The war in Syria has entered its eighth year with a worsening humanitarian crisis and an ever increasing threat to global security. Despite the West’s recent military response to the use of chemical weapons, the Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, continues with its military strategy unabated. In a conversation with Ian Black, Dr Nasr al-Hariri, President of the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) discusses the latest developments from inside Syria, and suggests practical steps the UK and its allies should take to enforce a comprehensive plan that protects civilians from all indiscriminate attacks, hold war criminals to account, and revive a failing UN-led political process.  

Dr Nasr al-Hariri (@Nasr_Hariri) is the President of the Syrian Negotiation Commission (@SyrianHNC_en). A prominent activist against the Assad regime, he has been arrested and held in detention more than 10 times. Following a death sentence issued against him by the regime in 2012, he left Syria for Jordan where he took up post as medical director for Saudi-run medical clinics. In 2013, he joined the Syrian Coalition as a representative for the Revolutionary Movement, before becoming Secretary-General in 2015.

Dr Ian Black (@ian_black) is Visiting Senior Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. He is a former Middle East editor, diplomatic editor and European editor for The Guardian newspaper. His latest book, a new history of the Palestine–Israel conflict, was published in 2017 to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration and the 50th anniversary of the 1967 war.

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