Description: A critical analysis of the United States in the period after the Iraq war (2011-2019) analysing ground warfare employed in Syria.
Brief description: Matthew Ayton is a Non-resident Fellow with United States Special Operations Command's Joint Special Operations University, USA. A former Middle East correspondent, his work has been published by The Atlantic Council, Al-Jazeera and Middle East Eye.
Review Quotes:
""Matthew Ayton has written the most insightful account yet of America's experiment with proxy conflict in Syria. Anchored in extensive primary research with US officials and Syrian actors, he shows how the 'By, With and Through' approach fits into the wider story of surrogate warfare and why it proved as dangerous as it was tempting. A vital book for anyone trying to grasp the future of US strategy in the Middle East"" --Andreas Krieg, Dr. King's College London, UK
"Ayton provides clear account of the Obama and First Trump administration's use of proxy warfare during the Syrian civil war. Based on thorough research - including extensive interviews with US civilian policymakers, military commanders, and Syrian resistance fighters - it provides a dispassionate and authoritative critique of America's indirect war against the Assad regime and ISIS" --Geraint Hughes, Dr, King's College London, UK