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Damascus can manage fragmented military forces

Location:

SYRIA

President Bashar al-Assad's two principal foreign backers, Russia and Iran, support and to some extent direct sizeable forces in Syria on which Assad relies. That contributes to a…

Afghan opposition will struggle to remain relevant

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

Meanwhile, long-standing opposition groups such as the National Resistance Front (NRF) and Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) have re-launched armed campaigns within Afghanistan.

Erdogan may find events in Turkey escaping his control

Location:

TURKEY

Erdogan's vision for Turkey.

Defeat of Aleppo rebels will boost Syrian al-Qaida

Location:

SYRIA

The encirclement of eastern Aleppo is the latest in a series of heavy blows to the rebel movement since Russian military intervention began in September 2015. What is left of the…

Russia risks mission creep as Syrian rebels dig in

Location:

SYRIA

Since the start of Russian airstrikes last September, the rebels have suffered their largest territorial loss to the regime in two years. The new counter-insurgent strategy…

Erdogan is on path taking Turkey away from the West

Location:

TURKEY

The Turkish leadership believes that a new US administration may stand back from its predecessor's criticisms of Turkey and be better placed to strike a deal with Russia and…

Idlib will weaken but not break Turkish-Russian ties

Location:

TURKEY

Tensions have risen since Syrian government shelling killed seven Turkish soldiers and a civilian contractor in north-western Syria on February 3. Although President Recep Tayyip…

Astana partnership over Syria can survive tests

Location:

SYRIA

Idlib is the location of a nominal de-escalation zone brokered by Russia and Turkey last September. Those countries, along with Iran, held a summit in the Kazakh capital…

Afghan Taliban’s multiple faces reduce scope for peace

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

The militants' losses demonstrate their resilience rather than weakness. Kabul is trying to restart talks with the Taliban and assert ownership of the process. Whether the Taliban…

Russian-US accord will frustrate Turkey's Syria policy

Location:

TURKEY

The operation has in any case reached an impasse. By sending troops first to Manbij and then to Afrin, Russia has blocked Turkey’s military options in Syria. Syria’s Kurds are…