fight for Ghouta
A little over a year ago, after the fall of eastern Aleppo in Syria, I asked “What exactly did the defence of East Aleppo achieve?”: Surely it was apparent from the time the…
Back to the Syrian (un)civil war
Commentary
Back to the Syrian (un)civil war
Originally published in The Australian.  Rodger Shanahan