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Inside the Syrian city of Raqqa, once known as Islamic State’s ‘Roundabout of Hell’

Dr. Jonathan Spyer
Picture of Dr. Jonathan Spyer

Dr. Jonathan Spyer

Dr. Jonathan Spyer is one of the very few Western/Israeli experts to have traveled extensively in Syria, Iraq and the Kurdish areas during the recent years of conflict. He is the author of Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars (Routledge, December 2017), and The Transforming Fire: the Rise of the Israel-Islamist Conflict (Continuum, 2010). He is a regular contributor to Jane’s Intelligence Review, has published in leading journals and media outlets including Middle East Quarterly, Times (of London), Foreign Policy, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, Haaretz, Atlantic, Australian, National Post, Globe and Mail, Jerusalem Report, Jerusalem Post and others; and has appeared on CNN, al-Jazeera, Fox, BBC, Sky, and other outlets. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the London School of Economics and an MA in Middle East politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He is also a fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Recent publications

Security Through Economics: Regional Infrastructure as a Lever for Stability

Long-term security depends not only on preventing threats but also on shaping shared interests. Economics,...

Mapping the Middle East’s Game of Camps

The multi-front war has altered the balance within and between the region’s rival camps, requiring...

Halting Arms Sales to Qatar Is Only the First Step

Israel’s decision to end defense exports to Qatar addresses only part of the problem. Doha...

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