Publications

U.S. Navy Positions Ships for Possible Strike Against Syrian Targets

August 26, 2013

U.S. Navy warships are positioned for a strike against Syria using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. This could cause varying degrees of damage to the Assad regime’s ability to use more chemical weapons or continue operations against the opposition.

Dances With Warlords: Karzai’s Latest Grist for the Presidential Rumor Mill

August 23, 2013 - Mara Tchalakov

Abdurrab Rasul Sayyaf is the latest name to have been floated as President Hamid Karzai’s favored contender for the 2014 Afghan Presidential Elections.

Regime Regains Ground on the Coast

August 22, 2013

The battle for Latakia has demonstrated the unique dynamics of the coastal area for combat between the rebel and regime forces.

The Opposition Advances in Damascus

August 9, 2013

Despite significant gains in Homs province, Syrian government forces are struggling against opposition forces on other fronts.

U.S. Embassy & Consulate Closures, Sunday 4 August 2013

August 3, 2013

ISW and AEI's Critical Threats Project mapped this weekend's U.S. Embassy and Consulate closures.

The Northern Alliance Prepares for Afghan Elections in 2014

August 2, 2013 - Mara Tchalakov

Afghan history suggests that any stable political accommodation after 2014 will be contingent on incorporating Jamiat-e Islami. The engagement of key party politicians will be critical to a smooth regime transition in Afghanistan post-Karzai.

Al-Qaeda Shows its True Colors in Syria

August 1, 2013 - Valerie Szybala

The recent death of a Syrian rebel commander at the hands of an al-Qaeda linked group focused the international spotlight on tensions between moderate and jihadi forces fighting in Syria.

Required Sorties and Weapons to Degrade Syrian Air Force

July 31, 2013 -

This product is a technical study of the requirements to conduct a limited strike. It is not a recommendation for or against a strike, nor does it evaluate the possible effects of a strike on the regime, the rebels, or various states and non-state actors supporting both sides.

The Syrian Army Renews Offensive in Homs

July 5, 2013

In late June 2013, the Syrian government renewed its campaign in the central Syrian province of Homs, indicating that it failed to achieve its operational and strategic objectives after defeating the rebels in al-Qusayr.

Sectarian and Regional Conflict in the Middle East

July 3, 2013

In the early part of 2012, ISW, AEI, and the Brookings Institution undertook a war game designed to simulate a worsening of the Syrian conflict and the spillover effects of that crisis on neighboring countries. What was postulated as a hypothetical situation in fact hewed quite closely to the way in which events eventually unfolded.

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