[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Syria and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Syria Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to syria@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Perspectives
Geneva
Syrie : les scénarios de Genève 2 A program with guests Bruno Tertrais, Joseph Bahout and Peter Harling.
Geneva II: Watch Out for Back-Channel Talks Lina Khatib qualifies the Geneva talks as anti-climatic.
Une proche d`Assad : « Pourquoi préférez-vous les terroristes au gouvernement syrien ? » An interview with Bouthaina Shaaban, the Syrian president’s media adviser.
Moving Mountains in Syria Tam Hussein meets with people from Jebel Akrad, who suspect that the war will last much longer, regardless of the Geneva talks.
Get Real (ist) About the Geneva Talks Timothy Hoyt writes: “I would propose a modest alternative. The United States has articulated three major concerns in this conflict: 1) Ending the suffering and easing the humanitarian crisis. 2) Eliminating Syrian weapons of mass destruction (WMD). 3) Removing Assad from power.The negotiations at Geneva may be able to secure the first two at the cost (and it is an obnoxious one) of not achieving the third.”
Lines of the Game: Geneva II to End the Syrian Opposition? Sami Kleib asks: “Does Geneva II pave the way for the elimination of the opposition coalition? This is a distinct possibility.”
Could discussing humanitarian issues lead to disaster at the Geneva II talks? Steven Heydemann writes: “Despite the dim hope that a political solution can be found in this round of talks, perhaps the most disastrous turn would be for negotiators to be deviate from the mission of the talks: transitioning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out of power.”
Analysis: Why Syria`s Assad enters Geneva talks in a position of strength Joshua Landis claims that “President Bashar al-Assad comes to the negotiating table in Switzerland apparently stronger today than at any time in the last two years.”
Syrian Kurds declare autonomy on eve of Geneva 2 reports RT.
Turkey
Syria Torture Photos: Massacre or Sabotage Scheme? Asli Aydintasbas comments on the timing of the torture photos from Syria that were released the night before the Geneva Convention.
The Prospects of the Geneva II Conference Mustafa Aydin argues that although the Geneva meeting is the first face-to-face talk between the al-Assad regime and some opposition groups, “Syria will continue to be a bleeding wound in the Middle East for years to come.”
Turkey Seals Border Against al-Qaeda Fehim Tastekin reports that “Turkey has closed its gates after al-Qaida captured three border crossings into northern Syria.”
The AKP’s Test With al-Qaeda Verda Özer argues that AKP is faced with a dangerous dilemma whereby it either criticizes al-Qaida loudly or it becomes associated to the group.
Turkey Under Pressure Over Jihadists on Border “The recent terrorist bombing at the border and the acrimonious exchange between the Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers at Geneva II hints at the extent to which Turkey has become embroiled in the Syria conflict,” Semih Idiz writes.
Turkish military strikes ISIL convoy in Syria “Turkish troops opened fire on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) positions in northern Syria after a mortar shell fired from Syria landed in Turkish territory during clashes between ISIL and the Free Syrian Army, broadcaster NTV reported.”
Other
Different Policies, the Same Game: Syrian and Palestinian Refugees in Egypt Kelsey P. Norman takes a closer look at the policies towards the refugees.
ISIS in Lebanon: Lebanese Army a Target according to Radwan Mortada
Can Lebanon Handle 3,000 Syrian Refugees a Day? “Twenty percent of those living in Lebanon today are refugees due to the war in Syria, representing around twenty-five percent of Lebanon`s residents before the Syrian revolution.”
How the War in Syria Empowers Lebanese Jihadism A pertinent piece by Raphael Lefevre
Where are the Syrian refugees going? An informative piece published by the Guardian.
Syrian Opposition Is Set to Meet With Russians “Syria`s opposition in exile is scheduled to travel to Moscow on Monday in a bid to thaw relations with one of the Syrian government`s most powerful allies.”
Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Resort to Unofficial Marriages Malath al-Zoubi on this emerging practice among refugees.
Syrian Narratives
A Revolution in Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood? Raphael Lefevre says that “the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has often been branded as one of the most influential actors in exiled Syrian opposition politics, but it may not be as cohesive as most people think.”
The Politics of the Islamic Front, Part 5: The Kurds Aron Lund says that the Front “has presented unified positions on a number of issues, but in one case the Islamic Front has had trouble reconciling its stated ideological agenda with political reality—namely, the Kurdish question”
Manbij, a Success Story in the Liberated Areas “An interview with Yasser Munif on Manbij, a city governed by a revolutionary council and that saw the creation of Syria`s first free trade union and independent police force.”
Hope Springs in Syria? Hassan Hassan says that “limited local cease-fires, fragile though they are, can still serve as models for ending the Syrian civil war.”
With Friends Like These: Al Qaeda and the Assad Regime Brian Fishman concludes: “while absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, there is no public smoking gun that Assad is collaborating directly with ISIS. The argument that they are in cahoots finds fertile soil because it is obvious that the Assad regime benefits from the presence of ISIS and other jihadis in Syria.”
The Other Syrian Peace Process Aron Lund discusses the “Umma Initiative.”
Understanding Syria: From Pre-Civil War to Post-Assad William R. Polk offers a lengthy expository piece on Syria.
Syria`s Bodies: `The Stench Was Unfathomable` Christoph Reuter and Christoph Scheuermann
When Assad`s horrific prisons were the CIA`s dumping ground. David Kenner reminds readers about Maher Arar’s ordeal to reveal the irony behind the United States’ surprise in the face of the torture reports.
Discussion of Aymenn J. Al-Tamimi’s Latest Article A response to “‘The Dawn of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham’.[1]Although only a peripheral point in the essay, if passed without critical examination, it has the potential of leading to some significantly off-the-mark conclusions.”
Maaloula Nun Captors Seek Release of All Islamist Prisoners in Roumieh “Informed sources told Al-Akhbar that ongoing negotiations to procure the release of the Maaloula nuns kidnapped by al-Nusra Front and held in the Syrian city of Yabroud close to the Lebanese border have been deadlocked since December 6.”
Revolutionary Left Current in Syria: always with the masses in their struggle for their emancipation The Revolutionary Left current reiterates its support of the revolution.
Enduring Myths of Sectarianism in Syria Elyse Semerdjian deconstructs the sectarian argument used to discuss Syria.
Syria Talks May Yield Little, but Give Cover to Those Defying Hard-Liners Anne Barnard and Mohammed Ghannam write: “The images from spotless, quiet Geneva were striking — Syrian government and opposition figures sitting down together for the first time to discuss ending their country’s war — but inside war-torn Syria, patience wore thin as the talks dragged on with few results.”
New Texts Out Now: Lisa Wedeen, Ideology and Humor in Dark Times: Notes from Syria
Road to Raqqa Vijay Prashad on how “the influence of radical Islamists like the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham has been growing along the desert road that straddles Iraq and Syria.”
Coalition Hands Over Document Outlining Transitional Government “The delegation of the Syrian National Coalition at Geneva has handed the regime delegation a document detailing mechanisms for the formation of a transitional governing body without Bashar Assad,” reports Aks al-Ser.
Inside Syria
Syria Plea: ‘We Are Eating Cat and Donkey Meat, Have Mercy on Us’ “The Wall Street Journal’s Sam Dagher went to the frontline of the Yarmouk Camp, where tens of thousands of people, mostly Palestinians, have not been allowed to leave the area for about a year. Both sides in the conflict have used access to food and medicine as a weapon, according to human-rights groups and aid workers.”
Syrian Government Employees Struggle to Make Ends Meet Salaam al-Saadi meets with some of them.
Syria: Trapped Women of besieged Homs decline evacuation, fearing for their Men “More than half of the 500 women and children trapped in the Syrian city of Homs refuse to be evacuated, saying they fear leaving male relatives behind, activists said Monday.”
