Nizar Mohamad

Can Arab rapprochement with Syria help contain the regime’s narcostate?

Attempts to dissuade Bashar al Assad from flooding the region with narcotics will be met with intransigence, underlined by deniability and theatricality.

Syria’s Constitutional Committee: In service of the Assad regime

The committee functions in service of Assad and his backers, which have insidiously utilized the talks as an avenue to pursue their maximalist position regarding a settlement to the conflict.

Rami Makhlouf looks to Syria’s Alawites, likens himself to Prophet Moses

Bashar al Assad's estranged cousin and the poster boy of crony capitalism, Makhlouf is making desperate attempts to position himself as a populist figure amongst Syria’s disillusioned Alawites, Assad's key support base.

Can a sham poll save Syria's Bashar al Assad?

The election was managed to artificially prolong the Assad regime's lifespan, even though its grip on power is at its weakest point.

What the case of Suleiman al Assad tells us about the Syrian conflict

Suleiman’s case is a microcosm: a glaring reminder that Syria under the Assads is a police state run by an assortment of gangsters and warlords who operate outside of the law.

Is Russia serious about a political solution to the Syrian conflict?

Moscow shows tacit support for a status quo in which the Syrian regime can veto any constitutional proposals it deems unacceptable.

Is Bashar al Assad at risk of losing his Alawite base?

Though often thought of as ‘Assad loyalists,’ conversations with the Alawites reveal a reality fraught with anger and resentment. Is the Syrian president at risk of losing the community?

Syrian regime hardliners undermine and challenge Russia

The public rebuke of Putin by the regime hardliners sends a stern signal to Moscow that even the thought of removing Assad will prompt fierce resistance from his diehard loyalists.

Could Russia be preparing to abandon Syria's Bashar al Assad?

Assad can face a future where he has no card left to play.