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Flames of War: Arson As a Weapon of Conflict in Syria and Iraq
Beginning in the second week of May, farmers in the vicinity of the Qarachoqh Mountain began reporting unusual patterns of Islamic State (IS) movement to local authorities, who have been struggling to clamp down on a low-intensity insurgency in the region for the …
By Trent Schoenborn
1 July 2019
Conflict
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Economy
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West & Central Asia
Governance by Corruption & Extortion
Conflict
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Politics
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West & Central Asia
The Pillars of Authoritarian Resilience Part 2 The most part are too busy in getting food, and the rest too …
By Sascha Ruppert
25 Jun 2019
In the Hospitality of the Commander
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
An Analysis of a Message from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi The first picture of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in years. It is the …
By Séamus Malekafzali
2 May 2019
An Authoritarian Marriage of Convenience
Conflict
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Europe
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Politics
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Profiles
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West & Central Asia
The Syrian regime’s connection to Germany’s right-wing populists While the Assad regime has proven …
By Sascha Ruppert
19 Mar 2019
Understanding Syria’s Military Deployments in Idlib
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
On March 3, 2019, Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Tawhid raided a Syrian government checkpoint in Masasana, Hama, killing …
By Gregory Waters
10 Mar 2019
SAS Injured in Syria: Shouldn’t We Understand What Went Wrong?
In early January, just a few weeks after US President Trump announced that the US-led coalition defeated IS, two …
By Megan Karlshoej-Pedersen
8 Feb 2019
Conflict
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Politics
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West & Central Asia
Hajin – The Last Stand of the Islamic State
The failure to break the YPG in Kobani was an omen of things to come. And now, as winter neared in 2018, the SDF was on the doorstep of the "capital" the remnants of IS had declared, in Hajin, a town of less than 30,000.
By Séamus Malekafzali
22 Dec 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
Compromise, Concession, and “The Railroad”
In the late hours of 23 November 2018, a year after the last major combat action between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) …
By Trent Schoenborn
3 Dec 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
Anwar al-Awlaki’s Life after Death: ISIS, al-Qaida, and a Shared L…
There is a saying attributed to Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, regarding the …
By Séamus Malekafzali
4 Oct 2018
Conflict
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North Africa
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West & Central Asia
Tiger Forces, Part 4: Russia’s Partner Force
On 30 September 2015, Russia officially entered the Syrian Civil War alongside the Syrian government. Russian air, …
By Gregory Waters
25 Sep 2018
Conflict
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Profiles
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West & Central Asia
The Fight for the Syrian Economy Appears Lost
While on the battlefield Damascus and its allies seem to be achieving victory after victory, the fight for the …
By Stanimir Dobrev
21 Aug 2018
Economy
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West & Central Asia
Islamic State Propaganda during the Damascus Offensive
A series of defeats for the Islamic State (IS) through 2017 had reduced their territory in Syria to a handful of …
By Robert Postings
17 Aug 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
Tiger Forces, Part 1: The War Crimes of the “Cheetah” Groups
This is the first of several entries on the pro-government Syrian militia known as the Tiger Forces. Each entry …
By Gregory Waters
23 Jul 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
An Analysis of Syrian NDF Media: 2014 – 2018
Although numerous “popular committee” forces took up arms in support of the Syrian government in the …
By Trent Schoenborn
19 Jul 2018
Conflict
,
West & Central Asia
The Contradictions of Northern Syria
This article provides an overview of the geopolitical situation in Northern Syria. We’ll look at the history …
By Sebastian Gonano
5 Jun 2018
Conflict
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Politics
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West & Central Asia
The Qiyam Phenomenon: Analysis of Syria’s Harakat al-Qiyam
On an unknown date in late August of 2017, a number of small rural insurgency cells in northern Syria came together …
By Trent Schoenborn
18 May 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
An Analysis of the Islamic State’s SVBIED Use in Raqqa
Perhaps the most fearsome of all of the Islamic State’s (IS) weapons is the suicide vehicle borne improvised …
By Robert Postings
11 May 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
2018 East Ghouta Offensive: the Cost of Securing Damascus
On February 18th, 2018, the Syrian government began it’s offensive to recapture all of rebel-held East …
By Gregory Waters
2 May 2018
Conflict
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Regions
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West & Central Asia
The Origins of Dictatorship in Syria
When analysing the Syrian conflict, the historical context is an area often approached superficially, with …
By Erik M. Kannike
24 Apr 2018
Conflict
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Politics
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West & Central Asia
The Growing Role of Reconciled Rebels in Syria
In 2013, two years after the first anti-government protests began in Dara’a, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was …
By Gregory Waters
21 Apr 2018
Conflict
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Politics
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West & Central Asia
The Art of Constantly Changing Narratives – Part I: Russia
To anyone familiar with the media landscape surrounding Syria, Russia’s presence in the war has always been …
By Séamus Malekafzali
12 Apr 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
Suwayda – The “Almost” Revolution of 2017
How Syria’s “Romeo and Juliet” almost destroyed Assad’s grip on power. In late 2017, social …
By Stanimir Dobrev
3 Apr 2018
Politics
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West & Central Asia
Damascus’ “Democratic” Experiments: Local Councils under Gov…
On August 23, 2011, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad passed Decree 107 in an attempt to ameliorate the growing …
By Gregory Waters
14 Mar 2018
Politics
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West & Central Asia
Pandora’s Box: The Democratisation of Drone Warfare
On the night of January 6, 2018, 13 drones took off from a location in Northern Syria. Made from plastic, foam and …
By Michael Cruickshank
4 Mar 2018
Conflict
Mujahidat: The Female Fighters of the Islamic State
In a release dated February 7th 2018 the Islamic State (IS) published a new propaganda video which featured violent …
By Robert Postings
3 Mar 2018
Conflict
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West & Central Asia
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