Syria

Syria and the problem with numbers
Syria and the problem with numbers
Syria has already been referred to as the most socially-mediated conflict ever. But while most have viewed Syria through this lens (often because it's the platform favoured by…
The Interpreter's best of 2016: Syria
The Interpreter's best of 2016: Syria
It was another year of war for Syria, one in which the tide swung from forces opposed to the Assad regime back to the Syrian military and those aligned with it. The Lowy Institute…
What exactly did the rebel defence of east Aleppo achieve?
What exactly did the rebel defence of east Aleppo achieve?
As Aleppo falls and a last-minute evacuation and cease-fire is implemented, there is the familiar cry in the global community that we (read: the West) have abandoned the civilians…
'First we take Aleppo, then we take Idlib'
'First we take Aleppo, then we take Idlib'
The gradual isolation and strangulation of Aleppo is part of a much broader strategy that has taken shape over the past year, albeit in the case of Aleppo on a much different…
'If the aim is to save civilian lives, rebels must leave Aleppo'
Commentary
'If the aim is to save civilian lives, rebels must leave Aleppo'
In an opinion piece in The Australian, Rodger Shanahan writes that rebels need to concede Aleppo to save civilian lives. Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu AgencyRodger Shanahan
Quick comment: Rodger Shanahan on why rebel forces should leave Aleppo
Quick comment: Rodger Shanahan on why rebel forces should leave Aleppo
It's time for the international community to put pressure on rebel forces to leave Aleppo, says Lowy Institute Research Fellow Rodger Shanahan. As Syrian government forces and…
Retaking Mosul will be hard, but Raqqa will be harder
Retaking Mosul will be hard, but Raqqa will be harder
Today Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop observed that the Mosul offensive is an 'important milestone' in the battle against Islamic State; there is no doubt retaking…
Good options in Syria don't exist
Commentary
Good options in Syria don't exist
Originally published in the Australian Financial Review.Rodger Shanahan
Syria needs the best of the West's diplomats, not lawyers
Syria needs the best of the West's diplomats, not lawyers
Getting the US and Russia to work together in Syria was always going to be difficult. Now it looks as though a diplomatic solution was from the start a mirage at best and a trick…
Foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: The day after
Analyses
Foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq: The day after
In this Lowy Institute Analysis, Research Fellow Dr Rodger Shanahan and Nonresident Fellow Lydia Khalil argue that an increasing number of foreign fighters are likely to leave…