I’ve been out of the country for 12 years. During every call with my family, there’s always a silent pause at the end. That silence is our inability to ask: “When will we meet?” Today, there’s no more silence. We will meet again in #Syria.

The Iranian embassy getting raided after its brutal client dictator makes an ignominious exit from the country is a real "history doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme" moment

Spoke with BBC News (UK) and @helenachumphrey about the fall of the #Assad regime and the future challenges that lie ahead This is a historic moment but big questions remain about what happens next. There are significant risks that external countries and designated groups will

Five years ago, a conversation transformed my understanding of Syria's prison sector—and the Syrian regime itself. As Syrians excavate survivors from Sednaya, I’m sharing an edited transcript of that discussion. The speaker is an Arab researcher who spent decades in Damascus 🧵

In a few hours, as part of the same show, Syrian rebels turned from being labelled on Russian TV as "militants from a terror group that was part of AlQaeda" to "armed opposition." After a decade of describing all opposition to Assad as ISIS, Russia is quickly shifting gears.

My latest article for the Global Network on Extremism & Technology (GNET) examines the development and use of armed drones by HTS and other armed groups in Syria ⬇️ gnet-research.org/2024/12/20/the…

Rebels from an aligned uprising in the south reached Damascus & toppled dictator Assad’s regime on 8 Dec. This Explainer provides an overview of the group’s origins, history of governance, & its subsequent actions & messaging. - by Guy Fiennes and me isdglobal.org/explainers/hay…

My comments to FRANCE 24 The Observers on the foreign fighters in HTS and other allied groups within Syria ⬇️ observers.france24.com/en/middle-east… “Many of these foreign fighters are in the ‘Red Brigades’ of HTS. They operate as the group’s elite special forces units, receiving superior

Jolani checking his feed this morning

Far-Right Extremism in Israel - by Guy Fiennes isdglobal.org/explainers/far…

HTS Explainer - by Guy Fiennes and me academia.edu/126919273/HTS_… via Academia

A great overview of key ideologies, groups and figures in contemporary Israeli far-right extremism by my colleague Guy Fiennes at Institute for Strategic Dialogue. isdglobal.org/digital_dispat…

Insightful overview on Israel's extremism from Guy Fiennes - MENA specialist Institute for Strategic Dialogue isdglobal.org/digital_dispat…

Who is Itamar Ben Gvir, the far right minister who resigned in protest at the hostage deal today, and Bezalel Smotrich, the far right minister who didn’t? A refresher in my overview for ISD here: isdglobal.org/digital_dispat…

Going to admit here that I’m thrilled to see people read (and appreciate) the endnotes

This Insight sees Guy Fiennes investigate how Western extremists, including neo-Nazis, white supremacists and participants in Saints Culture, capitalised on the migration to XiaoHongShu following the announcement that TikTok would be banned in the US. gnet-research.org/2025/03/27/the…

11/ Rushing to conclusions and amplifying unverified claims is the opposite of justice. It puts victims and communities at greater risk. In one example, a media agency quoted a telegram channel that was spreading violence saying it is an official channel. The UN report after

The ‘No Innocents’ (in Gaza) discourse, like ‘the Myth of the Israeli Civilian’, seeks to broaden the definition of legitimate military targets to non-combatants and children. Recent efforts to similarly brand Gazan journalists follow this pattern isdglobal.org/digital_dispat…

Big fan of Phillipe Sands’ books, he explains the history and application of the concept of genocide with simplicity and eloquence in this pod podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the…