Sirwan Kajjo

Milstein Writing Fellow

Sirwan Kajjo is a journalist and researcher specializing in Kurdish politics, Islamic militancy, and Syrian affairs. He has contributed two book chapters on Syria and the Kurds, published by Indiana University Press and Cambridge University Press. His writings on Syrian and Kurdish issues have appeared in the Middle East Forum, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and other prominent think tanks and publications. Kajjo is also the author of Nothing But Soot, a novel set in Syria. He holds a B.A. in government and international politics from George Mason University.

Articles by this Author
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
A President Who Invites Foreign Intervention Against His Own Population Forfeits Any Moral Ground to Speak of His Country’s Territorial Sovereignty
Syrian-Born Islamist Incites Contempt for Infidels Among Muslims in Europe
As Syria Enters This New Political Phase, the United States Faces a Critical Opportunity to Help Shape a More Stable and Inclusive Future
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
The Participation of Druze and Alawite Leaders in a Recent Conference Infuriated Supporters of the Al-Sharaa Regime
The Syrian Democratic Forces Should Be Permitted to Maintain Institutional Cohesion Within Any Future Military Framework
Rushing Peace, Without Time for Syrians to Adjust, Could Risk a Backlash That Enables More Extreme Elements to Retrench
With Limited Troops in Both Countries, the U.S. Needs a Defense System That Can Intercept Tactical Ballistic and Cruises Missiles
Maintaining a Neutral Stance Could Help Spare Syria from Conflicts in Which It Is Not Prepared to Engage
Normalizing the Role of Terrorist Organizations Within State Structures Could Undermine International Counterterrorism Efforts
Who Will Control the Region’s Sixty-Plus Kurdish Villages Is in Question, Once the Kurdistan Workers’ Party Withdraws
The Ongoing Violence Against Alawites and Other Communities in Syria Demands Sustained Global Focus
A Kurdish Convention in Qamishli Conveyed Multiple Messages to the New Syrian Government and Turkey
The Interim President Is Consolidating Control by Placing Family Members in Key Positions at the Nexus of Power and Wealth
Foreign Fighters Who Helped Overthrow Assad Now Hold Key Positions in HTS’s Defense Ministry and Its New Army
Sectarian Violence May Have Led SDF Leaders to Believe a Deal with Damascus Could Protect Kurdish Lives in the Future
HTS Has Shown It Seeks to Establish Something Blending Arab Nationalism and Sunni Islamist Supremacy