Syria faces decisive battles in north, south

Rebels are making gains in the south while government forces are closing on Aleppo city, and the outcomes of these battles may determine how final negotiations proceed.

Syria

Turkey's border security problem

Political factors are not the only cause of Turkey’s border security vulnerability.

Countries

UN envoy seeks cease-fire, end to 'carnage' in Aleppo

Edward Dark writes from Aleppo that arming the Syrian opposition will prolong the war; Iran and Russia dig in on President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria

Palestinian-Syrian refugees face hardship in Lebanon

About 60,000 Palestinian-Syrians have fled to Lebanon, but many are finding that they cannot work and cannot afford food and housing.

Palestine

Syrian official: negotiations with US blocked by Saudi Arabia

A Syrian official spoke on the continued gains of the Syrian army, the failings of the international coalition and chances of talks between the opposing parties.

Lebanon

Jabhat al-Nusra deflates hopes of Assad opponents

Following the Islamic State's advance, Jabhat al-Nusra has also moved to the Turkish border, routing moderate rebels and dashing the hopes of “train and equip” proponents eager for a renewed war on the Syrian regime.

Syria

Why arming rebels will fuel Syria's inferno

Arming Syria’s rebels is a dangerous move that will only result in prolonging the war and potentially empowering extremists.

Syria

Russia holds firm on Syria

Moscow is clinging tightly to its Syria policy, believing that the regime is the best option for controlling the Islamic State and worrying over the economic situation that will inevitably emerge from the conflicts there.

Syria

Life in Raqqa under IS

The faceless young Syrian behind the “Raqqa is being slaughtered silently” campaign and website tells Al-Monitor about life in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold.

Syria

Marwan's exhibition reminder of Syria's cultural destruction

The Syrian-born artist Marwan Kassab-Bachi, known simply as Marwan, is preparing for his first solo exhibition in the Arabian Gulf, highlighting the endangered cultural history of his homeland.

Syria

Islamic State intelligence network stifles resistance

Terrorist group reportedly uses Saddam-era intelligence officers and tactics; Syria’s Alawites seek accountability from government; Syrian army advances around Hama; Temple Mount as flash point; Egyptian campaign against terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula makes life harder for residents of the Gaza Strip.

Palestine

Turkish military angered by Ankara’s peshmerga move

The Turkish military is said to be riled and to have informed the government of its opposition to seeing Iraqi Kurdish fighters in Turkey.

Iraq