Sam Heller Senior Analyst, Non-state Armed Groups Beirut, Lebanon Please submit all media inquiries to sheller@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role Sam Heller is Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst on Non-State Armed Groups, as part of the organisation's work on Jihad in Modern Conflict. He joined Crisis Group in February 2018 and is based in Beirut. Areas of Expertise Trends and thought in global jihadism The Syrian conflict Professional Background Prior to joining Crisis Group, Sam was a fellow with The Century Foundation and a researcher and analyst focused on the Syrian conflict. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Yale University and a master's degree in Arabic from the University of Maryland. Languages English Arabic Publications He has written for publications including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and War on the Rocks. In The News 1 Sep 2019 This ceasefire [in Idlib] may just be an operational pause for Damascus and Moscow to consolidate their territorial gains and prepare for the next phase of their offensive. Al Jazeera Sam Heller Senior Analyst, Non-state Armed Groups 20 Aug 2019 If the Russians have decided that they now care about the verbatim implementation of [the de-escalation] agreement then that is a big problem for Idlib and for Turkey. Financial Times Sam Heller Senior Analyst, Non-state Armed Groups 30 Jul 2019 The main obstacle Damascus now faces is the complicating role of foreign forces in the areas still outside its control. Deutsche Welle Sam Heller Senior Analyst, Non-state Armed Groups 13 Jul 2019 Idlib’s armed opposition may not be able to win an open battle for the northwest, but they can make a Syrian military victory terribly costly, maybe intolerably so. AP Sam Heller Senior Analyst, Non-state Armed Groups 21 Jun 2019 Damascus is still evidently intent on taking the whole of Idlib, and all Syrian territory nationwide. But it’s Russia that’s enabled this latest military push, seemingly with more limited aims. Japan Times Sam Heller Senior Analyst, Non-state Armed Groups 16 Jan 2019 President Trump said the U.S. would withdraw from Syria, but apparently spontaneously, without prior planning or coordination inside the U.S. government or with Turkey. Bloomberg Sam Heller Senior Analyst, Non-state Armed Groups Latest Updates Commentary / Jihad in Modern Conflict 12 December 2018 Rightsizing the Transnational Jihadist Threat The number of Salafi-jihadists in action around the world has risen markedly since 2001. But this is no homogenous army, and the key point is that most are fighting locally. Understanding how different jihadist groups operate in varying contexts is essential for an effective policy response. Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 22 October 2018 ‘Frogs’ and ‘Geckos’: Syria’s Jihadists Speak the Language of Rebellion Originally published in War on the Rocks Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 22 June 2018 As Assad Turns to Syria's Southwest, Washington Faces a Choice Originally published in War on the Rocks Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 10 April 2018 Can the U.S. Respond to the Syria Chemical Weapons Attack without Risking Escalation? After an apparent chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held Damascus suburb Saturday, the United States and its allies are considering retaliatory strikes against the Syrian government. In this Q&A, Crisis Group's Sam Heller lays out the Douma attack's impact and the repercussions of a possible new U.S.-led intervention. Also available in العربية Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 8 March 2018 Russia Should Go Beyond Humanitarian Corridors in Syria Russia’s proposal for humanitarian corridors for Eastern Ghouta and Rukban camp have little chance of mitigating suffering there. Instead, Moscow should push for a negotiated resolution of Eastern Ghouta through UN Security Council Resolution 2401 and secure normal aid agency access to Rukban, thereby enhancing its credibility as a mediator. Also available in العربية