After 11 years of war, Syria has become a cautionary example of what can happen in a conflict with no end in sight, like the one that began 100 days ago in Ukraine.
Tag Archives: Assad, Bashar al-
Diplomats Fear Russia May Use Syrian Aid as Bargaining Chip in Ukraine
Countries in Europe and the Middle East could see a new surge in refugees if Russia shuts down the last humanitarian convoy route into Syria.
Turkey’s Plan to Draw Refugees Back to Syria: Homes for 1 Million
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey will build homes, schools, hospitals and more in northern Syria, but experts question whether refugees will return willingly.
What Do We Do if Putin Uses Chemical Weapons?
We can’t afford to repeat our mistakes in Syria.
Leaders of Israel, U.A.E. and Egypt Meet Amid Shifting Geopolitics
All three countries are navigating fraught relationships with the Biden administration amid the quickly changing geopolitical landscape precipitated by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Refugees Are Fleeing Brutality. Let Them In.
Readers urge actions to address the refugee and food crises caused by the Ukraine war. Also: Russian soldiers; essential workers; prison time; donating ties.
Assad Visits U.A.E. in Latest Sign of Re-engagement
It was the long-shunned Syrian leader’s first trip to an Arab country since his nation’s civil war erupted in 2011.
Mass Graves Identified in Syria Could Hold Evidence of War Crimes
Two sites have been located, believed to hold thousands of bodies of Syrians killed in detention centers administered by President Bashar al-Assad’s government during the civil war.
Impunity for Syria War Crimes Casts Shadow Over Ukraine
Syria, with Russian support, used many of the brutal tactics now seen in Ukraine — and its dictator stayed in power. That conflict offers lessons for Russia’s leader, analysts say.
Normalizing Assad Is Dangerous for the World, Not Just Syria
International bodies and nations appear to have either forgiven, forgotten or chosen to ignore the reasons Syria was cast out from their community.
A Historic Verdict, and a New Front in the Global Fight for Human Rights
The first time anyone from the Syrian regime is judged guilty of its crimes is in a German court. What justice does it bring to Syrians?
Syrian Doctor Accused of Atrocities Goes on Trial in Germany
The charges against Alaa Mousa include torturing opponents of the Assad regime in military hospitals in Syria, and murdering at least one by lethal injection.
First Trial for Syrian State Atrocities Yields Guilty Verdict in Germany
A German court found a former Syrian intelligence officer guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to life in prison — a first after a decade of war.
On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes
Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new narcostate on the Mediterranean.
Strike on U.S. Base Was Iranian Response to Israeli Attack, Officials Say
Iran has not acknowledged the attack, but U.S. and Israeli officials said it was retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, drawing the U.S. into Iran’s shadow war with Israel.
Syria Executes 24 People for Setting Wildfires, Calling It ‘Terrorism’
The sentences shocked rights groups, who saw it as a move by President Bashar al-Assad to appear tough after a crisis that hurt his loyalists.
Bombing of Military Bus in Syrian Capital Kills 14
President Bashar al-Assad has tightened his grip on Damascus, but the attack suggested that militants who oppose him can still do harm.
Syria Is Still Shattered, But Its Neighbors Are Restoring Ties
Arab countries are gradually restoring ties with Syria, but its president remains mired in crises he can’t escape.
Syrian Refugees in Rebel Controlled Idlib Are Stuck in Limbo
Millions of people displaced during Syria’s 10-year war are impoverished, insecure and crowded into an area of the country’s northwest controlled by a rebel group once linked to Al Qaeda.
Criminal Inquiries Loom Over al-Assad’s Use of Chemical Arms in Syria
Investigations in France and Germany could lead to prosecutions of President Bashar al-Assad and members of his upper echelon over chemical weapons attacks, one of the Syrian war’s signature atrocities.
What Is Universal Jurisdiction?
Universal jurisdiction, the idea that any nation’s courts can try people for atrocities committed anywhere, has gained as a tool of human rights lawyers battling impunity.
German Court Convicts Former Syrian Official of Crimes Against Humanity
Eyad al-Gharib, a former security officer, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in a case that rights groups have hailed as a landmark.
Having Won Syria’s War, al-Assad Is Mired in Economic Woes
After a decade of war, the biggest threat now to President Bashar al-Assad is an economic crisis. But at a recent meeting, he had no concrete solutions to his country’s extreme distress.
Israel Secretly Agrees to Fund Vaccines for Syria as Part of Prisoner Swap
To secure the release of an Israeli civilian held in Syria, Israel agreed to finance a supply of Russian-made Covid-19 vaccines for Damascus, an official said.
Turkish Forces in Syria Protect 5 Million People
Three years ago, Turkey’s intervention in Syria was widely criticized. But today Turkish forces are all that protect five million vulnerable people.
What We Learned From Mubarak
Regimes that muzzle their people’s voices eventually push people into venting their frustrations from muzzles of a different sort.
A Decade After the Arab Spring, Autocrats Still Rule the Mideast
The popular uprisings of 2011 mostly failed, but they gave the region a taste for democracy that continues to whet an appetite for change.
Syria Seeks Return of Refugees, but They Fear Leader’s Wrath
President Bashar al-Assad said the millions of citizens who fled during the war have been blocked from coming back. But he left out the main reason they are staying away: Mr. al-Assad himself.
Trump’s Sanctions on International Court May Do Little Beyond Alienating Allies
Critics say the administration has targeted a human rights lawyer with economic penalties meant for warlords, dictators and authoritarian governments.
U.S. Commandos Use Secretive Missiles to Kill Qaeda Leaders in Syria
The specially designed missiles use sharp blades and blunt force, rather than explosive warheads, to kill terrorist leaders.
Trump’s Syria Sanctions ‘Cannot Solve the Problem,’ Critics Say
Without a broader diplomatic effort, the newest and toughest penalties will worsen a humanitarian crisis without forcing a leadership change, experts say.
The Next Global Flash Point
In the Eastern Mediterranean, the West has retreated. That leaves Turkey and Russia to fill the vacuum.
Trump’s Wag-the-Dog War
The president is looking for a dangerous domestic enemy to fight.
With a U.N. Veto, Russia and China Add to Syria’s Misery
Moscow and Beijing are callously restricting humanitarian aid to Syria’s suffering civilians as part of their campaign to prop up Bashar al-Assad.
‘Strategic Empathy’: How Biden’s Informal Diplomacy Shaped Foreign Relations
President Trump is attacking his record on China. But for Mr. Biden, it’s part of a long history of befriending and sometimes confronting world leaders.
Victor in Syria’s War, Bashar al-Assad Faces Economic Meltdown
As Syria’s economy implodes and its currency collapses, President Bashar al-Assad faces threats he cannot bomb his way out of.
His Family Fled Syria. He Didn’t Cry Until He Heard About His Sisters.
Yousef was just 13 when his family left Syria for Europe. Five years later, he’s adjusting to life separated from his three sisters and the ups and downs of adolescence.
ISIS Prisoners Threaten U.S. Mission in Northeastern Syria
Overcrowded, makeshift prisons and camps and fears of Covid-19 have led to two riots by hardened fighters.
Idlib Was Their Last Refuge. They Couldn’t Hide From the Bombs.
Millions of Syrians have fled to Idlib Province seeking safety. During a rare reporting trip, The Times found that President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies are still bombing them.
Germany Takes Rare Step in Putting Syrian Officers on Trial in Torture Case
Activists have described the case, which involves charges of crimes against humanity in the early stages of the Syrian civil war, as a first, limited step toward justice.