Syrian Armed Opposition Powerbrokers

This report assesses the most powerful Syrian armed opposition groups on the battlefield as of March 16, 2016 and details key aspects of each group, including the group’s leadership and perspective on Jabhat al-Nusra.

U.S. Grand Strategy: Destroying ISIS and al Qaeda

ISW and CTP conducted a multi-week planning exercise to develop potential courses of action that the United States could pursue to destroy ISIS and al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria. The first three reports were relased in January and February.

ISW in the News: January 2016

ISW and CTP conducted a multi-week planning exercise to develop potential courses of action that the U.S. could pursue to destroy ISIS and al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria. The first two reports were released in January and media coverage of those and all of ISW's work is detailed below.

ISIS in SE Asia: January 1-March 2, 2016

ISIS is using its safe haven and foreign fighter population in Iraq and Syria to expand influence in Southeast Asia, in pursuit of its grand strategic objective to rule all Muslim lands.

ISW's Phones Are Temporarily Out of Order

Please call: 202-867-7207. If you need to reach us for media or government inquiries, please e-mail Press-at-UnderstandingWar.org. All other inquiries may e-mail ISW-at-UnderstandingWar.org.

Latest from ISW

Ukraine Crisis Update: March 18, 2016

Mar 18, 2016 - Hugo Spaulding

Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely attempting to leverage his gains in the Syrian Civil War to expand Russia’s freedom of action in eastern Ukraine. Russia and the separatists began to escalate operations in eastern Ukraine in mid-February, directly coinciding with the implementation of the Syrian cessation of hostilities agreement on February 27 and subsequent drawdown of Russian forces.

Russia Security Update: March 3-17, 2016

Mar 17, 2016 - Hugo Spaulding

President Vladimir Putin presented Russia’s active military campaign in Syria as complete with the announced withdrawal of the “main part” of the Russian air group beginning March 15. The reported withdrawal of roughly 15 Russian bombers and close-support aircraft, however, represents a drawdown rather than Russia’s extrication from the Syrian Civil War, the intended message behind Putin’s announcement.

Syrian Armed Opposition Powerbrokers

International negotiations to reach a political settlement in Syria have resumed, although serious challenges remain to reaching a political settlement. The talks follow two weeks of a “cessation of hostilities” in which the Russian air campaign in Syria decreased notably, though it did not entirely cease. Putin announced that he would withdraw some airframes from Syria on March 15, incentivizing both Assad and the opposition to engage in Geneva.

New report series--U.S. Grand Strategy: Destroying ISIS and al Qaeda

Mar 14, 2016 - John Lawrence

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute conducted an intensive multi-week planning exercise to frame, design, and evaluate potential courses of action that the United States could pursue to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) and al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria.