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Rivals will use tribes to destabilise Syria’s Raqqa

Location:

SYRIA

Some 80% of the city, which was the de facto capital of Islamic State (IS) until its capture by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was ruined in fighting and…

Better US ties are a short-term boost for Syrian Kurds

Location:

SYRIA

The Kurdish administration is seeking to maximise benefits from much-improved relations with US President Joe Biden, compared with his predecessor. However, economic pressures are…

US-Iraq campaign against ISG will strain ties

Location:

US/IRAQ

The day prior, President Barack Obama met with his military and civilian leaders at the Pentagon and offered an upbeat assessment to the media regarding progress to date, despite…

Prospects for the Levant in 2021

Location:

PROSPECTS 2021

However, in 2021 they will all face two common challenges: recovering from major economic shocks in 2020 and reorienting to US policy shifts under a Biden presidency. From…

'Shadow governance' fragments Middle East states

Location:

MIDDLE EAST

Regional conflicts have given rise to non-state actors that provide alternate types of governance

Turkish attacks on Syrian Kurds will help Damascus

Location:

SYRIA

This came days after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed that Russia and Syrian government forces could establish positions near Ain Issa, as a counter to…

Trump leaves field to Putin and Erdogan in Syria

Location:

TURKEY/US/RUSSIA/SYRIA

The team includes the defence and foreign ministers, the intelligence chief and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s special adviser Ibrahim Kalin. They will visit Washington later…

Shia and Kurdish forces may clash on Iraq-Syria border

Location:

IRAQ/SYRIA

The pro-Iranian Badr Organisation is one of the larger PMUs -- groups of mostly Shia armed volunteers established in 2014 to help the army fight IS. They launched a new offensive…

Middle East jihadist splits will widen despite defeats

Location:

MIDDLE EAST

However, even in this extremity, it maintains a hostile attitude to old enemy Islamic State (IS). In Yemen, the other regional country where the two come into close contact, the…

Syria players’ next steps hinge on US withdrawal plans

Location:

SYRIA

Confusion still reigns over US military policy on Syria two months after US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a withdrawal. Washington is seeking a deal between Kurdish…