Is the war in Syria over, and has Russia won?

The fight to oust Assad looks increasingly like a failure as the Syrian regime spreads its dominance over Syria with Russian backing. The Syrian government has declared a country-wide ceasefire in light of their advancements and victories. The political and tactical situation is worsening for the U.S.-backed fighters each day. Assad’s regime, with help from Russia, has been on the […]

Syrian rebel group rejects cease-fire hours before its start

A Syrian cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey took effect early Friday but already appeared in doubt after one of the country’s biggest rebel groups rejected the deal just hours before it was to start. The rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said late Thursday that it had unspecified reservations over the cease-fire, hammered out by Turkey […]

Putin’s perfect storm

One announcement came from Berlin. Another came from Washington. And they came weeks apart. German intelligence warned in late November that Russia had launched a campaign to meddle in upcoming elections to the Bundestag. And in early December, the CIA said it concluded that Moscow had already interfered in the U.S. presidential election. In any […]

Russia, Turkey: US supporting Syria ‘terrorist’ groups

Turkey and Russia have separately accused the United States of backing what they call “terrorist groups” in Syria, on the same day they agreed to push for talks in Kazakhstan next month over the conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that he had evidence that US-led coalition forces give support to the […]

Syria conflict: Ceasefire agreed for midnight, backed by Russia and Turkey

The Syrian government and rebel groups have agreed to a ceasefire from midnight (22:00 GMT) across the country,followed by peace talks. The deal was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Turkish foreign ministry. Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the bitter conflict, will act as guarantors. Turkey said all […]

Russia accuses US of committing hostile act for easing restrictions on arming rebels

Although the Syrian government has reclaimed the embattled city of Aleppo, civil war within the nation is far from over. On Christmas Eve, Russian airstrikes against several towns in rebel-held areas of the country were said to have injured and killed civilians, as reported by the U.S.-backed opposition group forced out of the city two days […]

Turkey and Russia agree on draft Syria ceasefire, report says

Turkey and Russia have reportedly agreed on a draft nationwide ceasefire in Syria, the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu said Wednesday. The report cited an unnamed source saying that Ankara and Moscow would try to bring a ceasefire into effect at midnight. It was not immediately clear if any of the Syrian rebel groups were […]

Al-Qaeda propaganda: Are we really this stupid?

I was in my senior year of high school when 9/11 happened. Al-Qaeda was behind the attack, and we were now at war. I joined the Army and served in American special operations units in Iraq and Afghanistan. There, I got to see the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other jihadi militants up close, confirming beyond any […]

Russian ambassador assassination motives still unknown to the public

The assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey shocked the world. The murder was followed yesterday by talks in Beirut, between Turkey, Iran, and Russia. Recent reports complicated the situation as Jaish Al-Fatah, a Saudi-backed group, and the Gray Wolves, a Turkish precise nationalist movements are implicated to be involved in the assassination. However, claims […]

The Syrian regime claims to have taken Aleppo—and it may be too late for the U.S. to act

The Syrian regime continues to secure more real estate, including Aleppo, as they propagate the perception of their victory. Despite his recent promises to establish “safe zones” for civilians caught in the fighting, President-elect Trump may have limited options at hand for Syria. Syria is a quagmire; everyone knows it. But that instability and chaos has […]