‘US arms could create Syria warlords’
Reuters / Jordan Times ISTANBUL — US arms supplies to Syrian rebels may create Somali-style warlords and are undermining Washington’s allies in the rebels’ exile military command, the former Syrian […]
ROBERT FISK : An audience with ‘the Tiger’ – Bashar al-Assad’s favourite soldier …and a man you wouldn’t want to cross
Colonel Soheil Hassan is called ‘The Tiger’, and is one of the most-frightening men I have ever met. He is Bashar al-Assad’s favourite soldier and he sits straight in his chair by his field headquarters north of Aleppo. The Tiger writes poetry but is a very ruthless soldier. He expects […]
Philanthropists help Syrian refugees get on their feet
JEDDAH: AFSHAN AZIZ Published — Monday 9 June 2014 The Syrian war has created one of the biggest refugee crises in modern history, with experts calling it the worst humanitarian situation in a generation. An estimated 9 million Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of the war in […]
Aleppo’s Sheikh Najjar: The death of a once-rich city
BY ROBERT FISK, THE INDEPENDENT Al-Qaeda City was an industrial zone, a vast plain of concrete and stone factories and cattle sheds and homes 10 miles north east of Aleppo, […]
Aleppo's Sheikh Najjar: The death of a once-rich city
BY ROBERT FISK, THE INDEPENDENT Al-Qaeda City was an industrial zone, a vast plain of concrete and stone factories and cattle sheds and homes 10 miles north east of Aleppo, […]
Syria’s election shows depth of support for Assad
STORY SUMMARY For all the serious flaws in Syria’s election, it underscored the considerable support that President Bashar Assad still enjoys from the population, including many in the majority Sunni Muslim community. Syria’s conflict is often portrayed through one of its many prisms — that of a sectarian struggle, in […]
Syria's election shows depth of support for Assad
STORY SUMMARY For all the serious flaws in Syria’s election, it underscored the considerable support that President Bashar Assad still enjoys from the population, including many in the majority Sunni Muslim community. Syria’s conflict is often portrayed through one of its many prisms — that of a sectarian struggle, in […]
Syria conflict: The silence in Homs emphasises the city’s fate. There’s barely a breath of wind
BY ROBERT FISK, THE INDEPENDENT Deep beneath the city of Homs, in the last days of the Syrian army’s siege, a desperate Islamist rebel wrote on the wall of a tunnel. “I have a question for all our commanders,” he lamented. “When will the road be open? If someone has […]
Syria presidential election: Assad's stage-managed show of democracy Bashar al-Assad is certain to win, but will need to make reforms during his third term as president – as well as restore security
Lina Sinjab in Damascus, Ian Black and agencies The Guardian, Tuesday 3 June 2014 Syrians began voting on Tuesday in the shadow of a bloody war, but no surprises are expected in an election in which Bashar al-Assad is running for the presidency on his ability to restore security and […]
Syria presidential election: Assad’s stage-managed show of democracy Bashar al-Assad is certain to win, but will need to make reforms during his third term as president – as well as restore security
Lina Sinjab in Damascus, Ian Black and agencies The Guardian, Tuesday 3 June 2014 Syrians began voting on Tuesday in the shadow of a bloody war, but no surprises are expected in an election in which Bashar al-Assad is running for the presidency on his ability to restore security and […]
Two-pronged messages
A good part of the Greater Beirut area was paralyzed Wednesday when Syrian nationals streamed to their embassy to vote in their country’s presidential election. While the day’s events were […]
Beirut roads paralyzed by Syrian voters headed to polls
STORY SUMMARY Thousands of mostly pro-Assad supporters flocked to the Syrian Embassy Wednesday to cast ballots in the presidential elections, causing suffocating traffic jams around Beirut. The embassy opened its […]
Jordan, Syria bar envoys in tit-for-tat diplomatic row
May 26, 2014 – 16:49 By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) – U.S. ally Jordan said on Monday it was expelling Syria’s ambassador for accusing the kingdom of backing Syrian rebels, prompting Damascus to retaliate by barring Jordan’s top diplomat. A Jordanian foreign ministry statement gave Syrian Ambassador Bahjat Suleiman, a […]
How Syria Could Affect the Future of Humanity
Huff Post: by Lorna Byrne — I keep being shown crowds of children, thousands and thousands of them walking around clinging to each other, bewildered, not understanding how their parents have been killed, how their homes have been destroyed and how their very lives are in danger. I am shown […]
Which foundations for postwar Syria?
STORY SUMMARY Brahimi’s departure is to a large extent a consequence of President Bashar Assad’s decision to stand again for the presidency in June, which undermines efforts to negotiate a transition in Syria. But beyond what it means for a negotiated settlement in Syria, Assad’s decision to seek re-election poses […]
Friends of Syria try to turn words into action
STORY SUMMARY The Friends of Syria group backing the opposition will convene Thursday to discuss its next steps in the wake of the opening of “a new page” in relations […]
Kuwait minister ‘linked to Syria jihad’ quits
Islamic Affairs minister, who was accused by US official of promoting jihad in Syria, has had his resignation accepted. Kuwait’s ruler has accepted the resignation of Islamic Affairs Minister Nayef […]
Why dictators hold elections: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Bashar al-Assad and the façade of legitimacy
It is easy to be cynical about candidates winning 80 per cent of the vote but for some Middle East regimes the appearance of democracy is enough to secure the covert backing of Western powers Why do dictators love elections? It’s an old question in the Middle East, but it […]
Why the Homs truce matters for Syria
In spite of its brittle nature and the threat of such a move being nothing more than a short-lived lull, it still remains the most viable route to achieve a […]
Syria’s rebels admit they are unable to govern
STORY SUMMARY The Syrian border is just a few miles north of the processing station for refugees in Rabah al-Sarhan. Syrian rebel commanders had invited me to travel with them inside their country through a crossing point near there, but the Jordanian government emphatically said no. So this account is […]