Syrian Civil War Archives - International Review

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, Profiles, West & Central Asia
Tiger Forces, Part 3: Roots in the Desert Hawks
Three years into the Syrian Civil War, the government had largely managed to halt rebel advances around Damascus by …
By Gregory Waters
6 Sep 2018
Conflict, 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, 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, Regions, 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, Politics, 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, West & Central Asia
Jableh’s Sacrifice: Testing the Limits of Syrian Loyalty
Damascus faces growing resentment as hardships burden the Syrian regime's war-weary coastal heartlands.
By Gregory Waters
20 Dec 2017
Conflict, West & Central Asia
The Quest for Control – What does the spread of militias mean for …
Syria's Bashar al-Assad remains in control thanks in part to a wide network of loyal militias. How will this affect him in the future?
By Sebastian Gonano
15 Dec 2017
Politics, West & Central Asia
Abu Jaber and Hayat Tahrir al Sham, Part 3: The Failure of Blood
In Part 1 of this series I discussed how the formation of HTS was a response to rebel failures in 2016 and the …
By Gregory Waters
13 Nov 2017
Conflict, West & Central Asia
The rebel offensive in Quneitra province and Druze involvement
On 10th September 2016, several rebel groups including Ahrar ash-Sham, Jabhat Fateh ash-Sham (JFS, former Al-Nusra Front) and associated units announced an offensive in Quneitra governate. The rebels aimed to capture and secure the town of Hader ( a Druze town), which they deemed essential for government operations in the region. Hader can be cut off rather easily as to its north is Mount Hermon, and the road leading past it to the south also connects to the Bayt Jinn rebel pocket.
By Sebastian Gonano
13 Nov 2017
Conflict, West & Central Asia
Leader Profile: Abu Ammar Taftanaz
On November 29th, 2016, Ahrar al-Sham’s primary spokesman Abu Yusuf al-Muhajir announced quite suddenly that a …
By Trent Schoenborn
3 Nov 2017
Profiles, West & Central Asia
City Profile: The City of Aleppo
One of Syria's largest cities, Aleppo has seen war for nearly four years. What has become of it since the onset of conflict?
By Sebastian Gonano
25 Oct 2017
Profiles, West & Central Asia
Turkey in Syria – A summary of the intervention
On August 24th, 2016, the Turkish military entered Syria near Jarabulus directly, together with various rebel …
By Sebastian Gonano
14 Oct 2017
Conflict, West & Central Asia