Syria

Trump's Golan Announcement Was No Impulse Tweet

The push for Trump to make such a move has been going on for more than a year, due to parallel efforts by Israeli officials and members of Congress.

• Kathy Gilsinan
• Mar 21, 2019

How Trump Made It a Little Easier For Assad to Stay in Power

Even as the U.S. has bombed the Syrian leader’s forces, the president has stopped aiding one campaign against him.

• Krishnadev Calamur
• Jul 19, 2017

First He Became an American—Then He Joined ISIS

When the FBI discovered a network of Bosnian-Americans giving support to terrorists, they also discovered Abdullah Ramo Pazara, a U.S. citizen and a battalion commander in Syria.

• Seamus Hughes and Bennett Clifford
• May 25, 2017

Trump Begins His Religion World Tour

The American president’s first international trip has been explicitly framed in terms of religious identity.

• Emma Green
• May 20, 2017

Can the United Nations Do Anything to Stop the Slaughter in Syria?

A resolution to condemn Assad has once again fallen to a Russian veto. But there is something the institution could do to help end the war.

• Omer Aziz
• Apr 12, 2017

Trump's Action in Syria Is 'Just the Latest Blip on a Deeper Story'

The American public is always ready to pay attention to military strikes. But what does the president’s decision mean for the humanitarian crisis?

• Emma Green
• Apr 11, 2017

Lessons From the 'Red Line' Crisis

I was chief of staff at the State Department the last time a president considered punishing Assad for using chemical weapons. The complexities we faced then are worth considering as Trump contemplates what’s next in Syria.

• David Eckels Wade
• Apr 10, 2017

How Obama’s Syrian Chemical Weapons Deal Fell Apart

A tale of Syrian deception, Russian duplicity, and American dithering

• Hisham Melhem
• Apr 10, 2017

Russia and America Are Once Again at Odds

The bitter back-and-forth between the two governments over Syria strikes underscores the longstanding dysfunction in the relationship.

• Uri Friedman
• Apr 9, 2017

Trump's Unlawful Attack in Syria

Trump launched an attack on Bashar al-Assad’s government without the legal authority to do so.

• Garrett Epps
• Apr 9, 2017

Donald Trump, Inevitable Hawk

The 45th president’s worldview was eventually going to lead him into military conflict.

• McKay Coppins
• Apr 8, 2017

Does Israel Have a Special Duty to Stop a ‘Holocaust’ in Syria?

Why religious leaders say yes and political leaders say no

• Sigal Samuel
• Apr 8, 2017

Reactions to the Syria Strike: A Brief Guide

Washington's foreign policy blob is in lockstep behind Trump.

• Matt Peterson
• Apr 8, 2017

How Unusual Was the Trump Administration’s Reversal on Syria?

The current president is not the only commander in chief to change his mind with respect to U.S. military action, but the timeline for his about-face may be far shorter than most.

• Clare Foran
• Apr 8, 2017

When Do Limited Strikes 'Work'?

Micah Zenko explains the logic of Trump’s Syria intervention—and its chances of success

• Priscilla Alvarez
• Apr 8, 2017

On Syria, Which Version of Trump Will Win Out?

The America Firster who mocked international norms has abruptly reversed course.

• Uri Friedman
• Apr 7, 2017

Does Trump Know What to Do After Striking Syria?

Simply blaming Obama won't work as a game plan.

• Eliot A. Cohen
• Apr 7, 2017

Trump's Establishment Approach to Syria

Why did the most unconventional of presidents respond to his first foreign policy crisis in such a conventional way?

• Peter Beinart
• Apr 7, 2017

A Practical Guide for Avoiding Fallacies on Syria

Seven ways to pressure-test the most common arguments from the anti-interventionist camp

• Shadi Hamid
• Apr 7, 2017

In Syria, Russia Falls Victim to Its Own Success

Moscow’s rogue client has destroyed the country’s ability to present itself as an indispensable arbiter in the conflict.

• Julia Ioffe
• Apr 7, 2017