Syria

By Ali Mamouri, Deakin University Shortly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, the new government led by rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa pledged to unite Syrians and establish a “civil peace” in the country. In recent days, this fragile peace has been tested. Late last week, clashes broke out between government security forces […]

Kurds

Syria integration deal with Kurds brings Relief after Days of bitter Violence wracks war-torn Country

The Conversation

By Rob Geist Pinfold, King’s College London (The Conversation) – The new Syrian government has signed a deal with to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia into the regime, in what is a big step towards uniting the fractured country. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) government has been struggling for legitimacy since it […]

Alawites

Syria: End Coastal Killing Spree, Protect Civilians

Human Rights Watch

Summary Executions, Indiscriminate Shootings, Outrages on Personal Dignity. ( Human Rights Watch – (New York) – Summary executions and other atrocities have taken place in Syria’s coastal region following insurgent attacks on Syrian security forces and during subsequent government security operations, with the Alawite community bearing the brunt of the violence, Human Rights Watch said today. […]

Israel

Israel escalates strikes in Syria amid post-Assad transition: A pattern of regional expansion

Global Voices

Written byWalid El Houri ( Globalvoices.org ) – On February 25, 2025, as Syria’s new government convened a national dialogue to chart the nation’s future post-conflict, Israel launched extensive military operations reaching the southern outskirts of Damascus. This aggressive move coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent declaration that Israel would not permit Syrian […]

Syria

Syria: Doubts Increase over new Regime’s Commitment to Women’s Right and Inclusivity

The Conversation

By Katya Alkhateeb, University of Essex and Faten Ghosn, University of Essex (The Conversation) – The capture of Damascus by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad last December sent shockwaves through Syria’s political landscape, heralding an unprecedented shift in power. The rise to power of HTS, formerly the […]

Iraq

What was the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and Why does it still affect the Middle East Today?

The Conversation

By Andrew Thomas, Deakin University (The Conversation) – Some national borders are determined by natural phenomena like seas, mountains and rivers. Most, however, are created by people. This means the creation of borders is often a political exercise – usually informed by the interests of those who create them, not the local populations to whom […]

Featured

In the Race for Influence in the New Syria, will Türkiye come out on Top?

Volkan Isbasaran

Istanbul (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Last week, Syria’s newly appointed President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Ankara to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, marking the highest-level meeting between Türkiye and Syria since 2009. The visit was al-Sharaa’s second international trip since being declared president, following his recent visit to Saudi Arabia. During the […]

Syria

Syrian Regime Change: How rebel Victories often lead to unstable, non-inclusive Governments

The Conversation

By Sally Sharif, University of British Columbia (The Conversation) – Syria’s rebel leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has defended his decision to fill his cabinet with wartime loyalists and delay constitutional and electoral processes, describing these moves as pragmatic necessities for the country’s fragile transition. At the same time, he has called for the disarmament of all […]

Displaced and Refugees

“The Lion has Fallen:” The End of Syria’s Brutal Regime and the Fate of the Refugees

Tomdispatch

By Helen Benedict ( Tomdispatch.com ) – Six years ago, at the time of the first Trump administration’s Muslim ban and its initial round of vicious anti-immigrant policies, I visited a refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos to see how Europe was handling its own immigrants and refugees. Within a day, I met […]