Thinking Regionally on Syria

by Robert E. Hunter Following the US-Russian agreement, the Syrian government’s chemical weapons must now be destroyed. To do this without putting UN employees at impossible risk, the Syrian civil war must also stop. To do that requires a plan… Continue Reading

Obama and Putin: Co-Dependent on Syria

by Mark N. Katz The international relations of the Syrian conflict has taken center stage in recent days. President Obama first announced that he would launch a military strike against Syria in response to the Assad regime’s use of chemical… Continue Reading

Syria: With Russia in the Lead, Vigilance Required

by Wayne White The main objective of the Russian chemical weapons (CW) initiative this week was to steer the US away from military action in Syria that might weaken the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Although Moscow also is concerned about… Continue Reading

Syria Debate Throws Pro-Israel Groups For A Loss

by Mitchell Plitnick Syria’s declaration that it would accept a Russian proposal to hand over its chemical weapons to an international body was the latest in a string of surprises around international concern over the ongoing, horrific civil war in… Continue Reading

The Lavrov Proposal: What Are Moscow’s Motives?

by Mark N. Katz Why has Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made his dramatic proposal for the Syrian government to not only put its chemical weapons under international control, but also destroy them? There are two possibilities. This could be… Continue Reading