Syria

Sunday 12th February

Syria: yes to intervention, but de-escalate the broader conflict

Mary Kaldor, 12 February 2012
The key to any intervention is to combine upholding human rights inside Syria with de-escalation of the broader regional conflict. Far from being contradictory, these two goals – human rights and peace – reinforce each other.
Thursday 9th February

Proxy wars: could the US end up supporting al-Qaeda-like groups in Syria?

Ahmed E. Souaiaia, 9 February 2012
Syrian state-controlled media blames most of the deaths on armed groups (which it calls terrorists). These allegations have awakened Russia’s dormant–but not forgotten–memory of the Saudi-American alliance that created the Mujahidin networks in Afghanistan, which in turn defeated the Soviet Union.

The Arab revolts in year two

Volker Perthes, 9 February 2012
The uprisings across the Arab world are becoming more complex and variable as they enter their second year. This makes it all the more important to identify their main dynamics, says Volker Perthes.

How the Arab League turned against Syria

Sean Mann, 9 February 2012
Why did the Arab League, once perceived as an ineffective dictators’ club, end up taking the side of anti-government protesters against the Syrian regime? Does its humanitarian rhetoric simply conceal its most powerful member states’ true motives: concern over the geopolitical distribution of power?
Friday 20th January

Syria: the next Algeria?

Karen Kramer, 20 January 2012
The situation in Syria is becoming increasingly grim. As the standoff between the protesters and the regime turns more violent, the prospects for a democratic transition become more remote.
Wednesday 21st December

Holding on to the status quo, Gulf States seek political unity

Ahmed E. Souaiaia, 21 December 2011
If the Gulf Cooperation Council wanted to support democracy and stability, they would have invested in Tunisia and Egypt. Instead, they are investing in regimes that mimic their own Umayyad model of governance.
Saturday 17th December

Syria’s guilty men

David Mepham, 17 December 2011
The violent repression of citizens in Syria is escalating, and can now be linked to named officials of the regime. This reinforces the case for concerted international pressure to end the suffering, says David Mepham.
Monday 12th December

The Middle East on the brink: an urgent appeal for common sense

Karabekir Akkoyunlu, 12 December 2011
This is an appeal to the global citizenry to wake up to the dire situation unfolding before our eyes and to raise our voice. It is time to put concerted pressure on our respective governments, who are complicit in this cynical spectacle, and urge them to act responsibly for the benefit of all nations.
Saturday 10th December

The Kurds’ place in the ‘Arab Spring’

Riccardo Dugulin, 10 December 2011
Seen as a relatively safe haven in northern Iraq, considered a terrorist threat by Turkish authorities, and currently waiting in the wings in Syria, Kurdistan and its different interest groups constitute another question mark in the political exchequer of the Middle East.
Tuesday 6th December

A dangerous transition in the 'greater Middle East'

Hall Gardner, 6 December 2011
Revolutions have overthrown post-colonial regimes throughout the Middle East and north Africa, but the region is still in a delicate phase of transition. Rivalry between Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey could destabilize the region further, with dire consequences

Playing with fire in the Middle East

Saeed Rahnema, 6 December 2011
As relations between Iran and Syria and the west deteriorate further, what are the possible outcomes of this escalation in the diplomatic crisis?
Thursday 1st December

Syria: the spectre of civil war

Kamal Sheikho, 1 December 2011
As the desire to overthrow Assad grows, the opposition has begun to consider armed conflict. A Syrian journalist warns that resorting to violence will only satisfy the thirst of a few. It is the quickest route to defeat, and likely to lead to civil war.
Wednesday 23rd November

Torture and the Arab system, old and new

Vicken Cheterian, 23 November 2011
The Arab awakening of 2011 raises hope of an end to the torture and other human-rights violations that have long been endemic in Arab states. But it will be a tough legacy to overcome, says Vicken Cheterian.
Tuesday 1st November

Iran, the Arab revolts, and Syria

Sadegh Zibakalam, 1 November 2011
The Iranian leadership and official media portray the Arab spring as a “great Islamic awakening” targeted at the west and Israel. The turmoil in Syria explodes this narrative, says Sadegh Zibakalam.
Thursday 27th October

Libya has opened the way to diplomatic sanctions against Syria

Rupert Read, 27 October 2011
One of the first actions of the Libyan Transitional National Council has posed a challenge for European countries.
Tuesday 4th October

Did the Arab Spring find its roots in the New Iraq?

Fatima El Issawi, 4 October 2011
The major lesson that the Arab revolutions can draw from the new Iraq is the importance of a phased transition from dictatorship to democracy where national bodies govern by the rule of law and include a balanced representation of all factions and communities, argues Fatima Issawi.

Syria: a tale of missed opportunity

Carsten Wieland, 4 October 2011
The intellectual ground for an Arab democratic revolution was prepared in Syria a decade ago. But Syria’s leadership wasted the chances for a soft transition, says Carsten Wieland.
Tuesday 27th September

A message to the west: what can ‘they’ learn from ‘us’?

Odai Alzoubi, 27 September 2011
For all those who are afraid or suspicious, I invite them to go to the streets of Syria. One main defect with academic writing is that it avoids bombast. Hence, it doesn’t say that those young men and women who have been protesting in the streets of Syria for more than five months are heroes.

Deckchair protest for Syria's future

Oliver Huitson and Luke Manzarpour, 27 September 2011
Can drawing attention to the regime's excesses force Spain and other countries to put pressure on the Syrian government?
Sunday 25th September

Arab Revolutions: double standards all round

Hayder al-Khoei, 25 September 2011
Extremist Islamists may only be one small part of a wide cross-section of disenfranchised Libyans who could no longer bear the tyranny of Gadaffi, but they pose the question whether reactions to the Arab Revolutions are ever entirely innocent of double standards.
Syndicate content