Nick Grinstead has been researching the dynamics in regime-held Syria for several years now, first as a researcher for the Clingendael Institute in The Hague, where he provided research and policy advice for the Dutch government and the European Union. In particular, he looks at the relations of loyalist militias to the state and with foreign patrons. He subsequently worked as a Senior Regional Security Analyst for Le Beck International, a Middle East based security and risk consultancy. He was previously a non-resident scholar with the Middle East Institute’s Syria program.
Education
M.A. in political studies, the American University of Beirut
Bachelor’s in international relations and Middle East studies, The George Washington University
Weighing the scales of violence in northwest Syria
When looking at a map of all artillery and airstrikes in the period from November 2019 through November 2020, first, it is quite clear that the majority of attack are carried out by either Syrian, Russia, or pro-government forces across the northwest of the country, save for northern Aleppo, where the Turkish military is more active.
Assad tends to his base by making amends with the Makhloufs
Reports emerged this week that President Bashar al-Assad traveled on Sunday to his ancestral hometown and Alawi stronghold of Qardaha for a meeting with members of the powerful Makhlouf family.
As Iran redeploys amid COVID-19, Russia is filling the vacuum in eastern Syria
The impact of COVID-19 on Iran-linked forces in Syria has provided Russia with an opportunity to expand its influence through its proxy forces, particularly in eastern Syria, as Iranian and pro-Iranian forces redeploy elsewhere in the country.
Coastal breakdown in Syria creates opportunities for Russia
The growing power of paramilitary groups and the response of Bashar al-Assad’s foreign backers illustrates how local skirmishes over smuggling routes can have much broader geopolitical implications as Russia gains ground at the expense of both the regime and Iran.
The fight over the spoils of war in Deir ez-Zor heats up
In recent months fighting has repeatedly broken out between Syrian and Iranian-backed militias around Deir ez-Zor, initially over control of taxes and smuggling routes, but increasingly the conflict has taken on a strategic dimension as well.
