As the Stakes Rise Ever Higher in Syria

Turkey’s surprise campaign in Syria against the Assad regime has produced a number of mixed signals.

Idlib: A Syrian Tragedy Foretold

Wednesday brought news of collapse and destruction in Syria. Each day reliably brings more.

The Story of Idlib’s Ceasefires Is the Story of Syria’s War

Though the deadly violence levelled against Idlib governate and its surrounds in northern Syria has been consistent, it has been treated and understood inconsistently.

In Sight of Sochi

After weeks of threat and portent, the people of Idlib have been granted a stay of execution. The regime of Bashar al-Assad and its Russian backers will not, for now, rampage through the northern province and bomb it to rubble. Their incipient offensive has been delayed, though it has not been cancelled.

Failing to Respond

Amid all that has occurred since, it is easy to forget what happened in Syria at the start of this month. First, as February began, the regime of Bashar al-Assad was credibly accused of several chemical weapons attacks on civilian areas, during routine airstrikes against non-military targets. And second, days later, the American-led coalition killed over 100 pro-regime fighters who had attacked a detachment of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US troops escorting them east of the Euphrates.