{
"authors": [
"Mario Abou Zeid",
"Mamoun Abu-Nowar",
"Kamel Wazne"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Levant",
"Syria",
"Middle East"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Security"
]
}
Source: Getty
An alliance of opposition forces has seized control of a second strategic city from government troops.
Source: Al Jazeera’s Inside Story
A loose alliance of rebel groups in Syria is claiming a second significant victory against government forces in less than a month. The opposition offensive in northern Idlib province was spearheaded by al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, Nusra Front. Fighting under the banner, “Army of Conquest,” rebel allies seized control of the provincial capital Idlib at the end of March.
A broader union of fighters says it has now overrun nearby Jisr al Shughur. The city was one of the first places to take up arms against president Assad, when security forces cracked down on protests.
The fight for Idlib province comes ahead of UN-backed talks in Geneva on May 4.
So can opposition groups present a united front in the push for peace? Or will the pursuit of different agendas eclipse the fight against a common enemy? Carnegie’s Mario Abou Zeid spoke with Al Jazeera’s Inside Story.
This interview was originally broadcast by Al Jazeera’s Inside Story.
Former Research Analyst, Middle East Center
Abou Zeid was a research analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center, where his work focuses on political developments in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
Mamoun Abu-Nowar
Kamel Wazne
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Donald Trump has demanded that European allies send ships to the Strait of Hormuz while his war of choice in Iran rages on. He has constantly berated NATO while the alliance’s secretary-general has emphatically supported him.
Rym Momtaz, ed.
The war in Ukraine is costing Russia its leverage overseas. Across the South Caucasus and Middle East, this presents an opportunity for Europe to pick up the pieces and claim its own sphere of influence.
William Dixon, Maksym Beznosiuk
Economic growth is at the heart of a dilemma between planetary and international security.
Olivia Lazard
The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.
Rym Momtaz
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?
Rym Momtaz, ed.