Syria
Syria: Momentum now firmly with Assad
Earlier this week, Syrian state media announced Syrian government forces had broken the Islamic State (IS) siege of the Syrian military garrison at Dier az-Zour, the latest in a…
Cutting a deal with Islamic State
Negotiated deals between government forces and various armed groups have been a feature of the Syrian conflict. But a controversial deal involving several hundred Islamic…
North Korea shipments raise questions about Syria's chemical weapons
On 22 August, Reuters reported that two North Korean shipments of unspecified goods on their way to Syria had recently been intercepted. Citing a confidential UN sanctions…
Death of a Lebanese terrorist
They say that the wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do turn. And if the reports of the death of the terrorist Khalid Sharrouf are confirmed, then it meant that he died as a…
Syria: A farewell to arms
Last week’s confirmation that the CIA-run program to vet and arm Syrian rebel groups in the north of the country was coming to an end was a tacit acknowledgement of the flaws in…
RAAF’s decision on Syria raises more questions than it answers
Yesterday the Australian government announced the RAAF is temporarily ceasing operations over Syria. Although a Defence spokesman told the ABC that ‘force protection was regularly…
US making policy on the run in Syria
Two events overnight in Syria have demonstrated just how complicated the situation continues to be. In the first instance, Iran joined Russia and the United States in lobbing…
Syria: The battle for the east
Sryian President Bashar al-Assad claimed in September 2016 that he intends to re-establish control over the whole of Syria, and recent actions indicate this remains his strategic…
Syrian safe zones: Not there yet
Last Thursday in Astana the latest agreement that attempts to establish some limited cessation of hostilities in Syria was signed. The signatories (and hence guarantors) were…
Will new UN mechanism boost justice for war crimes in Syria?
The UN has established a new mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of individuals responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide as well as…