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.]
Inside Syria
Syrian forces ‘use chlorine gas’ on ISIS: monitor
The Syrian regime resorts to the use of chlorine gas against ISIS in efforts to prevent further advancement into Deir Ezzor.
Bashar al-Assad: airstrikes against Islamic State are failing
Assad claims that the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State has not created a significant shift in power on the ground as predicted at first.
As U.N. cuts food aid to refugees, one family feels the pinch
The World Food Programme has cut food aid to Syrian refugees as many Syrians continue the struggle to survive.
The Revolutionary Command Council: Rebel Unity in Syria?
New initiative “Watasimo” launched by Muslim figures in Syria for the purpose of replacing the collapsed institutions of the FSA.
Will the Revolutionary Command Council be Syria’s New Rebel Government?
Maxwell Martin analyzes the new formation of Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), which aims to be "the unified body to lead the Syrian revolution".
The Assad Regime’s Political “Achilles’ Heel”
Yezid Sayigh provides an insight about the current situation in which the "Assad regime has repeatedly shown its confidence over the improvement of its strategic situation, but its refusal to engage politically with its own constituencies threatens it".
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
هامش المناورة يضيق أمام نظام الأسد
The Private Lives of Syria’s War Widows
Suha Maayeh writes about the severe conditions under which the Syrian "wives of martyrs" struggle to care for their families and rebuild their lives.
LGBT community finds Damascus more open
Mustafa al-Haj writes about the daily life of LGBT during the ongoing war, as "it`s hard for the morality police to focus on the LGBT community in Damascus."
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
كيف أثّرت الحرب على حياة المثليّين في دمشق؟
Besieged Aleppo residents turn to farming
Mohammed al-Khatieb reports from Aleppo about measures taken by residents in the rebel-held part of Aleppo who "are planting vegetables and raising animals in preparation for the impending regime siege".
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
حلب... استعدادات ما قبل الحصار
Here’s the last Syrian option we have left
According to Thomas E. Ricks, the "only way to shape the outcome of the war is to attack Assad’s forces and degrade his ability to strike FSA units in Aleppo"
Young Women in Kafr Nabel Denied University Chance
Mokhlisa al-Qarjy reports that the ongoing civil war has ruined the plans of many young women who aspired to complete higher education.
Regional and International Perspectives
My mission is ISIL, not al-Assad, says US army chief
U.S. army officer states that a counter-ISIL strategy is imperative above all else, not the toppling of Bashar al-Assad.
U.S. considers opening new front against Islamic State to create a safe zone in Syria
U.S. considers significantly increasing its resources in order to establish a new front against IS and operations in Syria and Iraq.
Jumblatt: no solution in Syria with Assad in power
“Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt talked about the Syrian war and the Lebanese soldiers abducted by Jabhat al-Nusra in an interview with Al-Monitor.”
Syrian child shot dead, camp torched after Lebanon captive killed
“Tensions between refugees and Lebanese host communities heightened” after aid to Syrian refugees comes to a halt.
Repercussions of the Syrian Refugee Crisis for Lebanon
Lina Khatib analyzes the repercussions of the influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon which has created a serious crisis.
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
تداعيات ازمة النازحين السوريين على لبنان
On Camps and Cities: The Lived Experience of Displaced Syrians in Jordan
Matthew R. Stevens writes about how Syrian refugees are being treated in urban centers in Jordan.
New Leaders for the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood
Raphaël Lefèvre writes about the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood ’s 2014 leadership elections and the challenge of generational renewal.
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
زعماء جدد لجماعة الإخوان المسلمين السورية
Ambassador Fred Hof on buffer zones, rebel groups, and U.S. ISIS strategy
“The avoidance of the scenario in Iraq, probably more than anything else, explains U.S. policy in the past three and half years”
Pledges on Syrian Refugees Fall Short
Justine Drennan reports about the escalating crisis of Syrian refugees and insufficient support, "wealthy countries pledged to take in thousands more refugees — for a grand total of 100,000 — but aid organizations say that’s nowhere near enough."
Israeli strikes on Syria hit Iranian weapons destined for Hezbollah
“Syrian military sources tell Al-Monitor that Israeli warplanes struck storage depots with Iranian weapons that were to be sent to Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
غارات إسرائيلية على سوريا.. ليست الأولى وقد لا تكون الأخيرة
Policy and Reports
How ISIS governs its caliphate
Simon Cordall on the expansion of the Islamic State and its strategic form of governing its borders.
How the Assad regime’s policies nurtured sectarianism in Syria
Brian Whitaker on the increase of sectarianism in Syria, the conflict is not a religious one but it may appear as such.
A three-part power struggle: ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and the Syrian regime
Yezid Sayegh on the conflict dynamics between ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and the Syrian regime.
The Current Partitioning of Syria
The Soufan Group’s Special Report on “the de facto partitioning of Syria into three parts—those controlled by the Assad regime, the Islamic State, and Jabhat al-Nusra (JN)”
Pentagon in Denial About Civilian Casualties of U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria
Chris Woods reports "U.S. and allied forces may have killed dozens of civilians in airstrikes while bombing the Islamic State. But the defense department refuses to take responsibility."
