Syria

Decentralized governance efforts in the region, while offering promise to societies fractured by years of dictatorship and war, will be messy, inconsistent, and vulnerable to reversal and external manipulation.

The disconnect on Syria is so profound it risks rupturing the assessment of shared interests that underlies the Abraham Accords and the tentative efforts by others in the Gulf to find the right circumstances and timing to sign on to that project.

On July 31, AGSI hosted a discussion on Syria's reconstruction efforts.

At least four significant geostrategic efforts focused on Syria are underway, an indication of the continuing fascination with – and desire to shape – developments in Syria.

The fall of the Assad regime has not only reopened Syria to regional reintegration but also exposed the fragmented ambitions of Gulf powers seeking to shape its future.

As the U.S. government begins lifting sanctions on Syria, the key questions will focus on the speed and scope of reconstruction and whether the Syrian government can meet accelerating expectations.

The lifting of U.S. sanctions could pave the way for the eventual return of oil and gas revenue for Syria, but the road to recovery will be long.

While recent violence and the failure to get sanctions lifted are huge challenges, the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces to integrate into state institutions helps Syria’s beleaguered interim government regain its footing.