Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
Rather than the Baathist Model Rooted in Arab Nationalism, the Emerging Order Combines Arab Nationalism and Sunni Muslim Supremacy
The Military Lacks Discipline and Is Being Indoctrinated in Ways That Antagonize Critics of Al-Sharaa’s Government
Extreme Poverty Now Affects One in Four Syrians and the Country’s Economy Is Worth Less than One-Third of What It Was in 2011
If Al-Sharaa Were Genuinely Committed to Political Pluralism and Inclusivity, He Would Engage with Syria’s Kurds, Druze, Christians, and Alawis
A Partnership with the U.S.-Led Coalition Would Give Al-Sharaa Another Means to Consolidate Power and Project Legitimacy at Home and Abroad
If Washington Hoped to Keep Russia at Bay in Syria, That Task Is Becoming Increasingly Difficult
Syria’s President Al-Sharaa Talks of Democracy and Reform but His Government Appears Systemically Opposed to It
Property Relationships Are Organized Along Sectarian and Factional Lines and the Government Has Difficulty Moving Beyond Salafi Jihadism’s Legacy
The New Regime Promises Reform and Moderation When Engaging with the West, but Its Real Policy Is to Eliminate Syria’s Diversity
Securing Regional or International Backing Long Has Been a Defining Feature for All Major Actors of the Conflict
Recent Waves of Violence Show That Syrians Cannot Coexist Without a Social Contract That Guarantees Mutual Acceptance
In Just Eight Months of Sunni Islamist Rule in Syria, Already Three Large-Scale Incidents of Sectarian Violence Have Taken Place
United Druze Spiritual Leaders Condemn Syrian Government’s Treacherous Siege and Assault on al-Suwayda’, Demanding Withdrawal and Accountability
The Participation of Druze and Alawite Leaders in a Recent Conference Infuriated Supporters of the Al-Sharaa Regime
How the Nature of Iran’s Networks in Syria Was Widely Misunderstood
Every Effort to Run Roughshod over the Region’s Ethnic and Sectarian Minorities Has Led to Dictatorship and State Failure
The Trump Administration Must Demonstrate That American Policy Holds Governments Accountable for Their Actions
Does He Advocate for Freedom or Islamism?
The International Silence in This Case Raises Questions About the Consistency of Western Commitments to Religious Freedom