Content Type: Working Paper / Publishing Institution: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy / Political Geography: Syria

Author:: Andrew J. Tabler
Publication Date:: 01-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: Given that Assad and his backers want to gut the transition process called for in the Geneva Communique, Washington should plan to take other steps in parallel to the Geneva process.
Topic:: Humanitarian Aid, International Cooperation, Armed Struggle, and Authoritarianism
Political Geography:: Geneva, Britain, United States, Iran, Washington, Turkey, Middle East, France, London, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Nations, Italy, Syria, Switzerland, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates

Author:: Jeffrey White
Publication Date:: 01-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: Assad is still standing, but he is not standing alone -- and he likely no longer makes decisions alone either.
Topic:: Armed Struggle and Authoritarianism
Political Geography:: Iran, Middle East, and Syria

Author:: David Schenker
Publication Date:: 01-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: The controversial Hariri trial will unfold amid growing sectarian violence in Lebanon, the seemingly interminable war in Syria, and a longstanding political stalemate regarding Hezbollah's role in government.
Topic:: Islam, Religion, Terrorism, and Sectarianism
Political Geography:: Iran, Middle East, Lebanon, and Syria

Author:: Jeffrey White
Publication Date:: 01-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: The ongoing clashes between rival rebel factions will likely be protracted and indecisive, and the resultant diversion of effort is already working to the regime's advantage.
Topic:: Armed Struggle
Political Geography:: United States, Middle East, and Syria

Author:: Ehud Yaari
Publication Date:: 01-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: Concerned about the possible drift of al-Qaeda affiliates to areas adjacent to the Golan Heights border, Israel finds itself obliged to increase its assistance to local rebel militias in southern Syria.
Topic:: Humanitarian Aid, Armed Struggle, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Middle East, Israel, and Syria

Author:: James F. Jeffrey
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: The Obama administration seems to be understating the risks of minimalist engagement in Syria and overstating the risks of greater involvement, despite the achievable, worthwhile goals of military assistance and limited use of force.
Political Geography:: Geneva and Syria

Author:: Robert Satloff
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: Amid the swirl of Middle East chaos, Israelis are enjoying relative calm and real prosperity. External events -- from the counterrevolution in Egypt and the deepening sectarian war in Syria to the spread of Iranian influence across the region -- should provoke deep concern, but the political class is consumed with the politics and diplomacy of negotiations with the Palestinians.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Territorial Disputes, and Peacekeeping
Political Geography:: United States, Iran, Middle East, Israel, Palestine, Syria, and Egypt

Author:: David Schenker
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: President Obama's reaffirmed pledges of assistance to Jordan are helpful, but they may not be enough to safeguard the country if the situation in Syria continues to fester. On February 14, President Obama met with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Rancho Mirage, California. In the year since their previous summit, tens of thousands of Syrians have been killed and over 400,000 have registered as refugees in Jordan, bringing the total number of exiles from across the northern border to nearly 1 million. Despite the deterioration next door and the 16 percent increase in the kingdom's population, Jordan is paradoxically more stable today than when the two leaders met in March 2013. Yet the refugees still constitute a threat that will likely increase, especially given President Obama's assessment that "we don't expect to solve [the Syria crisis] anytime in the short term."
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, and Armed Struggle
Political Geography:: Syria

Author:: Andrew J. Tabler
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: By focusing on the Syrian regime's faltering commitment to eliminate its chemical weapons, Washington can decisively push Damascus and Russia toward real progress on larger issues -- and also set the table for limited military strikes if they prove necessary.
Topic:: Treaties and Agreements, United Nations, and Armed Struggle
Political Geography:: Russia, Washington, Middle East, and Syria

Author:: Jeffrey White
Publication Date:: 03-2014
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: The regime's recent military successes are by no means sweeping, but its incremental gains in Aleppo and Damascus belie perceptions of stalemate and could shift the war's direction in its favor. The fighting in Syria is frequently described as either a stalemate or a war of attrition -- there are few dramatic movements and no decisive actions, even though both sides repeatedly declare that they are winning and the other side is losing. And some have suggested that there is "no military solution."
Topic:: Military Strategy, Armed Struggle, and Authoritarianism
Political Geography:: Middle East and Syria

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