Latest Articles about Syria
From Hip-Hop to Jihad: A Profile of Italian Foreign Fighter Anas el-Abboubi
On September 28, 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated Islamic State (IS) member Anas el-Abboubi as a Special Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13244, which imposes sanctions on foreign individuals determined to commit acts of terrorism. El-Abboubi is the first Italian citizen... MORE
Chechen Special Battalions Sent to Syria as Reinforcements
The press and government officials in Moscow are applauding the seemingly imminent and total defeat of Syrian opposition fighters in eastern Aleppo. Forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, together with Iranian-led and financed Shia militias from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Lebanese Hezbollah, have... MORE
In Syria, Moscow Orchestrating Another ‘Circassian Genocide’
The Russian government killed or expelled nearly the entire Circassian nation from the North Caucasus in 1864, after this group resisted the Russian Empire’s advance there for more than a century. To this day, the Circassians remember this as their “genocide.” Now, the Russian government... MORE
Jund al-Aqsa: The Disappearance of a ‘Third-Way’ Faction in Syria’s Conflict
Long-simmering tensions between Jund al-Aqsa, Ahrar al-Sham and several smaller rebel groups erupted into outright fighting across Syria’s Hama and Idlib provinces at the beginning of October, culminating in the death of a revered Ahrar al-Sham commander known as al-Dabous. An ensuing truce, mediated by... MORE
Moscow Hopes Trump Administration Will Give Russia Free Hand to Suppress Syria and Ukraine
The news of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton conceding the race to Donald Trump was met with spontaneous applause by the Kremlin-controlled State Duma (lower house of the Russian parliament) during a plenary session. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Kremlin-linked flamboyant nationalist politician and leader of the... MORE
Short-Term Personnel Contracts Negate Goals of Russia’s Military Reforms
The Kremlin’s growing geopolitical ambitions have once again undermined previous successes of Russian military reform. In particular, the Defense Committee of the State Duma (parliament) recently approved amendments to the law “On Military Duty and Military Service.” The amendments, originally proposed by the Ministry of... MORE
Strategic Assessment: Russia’s Relations With West Deteriorate as Military Prepares for ‘Resource Wars’
The following political landscape piece is a part of Eurasia Daily Monitor’s special quarterly series of strategic assessments of developments across Eurasia. These pieces examine recent important developments and trends in the region, particularly since this past summer, and anticipate where those trend lines may... MORE
From University Professor to the Islamic State’s Chief of Public Education: A Profile of Dr. Iman Mustafa Al-Bugha
After her 15-year old daughter ran away from home to join the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, Dr. Iman Mustafa al-Bugha, the Syrian scholar and renowned university professor, seized on the opportunity to carve out a role for herself within the ranks of the jihadist... MORE
The Islamic State ‘Gatekeeper’: Who is Tarad Muhammad al-Jarba?
On November 18, 2015, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Program offered a $5 million reward for information on senior Islamic State (IS) member Tarad Muhammad al-Jarba. A veteran jihadist, al-Jarba has played a crucial role within IS as the head of its... MORE
Why al-Nusra’s ‘Break’ With al-Qaeda Poses a Problem for the West
In July, the leader of Syrian Islamist militant group Jabhat al-Nusra, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, announced his faction had changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS) and was amicably splitting from al-Qaeda (Hurriyet Daily News, July 29). The move is genuine, insofar as al-Qaeda has... MORE