[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
We Need to End This Dirty War: An Interview With Haytham Manna
Interview with Haytham Manna and his take on the Syrian conflict.
ISIS loses more than 20 villages in Syria
Kurd and Assad forces take over 20 villages from ISIS in Syria.
Syrian army and Kurdish forces fight ISIL on two fronts
Fighting continues in Hasakeh, an area of strategic importance because it lies between Turkey and Iraq.
Air strike on Islamic State-run refinery in Syria kills 30: monitor
US-led coalition air strike in Syria hits an oil refinery controlled by the Islamic State.
In Northern Syria, is the US running out of rebel allies?
“Harakat Hazzm, a US-armed group vetted by the CIA for training, has fallen to an Al Qaeda affiliate that is targeting moderate rebels.”
Islamic State Militants Attack Christian Villages in Syria
Maria Abi-Habib reports that violent clashes occurred on 8 March between ISIS and a mixture of Assyrian Christians and Kurdish fighters when ISIS launched a fresh offensive to overrun a string of Christian towns in northeastern Syria.
A Shopping Trip in Raqqa
Haya Mohammed shares her experience regarding the perils that face women when going about their business within an ISIS stronghold.
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
بين عيون المجاهدات وسيارات الحسبة رحلة تسوق في الرقة
Meet the "Monuments Men" Risking Everything to Save Syria`s Ancient Treasures From ISIS
Bryan Schatz writes about an underground network of activists secretly documenting the ransacking of Syria`s ancient treasures in ISIS-held areas. The article highlights the group achievements and the risks they face.
Deaths Reported in Syria of Top Figures in Group Affiliated With Al Qaeda
Ben Hubbard reports that four Nusra Front leaders, including Samir Hijazi, were killed in Syria, near the Turkish border, but that it remained unclear what had killed them.
Regional and International Perspectives
Win or lose Tikrit, Isis can only be defeated in Iraq by the Sunni
Hassan Hassan discusses the reason why the Tikrit offensive has the potential to intensify sectarian tensions and benefit ISIS.
Rising Out of Chaos: The Islamic State in Libya
Frederic Wehrey and Ala’ Alrababa’h on the spread and integration of jihadism in Syria and Libya, and how this gave rise to a new branch of the Islamic State.
The Russo-Iranian struggle for Syria
Ibrahim Hamidi writes about the ways in which Iran has worked to build a new Syrian regime in which Tehran is firmly in the driver`s seat.
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
معالم للصراع الروسي - الإيراني على «سورية المفيدة»
How Yarmouk refugee camp became the worst place in Syria
Jonathan Steele writes about the ways in which Yarmouk, near the center of Damascus—which used to be a safe refugee camp for Palestinians—become, under siege, the worst place on earth. The camp is currently a prison for its remaining residents, who survive on little food and water, with no hope of escape.
The Arabic summary of this article can be found here:
الغارديان: مخيم اليرموك أسوأ الأماكن في سوريا
Who Are the Pro-Assad Militias?
Aron Lund argues that "Assad seems to be giving up on the reintegration of rebel-held Syria into the state apparatus. Thus, entrenching himself among the militias and what remains of his army, he has precious little left to offer anyone else—no carrot, only stick."
The U.N. envoy to Syria’s disastrous failure
Abdulrahman al-Rashed argues that UN envoy to Syria de Mistura was only successful in achieving one thing, which is arousing anger in most Syrians.
Double-layered veils and despair … women describe life under Isis
Mona Mahmood writes about the increasing harsh restrictions on women`s movement and dress in ISIS-held areas where ISIS has imposed a strict dress code with punishments of fines or beatings for those who do not comply.
Insight - Syria`s Nusra Front may leave Qaeda to form new entity
Syria’s Nusra Front seeks to branch away from al Qaeda in order to create a new entity with support from the Gulf states.
The U.S. Needs to Rethink Its Anti-ISIS Approach in Syria
Faysal Itani argues that "the coalition campaign has contributed to the near-collapse of nationalist forces in northern Syria who, despite their imperfections, were ISIS’s most effective rivals and competed with Jabhat al Nusra for leadership of the insurgency."
Policy and Reports
The ideology of the Islamic State
Cole Bunzel explores the ideology of the Islamic State in a new analysis paper.
Trapped in Refuge The Syrian Crisis in Jordan Worsens
Christiane Fröhlich and Matthew R. Stevens write about two main changes that have disastrous effects on Syrian refugees in Jordan: the new Jordanian government policy that imposed restrictions on who is permitted to live outside the camps and the UN World Food Program`s decision to take cash food vouchers away from some ten percent of Syrian families living outside the camps.
Syria Monthly Action March 2015 local groups pack - Syria
This Amnesty International monthly action report explains a series of connected campaigns beginning on the fourth anniversary of the Syrian uprising.
Studies: Climate Change a Factor in Disasters in Syria, California
Steve Baragona discusses a new study that shows that climate change helped set off a chain of events leading to the Syrian civil war.
Economy and Agriculture
Syria’s housing crisis widens social gap
Syria’s unemployment rate has increased dramatically, and this has widened the social gap.
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
Should the West intervene in Syria’s civil war?
Joshua Landis and Kenneth Pollack discuss the prospects for Syria and its divided society on ABC Radio.
People & Power - Western Jihadis in Syria
People & Power meets young Muslims who have abandoned the West to fight in Syria.
طبيبة سورية تهرب من تنظيم الدولة الإسلامية وتروي قصتها
A Syrian physician tells her story of escaping the Syrian conflict and ISIS.
Arabic:
"وحدات الحماية" و"النظام" يُحرقون قرى العرب في الحسكة
Muhand Kateh writes that the Kurdish People`s Protection Units and the Syrian regime troops are burning the Arab villages in northern Syria under the pretext of fighting ISIS.
هل زرتم "سوق التنابل" السوري من قبل؟
Laura Khudair writes about Souq Al-Tanabel (Lazy Folks’ Market) in Damascus, and the changes that affected this market after 2011.
اتفاق بين جنبلاط و «النصرة»
Firas Choufi writes about an agreement between Walid Jumblatt and the Nusra Front regarding the Syrian Druze in Idlib Governorate.
بالصور: فرقة إنانا تفتح أكاديمية للرقص في دبي
Hasan Arfeh reports that Enana Dance Theater troupe opened Enana Ballet Dubai as a branch of its academy in Doha. The troupe`s new branches were planned to be opened in Syria, but instead moved to Qatar and UAE due to the current war.
سعاد نوفل… السورية الشجاعة تخجل أن تفرح لوحدها!
Duha Ashour interviews Souad Nowfal a Syrian activist who was recently awarded The Homo Homini Award in recognition of her activism.
المرأة السوريّة، الواقع والآفاق، حوار مفتوح
Basil Al-Abdullah interviews several Syrian feminists and women`s rights activists about women`s political participation, their concerns in the ongoing conflict, and their hopes for the future.
المظاهرات تعم جنوب دمشق…ومؤسسة عدالة الإغاثية توقف نشاطها
Haitham Nabil writes about several recent Friday protests against Al Nusra Front in Rif Dimashq.
السوريون في تونس.. انتهاكات تدفعهم إلى قوارب الموت الأوروبية
Muhammad Ali Latifi writes about the suffering of Syrian refugees in Tunisia, which drives them to take death boats to Europe.
أم أدهم... حكاية إمرأة تصنع الرجال
Ali Alwash and Khader Hassan share the story of Um Adham, which highlights women`s economic roles and participation.