The Reluctant Sectarianism of Foreign States in the Syrian Conflict

My Peace Brief for the United States Institutes of Peace: "The Reluctant Sectarianism of Foreign States in the Syrian Conflict" (18 November 2013):

The Syrian conflict’s internal dynamics have reshuffled regional alignments alongside unprecedentedly clear-cut sectarian dividing lines; this has often occurred against the preferences of regional state actors − including Saudi Arabia and Iran. (full text here)