Latest Articles about Syria
Putin’s Not-Quite-Withdrawal Signifies a Strategic Retreat
A week after President Vladimir Putin’s surprise announcement (on March 14) of the partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, the parameters of this strategic maneuver are becoming clearer, but the motivations remain subject to second-guessing (see EDM, March 17). US Secretary of State John... MORE
Retaking Palymyra: The Slow Campaign Against Islamic State in Syria
Backed by Russian airstrikes, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has in recent months renewed a military campaign to recapture the strategic city of Palmyra from the Islamic State (IS) (Al-Bawaba [Palmyra], March 15; Al-Alam [Tehran], March 15), one that will continue in spite of Russia’s... MORE
The Russian ‘Withdrawal’ and Putin’s Brilliant Deception in Syria
In a surprise move, Monday (March 14), President Vladimir Putin announced the Russian military mission in Syria was “mostly accomplished” and ordered an immediate withdrawal of “most of our forces” (see EDM, March 15). The partial withdrawal was announced during a late evening meeting, at... MORE
Putin the ‘Peacemaker’ Ends Operations in Syria
On March 14, President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly announced his order to commence withdrawing the main element of Russia’s military deployment in Syria. Justifying the decision, Putin said that most of the objectives in the air operations in Syria were achieved and on this basis he... MORE
Death of Top Chechen IS Commander May Change the Face of the Syrian Insurgency
On March 5, in the fighting for the city of al-Shaddadi in eastern Syria, one of the most influential commanders of the so-called Islamic State (IS), Tarkhan Batirashvili, a.k.a. Umar al-Shishani, was reportedly killed. Batirashvili, was an ethnic Chechen from Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge (Rbc.ru, March... MORE
The Meaning of Russia’s Naval Deployments in the Mediterranean
Russian ships equipped with the advanced sea-launched Kalibr cruise missile will now be perpetually present in the Mediterranean Sea as part of Moscow’s naval operations connected to the mission in Syria. This is according to Admiral Aleksandr Vitko, the commander of the Russian Black Sea... MORE
Chechens Fighting in Syria Increasingly Joining Forces With Islamic State
Chechen militants in Syria have been going through organizational changes since last summer. The position of the Chechen militants in the Middle East was especially damaged by a conflict within the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar group and the difficult situation inside the Junud al-Sham group. Those... MORE
Russia’s Application of Military Power in Syria
Moscow’s use of military power in Syria differs from its pursuit of warfare in Georgia in August 2008, or more recently in Ukraine. This appears to be confirmed by a comparison of the force sizes deployed in Georgia and Syria, as well as the use... MORE
Muhammad Shafi Armar: From Indian Mujahideen to Islamic State Recruiter
Animesh Roul In late January 2016, India’s elite anti-terrorism agency, the National Investigating Agency (NIA), stumbled on an unknown extremist network, the Junood al-Khilafa-e-Hind (JKH), known to be sympathetic to the Islamic State. With the arrest of nearly 14 suspects in a countrywide search and... MORE
Importance of Syrian Turkmen to Turkey
War-torn Syria is days away from the start of a negotiated partial ceasefire, which is supposed to temporarily end fighting between rebel groups and government forces supported by Russian supplies and bombing sorties. The ceasefire, agreed to by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his... MORE