Hassan HassanVerified account

@hxhassan

Director of the Non-State Actors Program, Center for Global Policy. NYT Bestselling Author . Writer, .

hassan@cgpolicy.org
theatlantic.com/author/hassan-…
Joined March 2009
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  1. Pinned Tweet
    6 Sep 2018

    NEW paper, for : "Rural insurgency is not an afterthought for ISIS and other jihadis who are currently on the defensive. Rather, it is a strategy that they have long thought about and planned for."

    9 replies 131 retweets 187 likes
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  2. 5 minutes ago

    Samer broke the story

    A Turkish official confirms. Adds navy to be deployed as well
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    1 reply 1 retweet 2 likes
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  3. 1 hour ago

    Also significant optics for the jihadists who are getting close to become the last men standing against Bashar al-Assad, which has always been part of their plan (we’ve long written about that, before they were dominant forces).

    [Jolani frames the next chapter in terms any jihadism observer will recognize. I long argued his group, or an incarnation of it, will "inherit" the energy of the Syrian uprising, currently under attack by Russia, Iran & Assad, in the same way ISIS did the 2003 insurgency in 2014]
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    3 replies 1 retweet 7 likes
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  4. 1 hour ago

    So, it’s really 2 groups, which have long been dubbed by the rest of Syrians as Turkey mercenaries who would be ready to fight every Turkey fight, including against Syria’s Kurds. But it’s ominous, especially as Turkey stands by while Russia is attacking Turkey-protected Idlib.

    2 replies 6 retweets 8 likes
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  5. 2 hours ago

    So, Bloomberg and Jessr confirm the story from both Libyan and Syrian sources. Both refer to ethnic Turkoman groups in N Syria. Those are Sultan Murad & Mutasim Brigade groups. The two groups, according to Jessr, had seemed in the loop about the Turkish plan during the meeting.

    1 reply 9 retweets 14 likes
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  6. 2 hours ago

    Yesterday, confirmed the story from Syrian sources: Turkish officials gathered Syrian rebels in Gaziantep & made the request. All refused, citing likely grassroots backlash esp. given the Idlib attack. Except 2 groups, who were keen to oblige

    1 reply 13 retweets 13 likes
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  7. 2 hours ago

    The Russian onslaught on Idlib happened almost at the same time as Haftar announced a “zero hour” to attack the Libyan capital with the support of Russian and the UAE:

    Almost at the same time, two offensives were carried out around Idlib in Syria and Tripoli in Libya. Possibly not connected but both offensives are…
    1 reply 10 retweets 6 likes
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  8. 2 hours ago

    Turkish-backed rebels to deploy to Libya to fight alongside the Turkish-backed internationally recognized government in Tripoli against the Russian-backed Haftar forces, himself backed by Russian mercenaries:

    3 replies 4 retweets 8 likes
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  9. 2 hours ago

    Big and twisted then in the Libyan, and Syrian, war: “Turkey to Deploy Navy to Guard Tripoli as Rebels Join War” (There has been chatter about Syrian rebel deployment for days, especially given the ongoing Russian onslaught in Idlib.)

    3 replies 27 retweets 16 likes
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  10. 10 hours ago

    's internationally recognized government has formally requested from Turkey "air, ground and sea" military support. 's President Tayyip Erdogan said his country will send troops to Libya at the request of Tripoli as soon as next month.

    7 replies 34 retweets 45 likes
  11. 11 hours ago

    Jim, this is (mis-)framed as xenophobic by the same accounts trolling me non-stop for two days. See the context: I wondered how so many (Western) academics could support Russia’s massacres in Syria, thinking Mark was one. My reply was when he said he’s in fact a *Russian citizen*

    Replying to @RaniaKhalek @kthalps
    . that was a wholly inappropriate remark. Please correct it or delete. When bigots say the same things about Arabs and Muslims - we rightly criticize them for it.
    32 replies 4 retweets 28 likes
  12. 11 hours ago

    “Why Iraq’s government has been unable to find a new prime minister | PBS NewsHour” With ⁦⁩

    1 reply 9 retweets 19 likes
  13. 17 hours ago

    Superb work from ⁦⁩ & ⁦⁩, capturing the subtlety of how ISIS is both surviving the collapse of its caliphate and struggling to properly resurge. An assessment I share:

    7 replies 26 retweets 85 likes
  14. 22 hours ago

    Very interesting, didn’t know:

    Replying to @hxhassan
    2 replies 2 likes
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  15. 22 hours ago

    A distinctly pro-Russia campaign, one I haven’t seen before, since I wrote this thread. It includes verified accounts making the same exact talking points. Twitter, which apparently received coordinated reports, emailed me that no violations were found. But why Germany?

