As the battle for Raqqa city draws closer, a rebel spokesperson laments Kurdish domination of upcoming operations, also predicting that American forces will remain in Raqqa for years at the airbase they seized from ISIS last week, Alsouria Net writes
As key players look to fill the vacuum after the expected fall of ISIS’ capital of Raqqa, Al-Hayat columnist Ibrahim Hamidi breaks down the serpentine motivations behind the recent surge in international action on Syrian soil
As ISIS prepares for urban warfare, Kurdish YPG boasts of superior fighting forces ahead of the looming battle for ISIS’ stronghold in Syria, as residents and U.S. defense officials voice skepticism over the likelihood the battle will be swift and decisive
News outlet ARA quotes Turkey’s deputy PM during speech in the capital, in which he warns that handing control of the ISIS stronghold over to a Kurdish-led administration will compromise peace and security in the region
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says that Turkey is bent on striking PYD-led Kurdish militas if they remain in Manbij, as Euphrates Shield forces advance toward the city
Amid Russian-Iranian political rivalry over influence in Syria, more concrete competition in the sphere of economics surfaces as Damascus, in deference to Russian requests, delays implementation of strategic agreements with Tehran
Regime airstrikes on residential neighborhoods and a school in the town of Kafranbel in Idleb kill seven civilians, including four children and a woman
Kurdish displays of multi-directional alliances with Russia, Iran and the U.S. come as no surprise, as all sides, united in curtailing Turkey’s influence in the region, contemplate the preservation of an Alawite state
The Manbij Military Council, an ally of the US-backed SDF, agrees to hand over villages on the front line with the Turkish army to Syrian border guards as Turkish army captures al-Bab and advances towards Manbij
An interview with Kheder Khaddour on why, despite its weak fighting capabilities, the Syrian army remains a key element of the regime’s survival strategy. Here is the second part of the interview.
Saudi-based opposition newspaper reports on accidental killing of three Turkish soldiers in Russian operation near Syria’s northern border, as Putin attributes blunder to ineffectual military partnership between the two countries
Political opposition stands its ground against attempts by Moscow to influence the make-up of its negotiating delegation at the upcoming Geneva talks, while the US presidency begins meetings with UN and regional leaders on the Syrian issue, Sada al-Sham writes
Top opposition members weigh in on agenda of upcoming Geneva talks during meeting with HNC representatives, Coalition media reports
In the lead-up to the Syria talks in Geneva, attendees should prepare for the US president to shift focus from the political process to the issue of establishing safe zones, Ali Dahi writes in loyalist Al-Watan
Saudi-owned Al-Hayat details the recommendations inside the separate Kurdish and Russian draft constitutions, which call for greater autonomy for Kurds and a more decentralized government, while also acknowledging the multi-ethnic make-up of Syria’s demography
According to Coalition media reports, deputy opposition president believes FSA and other rebel groups will form a joint council to monitor the ceasefire following negotiations with the regime in the Kazakh capital
Alsouria Net speaks to insider at recent meetings between Turkish representatives and the Syrian armed opposition, in which most major rebel groups — except Ahrar al-Sham — agreed to attend the negotiations with the Assad regime in Astana next week
Deputy head of the Syrian Interim Government expresses hope that a Trump presidency will contribute to Turkey’s efforts to ensure a successful ceasefire in Syria
Russia is not serious in its wish to impose a ceasefire, Walid al-Bunni argues
Russia’s acknowledgment of the armed opposition is one of the requirements of profiting politically from the victory in Aleppo. This means that transforming the military victory into a political settlement requires recognizing the enemy before sitting with him and agreeing to a solution to the conflict.
