Countering Terrorism

Idlib is currently the site of increasing competition between the two most dominant armed coalitions, the al-Qaeda-linked Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (H.T.S.) and Ahrar al-Sham.

In recent days, U.S. and allied intelligence detected a possible resumption of chemical weapons-related activities in Syria’s Sharat airbase.

In this week's Briefing, MEI experts discuss ISIS' continued security threat, President Erdogan's upcoming visit to Sudan as a political calculation, and Mohammed Dahlan's effort to return to Palestinian politics.

The following testimony was presented to the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs on April 27, 2017.

Syrian civil society groups have faced seemingly insurmountable challenges in the five-year war, and can count few friends among the violent actors on the ground. Nevertheless, their work and determination continues unabated, with little external attention, recognition or support. Syrian civil society will have an important role to play in any post-war settlement. Two Syrian civil society activists, Salma Kahale and Oula Ramadan, were recently hosted by the Middle East Institute during their visit to Washington and shared their insight into the tireless, and often unnoticed, efforts of Syrian civil society.