[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
One of Syria’s biggest bases falls to Daraa rebels In Deraa and Liwa 52 Military base fell. It was the second biggest base protecting Suwayda and the Druze Mountain.
Syrian rebels accuse Kurdish forces of `ethnic cleansing` of Sunni Arabs The allegation came with the recent Kurdish seizure of the key border post of Tal Abyad from IS.
Even Assad’s supporters are baulking now Hassan Hassan gives his take on the Druze in Syria and why they seem to be the only ones playing smart politics.
String of losses in Syria leaves Assad regime increasingly precarious Much of Syria is now under control of rebel fights and IS after loss of base in Deraa, Idlib and eastern Homs.
Calls for aid to Syria`s Druze after al Qaeda kills 20 Fear rises among Syria’s Druze population as at least 20 have been killed by the Nusra Front.
Syrian regime tightens grip on Damascus suburbs as it loses ground elsewhere Raja AbdulRahim explains that the Syrian regime can offer a life of only misery and humiliation to Damascus suburbs.
Damascus says it has faced worse times, key areas secure Major cities in Syria have faced more hardship than that of the ISIL in the four-year war, Syria could see a shift in momentum after along period of stalemate.
Syria rebels push ISIL back further back from supply route Syrian rebels continue to oust ISIL from villages such as Al-Bal and Bab al-Salama.
Assad’s strategy: don’t fight Daesh; direct it Haid Haid argues that al-Assad regime "is trying to turn his problems into opportunities by helping ISIS (Daesh; ISIL) choose what’s in his own best interests and allowing ISIS easier access to some areas than to others."
Syria conflict: Will Aleppo fall to Islamic State? Lina Sinjab states that "there are growing fears that Syria`s second city, Aleppo, could be taken over by Islamic State (IS) as fighting to the north between government and rebel forces intensifies."
An Arabic translation of this article can be found here: ترجمة: هل تسقط حلب بيد تنظيم “الدولة”؟
Dozens injured in bombs attacks on Syria`s Homs Syrian state television said dozens of civilians were wounded when two bombs exploded on Sunday in the central Syrian city of Homs, which lies on a crucial supply route between the capital Damascus and the Mediterranean coast.
Regional and International Perspectives
Secret CIA effort in Syria faces large funding cut U.S. strategy in Syria has shifted as the funding to train and arm rebels in Syria has been cut.
Cairo conference discusses implementation of Geneva I terms “Conference aims to formulate a proposal for a practical implementation of the Geneva statement and a clear vision for the future of Syria.”
The Journey: Syrian refugee Hashem Alsouki risks his life crossing the Mediterranean, his sights set on Sweden – and freedom for his family Patrick Kingsley shares the story of Hashem Al Souki, a Syrian refugee who took a risky trip from Egypt to Sweden.
Syrian asylum-seekers face long waits in backlogged U.S. system Sean Lyngaas investigates the delay in most Syrian asylum applications in the U.S. and shares the stories of Basileus Zeno and Farah Nasif whose applications are part of the U.S. asylum legal limbo.
Turkey’s Syria Policy Ain’t Gonna Change This article argues that "while the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) outperformed the Justice and Development Party (AKP) with Kurdish voters, its success may not actually result in much difference to the direction of Turkey’s Syria policy."
Iran brings home body of top general killed in Syria Sam Wilkin reports that "Iran is bringing home the body of a top-ranking military officer killed in April in southern Syria."
Policy and Reports
Suspects into Collaborators The roots of jihad in Syria trace back to the Assad regime says Peter Neumann.
Syrian civil war: Jabhat al-Nusra`s massacre of Druze villagers shows they`re just as nasty as Isis Patrick Cockburn reports “Members of the regime in Damascus know that getting rid of Assad is not going to do them any good and, if they lose, they may well end up dead, like the Druze villagers of Qalb Lawzeh.”
Asylum Crisis or Migrant Labor Crisis? Nayla Geagea, Lawyer and LCPS research associate, answers questions such as: "What are the implications of [Lebanese government] new procedures on the legal status of Syrian refugees? What are the most important consequences for the framework of legal protection for those on Lebanese soil?."
The War Over Syria`s Gas Fields Yezid Sayigh analyzes ISIS recent seizure of Palmyra nearby gas fields, which deprived the Syrian regime of 45 percent of its gas and electricity resources.
الحراك المدني السوري "رؤى ميدانية" Dawlaty Foundation issued a new report about Syrian civil movement, which documents Syrian peaceful activism and shares activists` experiences and recommendations.
The full PDF report can be found here.
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
Besieged by ISIS: Photographs from inside the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor Series of images that illustrate the hardships and conflict in Deir-ez Zor.
داعش..النضال المزعوم An important interview, in Arabic, with Nicolas Hénin the French reporter who had been held hostage for 10 months by ISIS about his experience with the extremist group.
نازحة سورية فضلت عدم الكشف عن هويتها: "نازحات يعملن في الدعارة للعيش بسبب غياب فرص العمل" This BBC Arabic talk-show segment discusses Syrian refugee women who work in prostitution in Lebanon.
سوريات في زمن اللجوء This Al Aan Documentary portrays the stories of three Syrian refugee women in Lebanon from different class and education backgrounds.
Arabic:
لماذا الجولاني و... على حلقتين؟ Ammar Dauib comments on Al Jazeera recent interview with Abu Mohammad al-Julani.
سلامة كيلة: العلوية السياسية خزعبلة وليس مصطلحاً سياسياً In this interview with Salameh Kaileh, he criticizes the concept of “Political Alawīyyah.”
تنظيم الدولة الاسلامية يفجر خطا لنقل الغاز الى دمشق ISIS bombed a line that is responsible to transport natural gas from eastern Syria to Damascus and its suburbs.
ريجيم ولكن Hiba al-Rahman shares her story with weight loss due to the siege of the eastern Ghouta.
الإدارة الذاتية في عفرين تمنع توزيع ثلاث صحف محلية Self-management of the de facto autonomous region of Rojava in Afrin, in northern Syria, prevented recently the distribution of three local newspapers.
هل تغير انتصارات داعش موازيين القوى في العراق وسوريا؟ In this interview with Middle East expert Michael Luders, he states that "Homs is likely to be IS`s next target."
An English version of this interview can be found here.
فدوى سليمان: بسمة صباح يوثق مرحلة السلّمية التي حاول العالم طمسها In this interview with Fadwa Soliman, she shares her thoughts about her recent radio drama "Basmet Sabah" and reflects on sectarianism and activism in Syria.
جبهة النصرة تدعو جميع الفصائل الثورية في الغوطة الشرقية لتشكيل "جيش الفتح" This article states that Jabhat al-Nusra invited all opposition brigades in Eastern Ghouta to join Jaish al-Fatah.
مشاريع رفاهية لا تسمن ولا تغني إلا جوع ضمائرنا This article criticizes some development campaigns in Damascus stating that such campaign distracts the attention from the war-related suffering.
اللاجئون السوريون يتأقلمون بسرعة على نمط العيش الجديد في السويد This article is about Syrian refugees in Sweden and their contribution to the job market.