“We want the detainees” is the most chanted and long-standing slogan in recent Syrian history, and should be a central focus of US policy towards Syria, writes Mansour Omari.
Syrian Muslims greeted Ramadan this week with empty pockets and shrinking menus, as the country grapples with the unprecedented expense and scarcity of basic goods and services.
More than a year after withdrawing from southern Syria, the Syrian army’s 4th Division is returning. Analysts see it as a money-making move and a way to control the drug trade, coinciding with the US Captagon Act and regional Arab initiatives to resolve the crisis.
The US-led international coalition removed and replaced the commander of the Maghawir al-Thawra faction in late September, in a move surrounded by internal disagreements, allegations of corruption and questions about the future of Rukban camp.
The first-ever US Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent and Respond to Atrocities could be a “significant advance” in protection efforts, but requires international collaboration and political will to be effective, writes Mansour Omari.
As US-led coalition forces target Islamic State and al-Qaeda figures in densely-populated Idlib province, civilians find themselves in the crosshairs, facing death, injury, and property damage.
