Ahmad al-Sharaa
Peace Without Trust
A deal between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces that will end Kurdish self-rule in northeastern Syria is moving forward. But mistrust runs deep, and many SDF fighters reject integration, while civilians, worn down by war, hope for stability but fear what unification could bring.
No Turning Back
The people now running Syria didn’t just replace Assad — they inherited the revolutionary energy that toppled him. That’s what makes the country’s new order both resilient and paranoid.
The Unruly History That Weighs on the New Syria
The challenges facing Syria today are connected to three previous beginnings: the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, independence in 1946 after World War II and the fall of European colonial empires, and the birth of Hafez al-Assad’s regime in 1970.
Celebrating Syria’s Liberation From a Prison Cell in Iraq
The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime was the happiest day of Elizabeth Tsurkov’s life, though she had at the time been tortured and imprisoned for nearly two years on a militia base in Iraq.
Kurds Could Hold Syria Together or Pull It Apart
For a century, Damascus pushed a single Syrian identity while the margins asked for recognition. After Assad fell, that argument resurfaced again. How it’s settled will make or break the country.
Syria’s Druze Grapple with Israel and Militancy
After the fall of Assad, Syria’s Druze community is grappling with new anxieties, from Israel’s encroachment to the rise of anti-government militants.
After a Century, the Question of the Kurds’ Place in Syria Remains Unresolved
Since the end of the Ottoman era a century ago, the question of the Kurds’ place in Syria has been shaped by a complex history of integration, separatism, oppression and struggle. It suggests that the recent deal between the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus may prove to be fragile.