Economy and Agriculture
Making ends meet in Kafr Nabel
Many Syrians have lost their jobs due to the civil war, and as a result, have begun to develop alternative methods to make money.
Ghardeen Ahmad writes about women’s suffering in Kafr Nabel in Syria as their chances of inheriting from their parents are reduced.
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
“Eye on Syria” Mural in Damascus
Artists express themselves and their feelings on the Syrian situation through photography, artwork, and graphic designs.
Video: ISIS, Yazidis, and the Enslavement of Thousands of Women
“Joshua Landis and Matthew Barber discuss the devastating IS campaign to plunder Mosul’s Christians and enslave thousands of Yazidi women”
“Eyewitness accounts and video from inside the besieged city of Homs offer a rare and disturbing window into the cruel realities of the Syrian civil war. Bob Simon reports.”
من هو أبوبكر البغدادي؟.. وكيف أنشأ تنظيم داعش؟
This video discusses the background of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and how the U.S participated in the rise of his power.
Arabic:
شيخ آلي: إجماع كردي على مواجهة تنظيم الدولة
An interview with Sheikh Ali, the leader of The Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekiti) who provides his perspective about the Syrian conflict and Kobani.
قصة كوباني من النشأة إلى المقاومة ومن فصلها عن حلب إلى محاولات «داعش»
Azad Ahmad Ali provides a historical background of Kobani.
«آراب أيدول»: الفائز السوري بعلم سعودي … والقرضاوي في مواجهة مصر «المنتقمة»
Bassam Al-Badarin discusses the winning of the 2014 Arab Idol by the 21-year-old Syrian singer Hazem Sharif and his refusal to wear or wave his country’s flag to avoid taking sides.
صنداي تايمز: البلدة السورية التي تحولت إلى "لندن مصغرة"
Sunday Times reports that Manbij, a town in the Aleppo Governorate, became as ‘little London’ as it became populated by so many British jihadists.
The English version of this article can be found here:
UK terrorists turn Isis stronghold into ‘little London’
هل يشكل التقسيم حلاً في سوريا؟
Rateb Sha`bo discusses partitioning Syria as a future possible political solution for the Syrian conflict.
المنتجون اللبنانيون: صراع الديَكة على النجم السوري
Wisam Canaan discusses the competition between Lebanese TV producers to recruit and cast Syrian drama stars in their shows.
علي البزال ضحية التواطؤ القطري ـ التركي مع الإرهاب
This article discusses the Military execution of the Lebanese abducted soldier Ali Albzal by The al-Nusra Front/"Jabhat al-Nusra” and the failed negotiator role of Qatar and Turkey.
مؤتمر» اللاجئون السوريون» يحذر من تواضع استجابة المجتمع الدولي للأزمة/
The participants in the conference "Syrian refugees in Jordan: The question of society and the media" warn in their concluding recommendations from the dramatic consequences of the insufficiency humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees in Jordan.
الاتفاق النووي والدور الإيراني في سورية
Ammar Dayoub discusses the involvement of Iran in the Syrian conflict and the future nuclear deal.
إغلاق مسجد في ألمانيا بتهمة الترويج لـ "داعش"
For the first time in Germany, authorities closed a mosque because of its management of promoting ISIS values and encouraging young Muslims in the city to travel to Syria and Iraq.
بالصور/دليل نكاح الأسيرات الذي وزعه داعش على مقاتليه
This article overviews a guide called Questions and Answers on Taking Captives and Slaves that believed to be issued by ISIS dealing with issues such as which women can be held as slaves and when they can be beaten.
قيادي في "القاعدة" ينتقد قطع الرؤوس التي ينفذها "داعش"
Nasser Bin Ali Al-Ansi, a leader in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), criticizes ISIS Beheadings as `Un-Islamic`.
الإسلامي المتشدد أبو قتادة يشن هجوما عنيفا على تنظيم "الدولة الإسلامية"
Abu Qatada, a Jordanian preacher, criticizes ISIS/"Daash" and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
أرقام من سوريا.. 66% يريدون دولة مدنية
This article discusses the results of a survey study about Syrians opinion regarding what is happening in the country and their visions of the type of government that should be established in post-conflict Syria.
الحل السوري الممكن بين الداخل والخارج (8)
Rateb Sha`bo provides his perspective on The Carter Center`s project for political transition in Syria, "Syria Transitions Options Initiative."
خيارات لإنتقال سياسي في سوريا: تعديل دستور 2012 (9)
Hayed Hayed provides his perspective on The Carter Center`s project for political transition in Syria, "Syria Transitions Options Initiative."
حول خيارات الحل السياسي في سوريا: “العملانية” قبل الورق (10)
Ghazi Dahman provides his perspective on The Carter Center`s project for political transition in Syria, "Syria Transitions Options Initiative."
لن يصلح عطار الورقة ما أفسده الأسد! (11)
Abdullah Amin Al-Hallak provides his perspective on The Carter Center`s project for political transition in Syria, "Syria Transitions Options Initiative."