Examining the Ideology of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham: Is a “Deep State”…

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is exercising a significant degree of pragmatism and maneuvering, having transformed—following the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation—from an organization descended from Jabhat al-Nusra into a decisive, interventionist force, and then into a state after culminating its military campaign on December 18, 2024, with a pivotal historical event: the entry into Damascus, both as […]

The New Syria Deepens the Crisis: A Centralized State and an Ideological Army

In his speech at the opening of the National Dialogue Conference in Damascus on February 25, 2025, Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa focused on two topics that he views as major obstacles to the consolidation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) rule and its absorption of the Syrian state. Al-Sharaa asserted that Syria “cannot be divided” […]

Tishreen Dam: The Frontline Defense of the “New Syria”

Since the end of November 2024, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been countering attacks launched by factions of the so-called “Syrian National Army,” with continuous Turkish air and artillery support. The SDF has successfully prevented these factions from advancing and capturing the strategic Tishreen Dam and Qara Qozak Bridge, thereby imposing new dynamics on […]

The Turkish Syria vs. The New Syria

The active diplomatic efforts undertaken by the “caretaker” government suggest that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has a clear program for shaping a new Syria after 54 years of rule by Bashar al-Assad and his father. The visits made by the ministers of foreign affairs and defense, as well as the head of intelligence, to Saudi Arabia […]

The End of Assad’s Era: Envisioning a New Syria

After the Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, the Syrian people are experiencing an atmosphere of liberation from the regime that Hafez al-Assad established in 1970 and that his son continued. The military manifestations of the regime have faded, the security apparatus has disappeared, and prisons and detention centers have opened their doors, resulting in the […]

‘Permanent Security’ Operation: Destroying ISIS Both Militarily and…

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched extensive combing and search operations named “Permanent Security” from November 7 to 13, targeting areas in the southern and northern countryside of al-Hol and its camp. This operation coincided with precise and surprise raids on several homes and hideouts used by ISIS sleeper cells, forming part of the SDF’s […]

Turkey: The Scorched Earth Policy Does Not Create Solutions or Internal Cohesion

The Turkish state has begun launching comprehensive and targeted attacks on the infrastructure in Northern and Eastern Syria, destroying dozens of electricity and water stations, grain silos, hospitals, police headquarters, and civilian facilities belonging to the Autonomous Administration. In addition to causing infrastructural destruction, these attacks have resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens […]

Erdoğan and Netanyahu: Neo-Ottomanism or a New Middle East?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following his usual practice of seizing opportunities to convert developments into political gains that consolidate his power, is attempting to exploit the wars in Gaza and southern Lebanon by depicting them as a threat to Turkey’s very existence. This strategy serves to obscure the significant economic and social problems that […]

The ISIS “Invisible State” in Syria’s Badiyah Desert

The ISIS terrorist organization continues to expand in the Syrian Badiyah Desert region, adopting the method of rapid surprise strikes that leave as many casualties as possible, whether military or civilian. The group uses a strategy of intimidation and terror to disrupt the ranks of its opponents and demonstrate the strong presence of an organization […]