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Damascus is the Syrian regime’s center of gravity. The capital of Syria has long been viewed by the rebel forces as the key to winning the war in Syria, and its loss is unthinkable for Bashar al-Assad. Thus the struggle for Damascus is existential for the regime as well as the opposition.
ISW reporting has covered the events unfolding in Ramadi and Fallujah as Al-Qaeda in Iraq clashes with tribal militias and Iraqi Security Forces. For additional reading, see our timeline here.
Following sporadic violence throughout the summer of 2013, fighting between pro-regime and rebel forces has begun to concentrate on the Damascus-Homs supply route running through Qalamoun.
In addition to giving insight into the current state of play between regime and rebel forces in the war, the unfolding dynamics among rebel groups in Deraa serve as indicators for how the armed opposition is taking form in Syria’s southern front.
ISW has assessed that AQI has reconstituted as a professional military force. It is therefore crucial to examine the first 60 days of the new “Soldiers’ Harvest” campaign for indications of what AQI means to accomplish this year.
This report is a continuation of a previous publication entitled “Al-Qaeda in Iraq Resurgent: The Breaking the Walls Campaign, Part I.”
Candidates for Afghanistan’s 2014 elections will declare their intent to run by October 6. The most prominent candidates, Zalmai Rassoul & Abdullah Abdullah, represent the two main factions that will decide the 2014 election: the Karzai-Establishment & anti-Karzai opposition.
A new coalition has formed among eleven Syrian rebel organizations, according to a statement that Liwa al-Tawhid released late on September 24.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is resurgent. This paper traces AQI’s revival in Iraq since July 2012, when the organization launched a year-long operation they named the “Breaking the Walls” campaign.
For the latest updates from ISW on the ongoing situation in Syria, please follow our new blog at http://iswsyria.blogspot.com.