The National A militant commander outlines his group’s vision for a conflict-ravaged nation in the post-Assad era. Folytatás itt. 

The Economist's Middle East blog BARI ABDULATIF used to spend his time taking pictures of Syria—of the fighting, destroyed buildings, demonstrations. The young Syrian activist is now tied up at meetings at the local council in El Bab, a rebel-held town outside Aleppo. The problems range from…

A resident of Aleppo's old city is collecting rainwater in a bucket. With no electricity in the city the water distribution system is starting to fail--this on top of the cold, no heating, no lights, and little food. Though fighting is noticeably less intense than it was a month ago--rebels control…

This is the presiding judge of the new court in the Syrian border town of Azaaz. Azaaz saw brutal fighting between government forces and rebel groups in the summer and has been controlled by a tough Islamist militia since then. Recently however a civilian council was formed with a police force and a…

A woman's defaced picture outside a beauty parlour in Aleppo, Syria. As elsewhere in the country, there is a strong presence in Aleppo of the Al Qaeda-inspired Nusra Front, a extremist militant group that seeks an Islamic state in Syria. Many rebel fighters admire Nusra for the bravery of its…