A Tale of Three Occupations
By James M. Dorsey Syria tells the story of not one but three occupations. It also tells the story of a region in which states cynically trample over ethnic groups’…
Iran and the ceasefire
Did Iran oppose or approve of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, agreed on November 26 and implemented in the early hours of the following day? Opinion is divided, views differing according to the holder’s perception…
A US-Israeli masterclass in how to discourage change in Syria
By James M. Dorsey US and Israeli responses to President Bashar al-Assad’s fall offer a masterclass on how to discourage change in Syria. Rather than test and encourage Syria’s new…
Syria may be tired of war, but war may not be tired of Syria
By James M. Dorsey Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, appears to be a man who picks his battles. Speaking this week at a Damascus mosque, Mr.…
Picking up the pieces: Russia and Iran seek to limit losses in Syria
By James M. Dorsey. Policymakers in Tehran and Moscow are asking who lost Syria in a tectonic rewrite of the Middle East’s geopolitical map that has ousted President Bashar al-Assad…
How did Saudi Arabia land the 2034 World Cup?
Saudi Arabia has been awarded the men’s 2034 World Cup. It will be the crowning event in the kingdom’s sport spending spree, having already reportedly invested USD6.3 billion since 2021,…
Will the real Mr. Jolani stand up?
By James M. Dorsey Ahmed al Shara, aka Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, would like you to think he is a changed man. These days, Mr. Al-Jolani, a 41-year-old one-time Al Qaeda…
Will Trump revive the Deal of the Century?
On his first time around the presidential election circuit, Donald J Trump placed such emphasis on his desire to broker a peace deal between Israel…
Syrian rebels are gunning for Damascus. Turkey may like the prospect
By James M. Dorsey Syrian rebels know what they want. Having captured two of Syria’s four largest cities, Aleppo and Hama, the insurgents are gunning for Homs, the country’s third…
It’s make or break for Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, not only on the battlefield
By James M. Dorsey A week into a rebel offensive, Syria is the potential fulcrum of a tectonic reordering of Middle Eastern geopolitics with President Bashar al-Assad as a key…