How the Syrian Regime Co-Opts Former Rebel Fighters By Haid Haid - Nov 12, 2018
Since 2016, the regime of Bashar Al Assad has pursued a strategy of negotiating local surrender agreements – also known as “reconciliation deals” – in rebel-held Syrian territories. Those deals have allowed Damascus to re-establish its authority over a vast area. In so doing, it has forced out anti-regime fighters into the few remaining rebel-held … Continue reading “How the Syrian Regime Co-Opts Former Rebel Fighters”
Syria Rebel Coalition Defending Idlib Is a Wild Card for Turkey By Haid Haid - Sep 9, 2018
The Syrian regime’s recent success recapturing most rebel-controlled areas has put Idlib in the crosshairs of its loyalist forces. As a result, Turkey has pressured most key opposition armed forces in northwestern Syria to merge into a unified structure now branded as the National Liberation Front (NLF), which is widely viewed as part of Ankara’s … Continue reading “Syria Rebel Coalition Defending Idlib Is a Wild Card for Turkey”
Why Saudi Arabia Has Pledged Funds for Syria’s SDF-Controlled Areas By Haid Haid - Sep 2, 2018
In a recent phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, thanked him for the kingdom’s support of US-led stabilization efforts in northeast Syria. Saudi Arabia pledged $100 million to rehabilitate infrastructure and to restore services in areas captured by the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic … Continue reading “Why Saudi Arabia Has Pledged Funds for Syria’s SDF-Controlled Areas”
The YPG’s Grip on Power Over the SDF Threatens to Tear Apart the Syria Coalition By Haid Haid - Aug 14, 2018
The withdrawal of US troops from northeastern Syria, announced in April, has raised concerns about the fate of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Analysts have warned that the United States’ apparent intention to simply walk away, without establishing measures to protect the SDF, will embolden enemies, as the Syrian regime tries to regain … Continue reading “The YPG’s Grip on Power Over the SDF Threatens to Tear Apart the Syria Coalition”
Why Ankara Is Building a Mini Turkey Inside Syria By Haid Haid - Aug 2, 2018
Turkey is laying the foundation for a long-term presence in areas of Syria along their common border. That said, Ankara has no interest in incorporating the territory within its national boundaries. Instead, what it seeks to create is a buffer zone that is, in form, a replica of Turkey, and whose population, in turn, will … Continue reading “Why Ankara Is Building a Mini Turkey Inside Syria”