    41 replies 9 retweets 33 likes
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  16. 23 hours ago

    Huh

    This meme showing an impalement pole (a common Ottoman execution method) was shared on WhatsApp by a contact, a fighter with the National Liberation Front who receives his meager salary from Turkey. His town,…
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    1 reply 3 retweets 2 likes
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  17. 23 hours ago

    I mean, as does the Tunisian president, the regional geopolitical rivalries

    Replying to @hxhassan
    But Tunisia is aligned. But to France. The foreign policy of every gov of Tunisia changed in many ways but never in one - never go against French interests.
    1 reply 5 likes
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  18. 23 hours ago

    Non-alignment in today’s politics in the MENA region is tough to keep, as long as a country is tilting toward democracy or the opposite. But this is a wise and commendable move by Tunisia. [Pakistan’s PM is under heat for not going to Malaysia after reported Saudi pressure]

    The presidency issued today a press release in which it affirmed that refuses to be a part of any coalition or lineup in the region, and that every inch of the national soil will only be under the Tunisian sovereignty alone.
    4 replies 14 retweets 27 likes
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  19. Dec 25

    From Kuwaiti show “al-Khallat” ()

    2:00
    Ha. These two -i rappers are really good. Perfect rhythm and smooth arabic-english blend. “Deer balak & don’t get hurt.” Anyone know their…
    4 replies 6 retweets 32 likes
  20. Dec 25

    Iran’s depiction of the story of Mary, an old series in 2000 written by Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpoor. Remember when it first came out [dubbed] in Arabic:

    1 reply 4 retweets 13 likes
  21. Dec 25

    Yes. Few dispute Saud al-Qahtan’s vital role in the Khashoggi murder, incl. the Saudi prosecutors early on. The US sanctioned him after evidence it obtained. But the Saudi “legal system” acquitted him, which goes to show how the process is a sham.

    19 replies 27 retweets 47 likes
  22. Dec 25

    Two ways to study jihadism: 1. Follow day-to-day events closely, and see how groups build relevance organically. 2. Skip all that, wait till a group takes over large parts of the region or carries out large-scale attacks, then read books & write a treatise about the ‘ideology.’

    15 replies 54 retweets 301 likes
  23. Dec 25

    A question well worth exploring is how the SDF changed after the Turkish invasion following Trump’s green light, and how such change may have increased the prospects of security problems now and in the future.

    Replying to @AbdoZehn @hxhassan
    They haven't done anything yet tangible since the beginning of the Turkish invasion N.E
    3 replies 3 retweets 16 likes
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  24. Dec 25

    The Kurdish group is now wholly focused on securing their narrow Kurdish project, and less on doing anything to ensure long-term security outside their core areas. A recipe for many future problems.

    Replying to @hxhassan
    SDF really needs to launch a powerful Counter-Insurgency operation against ISIS & Assad Regime Cells in SDF-Held Deir Ez Zor,also at the same time,listen to local grievance and use the oil to fund development of the area,SDF needs the support of the people to ensure ISIS's defeat
    24 replies 14 retweets 59 likes
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  25. Dec 25

    Interesting. There was also a recent ambush against the SDF by masked men in Hajin. [As said before, the SDF in Deir Ezzor is losing the plot; things will get worse & worse from this point on. They‘re not responsive to legitimate local demands & think it’ll just go well]

    Thread : Unreasonable security chaos in villages and towns of the eastern countryside. Masked cells of or even the …
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    3 replies 11 retweets 40 likes
  26. Dec 25

    [don’t retweet, or he’ll block you]

    6 replies 1 retweet 11 likes
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  27. Dec 25

    The Road to Moscow

    Replying to @MartinLarner @hxhassan
    That too. US Navy, 6 years Nuclear Engineering field. Just one who then emigrated to .
    7 replies 17 likes
  28. Dec 25

    Why are these accounts all sounding the same? Idlib: al-Qaeda in control + Russia is supporting the Syrian government + mainstream media = nothing to see here. The message sounds like it was revealed through the same angel.

