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The Current Map of Syria
(Fathom-BICOM) Jonathan Spyer - In Syria, the regime and its allies control the main cities and the coastal area, amounting to 55-60% of the territory, along with the majority of the population. The Sunni Arab rebels retain control of the al-Tanaf area in the east, Der'aa and Quneitra in the southwest, Eastern Ghouta in the center, Rastan in the north and Idlib in the northwest, but they are in retreat. IS controls a few rapidly eroding desert areas. But it is important to remember that IS first emerged as the al-Qaeda branch of Iraq and only later morphed from an insurgency into a quasi-state. It is now in the process of morphing back. We should bear in mind the large extent of support IS still enjoys, particularly in the western provinces of Iraq and around Mosul. Syrian Kurds control an area in the northeast making up 27% of Syria, in alliance with the U.S. This area contains the greater part of Syria's oil and gas resources, as well as some of its best agricultural land. The writer is a fellow at the Middle East Forum.