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Joshua Landis

Smoke rises after an airstrike on a rebel-held area, April 7th 2017

Syria expert opens up about the civil war’s personal cost — even in Oklahoma

Conflict

The civil war in Syria has created colossal human suffering. But it can still be surprising how profoundly this war has changed the lives of Syrians. One US expert describes the cost to his family and community.

A man sells cotton candy as he pushes his bicycle along a street in the rebel held al-Ghariyah al-Gharbiyah town, in Deraa province.

Here’s why the partial truce in Syria has astounded even the experts

Conflict
A fighter from Misrata shouts to his comrades as they move to fight Islamic State militants near Sirte.

ISIS brings in millions and the US is all but helpless to stop it.

Conflict
Militant Islamist fighters hold the flag of ISIS while taking part in a military parade along the streets of northern Raqqa province in this June 30, 2014 file photo.

Oil prices have collapsed, but oil-rich ISIS says it’s still in the black

Economics
Turkish soldiers are silhouetted atop armoured vehicles near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border on October 3, 2014.

The US has lots at stake in the Syrian border town of Kobane

Conflict
Blue jerry cans, usually used by smugglers ferrying oil from Syria to Turkey, are stacked for sale in front of a shop in the Turkish border town of Hacipasa.

ISIS is selling cheap oil to its enemies — from Syria’s government to the Kurds

Conflict

ISIS is funding its war by selling oil from the fields it controls in Iraq and Syria, to the tune of millions of dollars. Strangely enough, the enemies it is fighting are some of the main customers. That complicates the US goal of crippling the ISIS war machine.

The battle for Syria continues. Here a Syrian national flag can be seen from a rebel position, flying over a building controlled by forces loyal to President Assad in Ashrafieh, Aleppo, September 17th 2013. (Photo: REUTERS/Muzaffar Salman)

The Fighting in Syria Grinds on Despite Diplomatic Deal

Conflict & Justice

Anchor Aaron Schachter speaks with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma, about what’s happening in the Syrian civil war right now.

With military option looming, experts examine how Syria might respond to airstrikes

Global Politics

The U.S. is continuing to move, slowly, toward military strikes on Syria, in response to the use of chemical weapons there earlier this month. But as U.S. officials move forward, some are wondering just was sort of response that might elicit from Syria.

How Would Syria Respond to US Strikes?

Global Politics

As US officials consider possible strikes in Syria, it leads to the question: how would Syria respond Both sides in the Syrian civil war have shown a willingness to stop at almost nothing to win.

Violence continues to escalate in Syria with report of mass execution in Damascus suburb

Reports emerged from Syria over the weekend of a mass execution in the Damascus suburb of Daraya. If confirmed, it would be the worst atrocity in the year-long civil war. Meanwhile, an academic in the United States sees a grim, Lebanon-like future for Syria.