Neil Hauer

A Stoppable Force and a Movable Object: Mutual Exhaustion in Russia and Ukraine Heavy losses in manpower and materiel have degraded the ability of both sides to achieve significant breakthroughs in offensive operations, while the past 18 months of the war have been marked by near...

More than three years into full-scale warfare, Ukraine and Russia are locked in a war of attrition, with an uncertain outcome. Yet there are some key steps that Western policymakers can take to ensure Ukraine emerges victorious.

My new policy paper: carleton.ca/eetn/2025/a-...

What it’s like for minority Christians in Syria, after the fall of the longtime dictator It’s been four months since the fall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad marked the beginning of a new era in Syria. While the strongman’s toppling has brought hope, incidents of sectarian violence -...

Syria's minorities have been in the news lately, amidst uncertainty over their futures. But in the city of Aleppo, one Christian community is thriving: the Armenians.

I spent a few days with them, for CTV News: www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...

In Tbilisi for a quick visit, and it's noticably depressing here. The most common conversation with friends is 'did you make it across the border okay?', followed by stories of foreigners who were deported. This from a country that was once the light in the region.

Visiting Ottawa this week for a short conference (and presentation on Russia/Ukraine) at my alma mater, @Carleton_U. Have already met so many Ukrainians the past day here 🇺🇦🇨🇦

Have a pair of longform pieces (3,000-5,000 words) on Syria that I'm trying to find homes for. I've got good pitches drawn up for each, but struggling to find the right outlet(s). Any advice or suggestions appreciated.

Still searching, folks

Nah he's right, this app is boring and lame

You can also reach me via email: neil.hauer@gmail.com

Editors: I'm looking for a home for a story of mine on Latakia, Syria, where I was present just days before the the explosion of violence there this past weekend. Anyone interested? DMs are open.

Latakia, on the Syrian coast. The former heartland of the Assad regime.

Syrian gas attack witnesses coerced into false testimony face new threats at home | CBC News After the Syrian government launched a chemical attack on the rebel-held area of Douma, Syria, in 2018, some of the survivors were forced to falsely testify it never happened. Now, some of those peopl...

On April 7, 2018, the Assad regime gassed the city of Douma. Survivors were brought to the Hague & forced to deny it. But their story didn't end there: two of the witnesses have been thrown out of their homes and threatened by HTS fighters.

My latest from Syria: www.cbc.ca/news/world/s...

Hey Francis, cheers for putting out this call for pitches - have just sent you an email

Yeah he said he's been to the US like ten times and both of his brothers are there, but as he has no kids and tons of local friends and couldn't be bothered to uproot his life he stayed put

We walked down Al Amin street, the heart of the old Jewish quarter of Damascus, and he hailed out to people like he was a rock star. This is his Palestinian friend Nizar al-Aswad. 'I am the Palestinian resistance, and he is the Jewish spy,' Nizar joked.

Meet Bakhour Chamntoub, the new head of Damascus's Jewish community (all 7 of them). The self-proclaimed 'best tailor in Syria,' Bakhour is a real celebrity - seemingly half the Old City knows him. He says he can't leave Syria because he's a womanizer and 'all my girls are here.'

Timely question actually, I was chatting about this with a local friend yesterday (who has some) and he said pretty much everyone who could possibly afford to has gotten them in the past few years. A big initial investment (in Syrian terms) but crucial given fuel costs and power shortages.

Am open for commissions - DM or email at neil.hauer@gmail.com

Have just arrived in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda. The local Druze population were stridently anti-Assad for years - but the local leadership does not get along with the new Syrian authorities, either. Promises to be an interesting couple of days here.

Today I visited Douma, a northeastern suburb of Damascus that was one of the first strongholds of the Free Syrian Army. It spent seven years until siege and bombardment, with near-constant artillery and airstrikes - including a chemical gas attack.

Follow me to read the full story of these two men, and the bitter cruelty of how they were used by the regime only to be left hated by their neighbours, in the near future. In the meantime, if you'd like to support my reporting, you can do so below: buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer

When Damascus fell in December, HTS fighters seized both men's homes, along with all their belongings. Both had already tried to flee Syria last year owing to the pressure on them, only to be captured & tortured by the regime. Now they again fear they could again be killed at any time.

Here is Abdurahman today, alongside fellow OPCW witness Omar Diab. They are now facing another problem. Many locals in Douma despise them for the testimony, even if clearly under duress. They believe that the Assad regime bribed them, using new apartments they received as proof.

Some of the survivors were rounded up by the Assad regime and Russia and forced to falsely testify to the OPCW that the attack was staged. Here is Abdurahman al-Hijazi, seen both providing aid in the attack's aftermath - and being forced to deny it, his family held hostage.

This stairwell leads to the basement where women & children were sheltering from the bombing. As they rushed to escape, chlorine gas from the barrel that had landed two floors above them suffocated them. Eyewitnesses showed me horrific photos of the stairs clogged with bodies.

On April 7, 2018, a Syrian Air Force helicopter dropped a barrel of chlorine gas on this street, landing on the building on the left. It was likely targeting an underground field hospital, whose now-blocked tunnel entrance can be seen in the second pic - but it missed.

Today I visited Douma, a northeastern suburb of Damascus that was one of the first strongholds of the Free Syrian Army. It spent seven years until siege and bombardment, with near-constant artillery and airstrikes - including a chemical gas attack.

13 years after I started obsessing over maps and videos of the Syrian war, I am actually here, in Free Damascus. Still feels like a dream. What an absolute privilege to be here and I can't wait to see so much of this beautiful country over the next month! 💚🤍🖤

Hello Beirut 🇱🇧! Landed in Lebanon's lovely capital today for a quick stopover and last preparations. Tomorrow, I will make the journey overland to Damascus and Free Syria 🇸🇾 (when will this emoji be updated!?).

Neil Hauer is Artist Canadian journalist, proud freelancer for almost a decade. Reporting on Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and (soon) Syria for CBC, CNN, New York Magazine, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs and everyone els

You can find the donation link here: buymeacoffee.com/neilphauer

Re-upping this as I'm in final preparations for this trip - will be flying to Beirut on Sunday and crossing to Damascus on Monday. Any support appreciated!