Consumer Fraud Leads to Deaths in Qamishli Vyan Mohammad reports.
Behind Perdition’s Eyelid: To Live and Die in Aleppo Suhaib Anjarini asks: “how do the residents of the capital of the Syrian north go about their lives? Or more aptly, how exactly are they coexisting with death?”
Syria: Rampant Looting by Both Sides in Damascus Countryside Laith al-Khatib on the reasons behind those acts by “both sides.”
Barrel Bombs Death Toll Rises to 62 in Aleppo “At least 62 people, including an unknown number of children, have died as a result of barrel bomb attacks in Aleppo, according to the Syrian Revolution General Council (SRGC).”
Syrian Revolutionaries Resist Violent Fundamentalists An interview Raed Fares gave only a few weeks before he was attacked.
Daft Punk hacked by Syrian Electronic Army at Grammys (Parody)
IDFA 2013 | Trailer | Return to Homs A film by Talal Derki
Sundance documentary winner Return to Homs sheds light on Syrian conflict
Jasmenco (Short Film) 2013 “Jasmenco was produced to showcase the pain and struggle that artists are facing in Syria due to the unprecedented conflict of the last 3 years.”
Syrian Metal Is War - Documentary Promo “Syrian Metal Is War: an independent documentary by Monzer Darwish, addressing Metal and its survival in times of war in Syria.”
The Jihadi alternative to the Geneva peace talks Karl Sharro’s satirical take surrounding the Geneva talks.
Policy and Reports
Syrian government backs away from U.N. plan on humanitarian relief for Homs
Syria’s Polio Epidemic: The Suppressed Truth Annie Sparrow writes: “Syria has become a cauldron of once-rare infectious diseases, with hundreds of cases of measles each month and outbreaks of typhoid, hepatitis, and dysentery. Tuberculosis, diphtheria, and whooping cough are all on the rise. Upward of 100,000 children are stigmatized by leishmaniasis, a hideous parasitic skin disease that flourishes in war.”
Economy and Agriculture
Did Drought Trigger The Crisis In Syria? A lengthy piece discussing the intersect between the current war in Syria and the environmental history of the country.
Fiscal Deficit In Latakia Reaches 260 Million SP
Government Buys Syrian Currency from Neighboring Countries “Informed sources have revealed that the Syrian government has started buying Syrian Pounds from neighboring countries, particularly Lebanon.”
700 Billion Syrian Pounds to Rebuild Destroyed Houses The Syrian Observer translates an update from All4Syria, which offers “a list of Syrian governorates according to the number of destroyed houses and the cost of rebuilding them.”
Drowning in Debt: Lebanon Loses $10 Billion Due to Syria War
Arabic
جنيف 2: المهمة المستحيلة
حوار مع المحامية الناشطة نورا غازي
«الدراما يكتبها الأقوياء»
و«الائتلاف» المعارض يذهب وحيداً...
رجاء كما عرفته... مسكون بالعروبة وفلسطين وسوريا
الاحتفال بالأعلان عن الإدارة الذاتية - قامشلو
مخيم اليرموك: وفاة 85 شخصاً... و20 ألفاً يعانون الحصار
اليرموك: مساعدات «إعلامية» مذلّة والأهالي يطالبون بالعودة أو اللجوء إلى دولة تحترمهم
١١٠٠٠سبب من أجل التحرك الحقيقي بشأن سورية
جنيف 2: برنامجان وفخاخ كثيرة
«لهذه الأسباب رفضت «هـيئة التنسيق» المشاركة في «جنيف 2
نظرية تشبيك البحار الخمسة ... كبديل مشرقي
الاقتصاد المنزلي وأهميـته في الأزمة السورية
اليرموك: هل تخلّت فلسطين عن فلسطين؟
*عن مخيم اليرموك بعيون العائدين