    12 replies 7 retweets 37 likes
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  29. Dec 25

    And more

    That’s the kind of [repugnant] activists who claim to be defenders of Palestinians against Israel. She’s cheering for Russia’s indiscriminate bombing. For her, Aleppo is “thriving” because the rebels stopped ruling it (and not because Assad stopped dropping barrel bombs on it). …
    1 reply 2 retweets 13 likes
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  30. Dec 25

    Another example (Max)

    Not true! Simply not true.
    2 replies 1 retweet 11 likes
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  31. Dec 25

    (Label everyone a terrorist, walk over the victims, and then complete the sentence with Kremlin-friendly policy statement. Everyone would then sound reasonable.)

    9 replies 5 retweets 40 likes
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  32. Dec 25

    How did Russia manage to win over “academics” to cheer and legitimize its genoicide in Syria? It must be a combination of ignorance & repugnance.

    The leader of in would like to complain about the govt of and their ally liberating from his grip and would like to uncritically give him a platform for it.😐
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    82 replies 61 retweets 190 likes
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  33. Dec 25

    That’s the kind of [repugnant] activists who claim to be defenders of Palestinians against Israel. She’s cheering for Russia’s indiscriminate bombing. For her, Aleppo is “thriving” because the rebels stopped ruling it (and not because Assad stopped dropping barrel bombs on it).

    They are not "rebels", they are terrorists. Aleppo is thriving now that your bloody terrorists no longer rule there.…
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    96 replies 36 retweets 140 likes
  34. Retweeted
    Dec 24

    “The trend is the same,” observes Mr. Ali-Fauzi, commenting from :

    A New Secularism Is Appearing in Islam - Artikel ⁦⁩ Datanya dari MENA, tidak Asia Tenggara. Tapi trendnya sama: sekularisme kini bergerak dari bawah, bukan paksaan dari atas. Orang kesal pada…
    8 retweets 16 likes
  35. Retweeted
    Dec 24

    Christmas brings no reprieve for civilians in Idlib.

    On , today ended in like any other day, death, destruction, and misery. 12 people, including 6 children were killed, by Russian and regime airstrikes on , while convoys of displacement continue…
    1 reply 22 retweets 21 likes
  36. Dec 24

    [Jolani frames the next chapter in terms any jihadism observer will recognize. I long argued his group, or an incarnation of it, will "inherit" the energy of the Syrian uprising, currently under attack by Russia, Iran & Assad, in the same way ISIS did the 2003 insurgency in 2014]

    29 replies 19 retweets 49 likes
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  37. Dec 24

    [We know that the rebels, especially the jihadists among them, have been preparing, or talking about, an insurgency at least since late '16, with the recapture of Aleppo by the regime. Much depended on gaining foreign allies, and that shaped strategy & PRIORITIES. That'll change]

    20 replies 12 retweets 30 likes
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  38. Dec 24

    [Move past the rhetoric, and there is a lot to digest. A big moment for the Syrian conflict & the wider region. The last stand for the Syrian rebels. A lot of scenarios have been put off amid the ongoing fight against Assad & holding/governing territories. New scenarios open up.]

    5 replies 12 retweets 33 likes
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  39. Dec 24

    Jolani: the whole region will have to reckon with the results of the Syrian war "because of how the war's outcome will turn things upside down internationally, and distribute the centers of powers in the region once again."

    3 replies 21 retweets 42 likes
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  40. Dec 24

    Jolani: "The people of the Levant, Iraq, Yemen, and the Arab Gulf, specifically the Two Holy Sites land [Saudi Arabia], and the Turkish people, will bear its consequences. Its outcome will reflect on their lives, negatively or positively."

    6 replies 20 retweets 35 likes
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  41. Dec 24

    Jolani: "The peoples of the region, and the whole world, will bear the political, economic, military & security consequences of this war."

    3 replies 20 retweets 34 likes
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