[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
Regime Forces Violate `Reconciliation` in Barzeh, Force Families to Sleep in Streets Government forces blockade the Damascus district with regime checkpoints preventing residents from returning to their homes.
#5YearsWeFled: How Our Journey Began (Part 1) The series #5YearsWeFled is a collection of interviews with a Syrian lawyer Ayman Jalwan. It highlights the difficult choice that Syrians face between dying in a war zone that a country has become after five years of conflict, or fleeing the land they love with no hopes of imminent return.
ISIS power declines in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor IS loses large territories in Syria and Iraq, especially after the U.S.-led coalition forces stepped up airstrikes on the group’s key positions.
Iron Rule: Jaish al-Islam in Eastern Ghouta Jaish al-Islam’s leader Zahran Alloush was killed by Syrian government airstrikes last year, but his successors are keeping his brutal legacy alive in Eastern Ghouta.
Can 3D imagery save Syria`s cultural heritage? “Hundreds of major heritage sites have been destroyed or damaged during the Syrian conflict. Now detailed 3D mappings of the country`s famous monuments provide hope for their preservation.”
Syria`s six Unesco World Heritage Sites all damaged or destroyed during civil war “The country once had six Unesco World Heritage Sites, all of which are now either destroyed or severely damaged, according to Unesco, the United Nations body responsible for identifying significant cultural landmarks.”
Syria death toll from Russian airstrikes rises, say activists Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 55 people have been killed, including 13 children and a pregnant woman.
IS Suffers Blows in Iraq, Syria but Still Launches Attacks After months of losing ground in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State group is showing signs of wear and tear, and its opponents say they have seen an increase in desertions among the extremists. But the jihadis appear to be lashing back with more terrorist and chemical attacks.
Inside Syria’s war: I went to three cities. This is what I saw. After nearly two years, The Washington Post returned to government-held areas of Syria for the first time this month. Traveling to Damascus, Aleppo and Homs, Loveday Morris saw the destruction caused by the war, but also daily life that continues despite it.
Rare good news from Syria: some people are rising up against al-Qaeda Jennifer Williams writes that something important is happening in Syria: In a few isolated places, Syrians have begun to rise up against the rule of Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate in the country. It`s not anything like a major shift, but it suggests that some Syrians haven`t necessarily bought into Nusra`s salafi-jihadist vision for the future of the country.
Syria conflict: Russia warns US over truce violations Russia says it will unilaterally start using force against those violating the partial truce in Syria, if the US does not agree to joint rules by Tuesday.
What Omar al-Shishani Leaves Behind “Dead or alive, al-Shishani is the face of a generation of jihadi fighters from the Caucasus that poses a significant threat to Russia.”
Sparking Up Kfar Nabel’s Power Supply A "project was launched in early October 2015 by Kfar Nabel’s local council in collaboration with the Syria Regional Program (SRP) run by Chemonics International. It aims to supply electricity to Idlib and its rural areas, with a special focus on houses in more remote parts of the province."
Regional and International Perspectives
Geneva: Regime Delegation Sidesteps `Political Transition,` Demands `Recovery` of Golan Syrian government delegation presents UN envoy with document outlining the “basic elements of a political solution in Syria,” but refuses to acknowledge discussion of a political transition or of UN resolution 2254.
Syria conflict: Russia `steps up strikes on IS at Palmyra` Russia says its warplanes are carrying out up to 25 air strikes a day around the Syrian city of Palmyra in support of Syrian forces trying to oust IS.
Is the Kurdish plan foolhardy or first-rate? Hassan Hassan gives an overview of PYD federalism declaration. The PYD is building its statelet in the only area Assad cannot bomb and its enemies are divided.
Syria`s peace talks need more women at the table Margot Wallström writes Sweden’s minister for foreign affairs is supporting women to participate in discussions to end the conflict in Syria.
German elections: setbacks for Merkel`s CDU as anti-refugee AfD makes big gains Alternative für Deutschland enters state parliament for first time while pro-refugee candidates also achieve regional election wins.
Military intel identifies `thickest` ISIS stronghold in Iraq The Mosul-to-Tal Afar corridor provides an access route to Raqqa in Syria. Iraqi forces, backed up by U.S. air support, are beginning to try to isolate the area.
Syria needs real vision, not sticking plaster solutions The UN should profit from the temporary truce to establish safe havens if it is to stem the flow of refugees.
Putin’s Master Plan for Syria Randa Slim argues that the Kremlin isn`t withdrawing from the war-torn country, it`s hoping to translate its recent gains into a diplomatic victory.
I Bought Four Syrian Children Franklin Lamb confesses to having purchased four children near Ramlet el Baida beach recently from a stressed-out Syrian woman.
Policy and Reports
Syria: The First Five Years An unviable regime faces a fragmented and unviable opposition. Aron Lund provides an overview of the Syrian war, five years and counting.
Islamic State committed genocide, says US US Secretary of State John Kerry said IS was "genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology and by actions". He did not say whether his declaration would lead to a change of US policy in the Middle East.
EU: Turkey Mass-Return Deal Threatens Rights The European Union’s proposed deal with Turkey, announced on March 8, 2016, represents “a disturbing disregard for international law covering the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants,” Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said in a letter to EU heads of state. Roth urged European leaders to reject the new elements of the EU’s Joint Action Plan with Turkey at the European Council on March 17-18.
‘Most refugees are women, yet media ignore them’ The latest statistics on refugees fleeing to Europe show that most of them are women. From last year’s 41 percent, the number rose to 55 percent. According to the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, Filipo Grandi, “nearly two-thirds are women and children”. Yet a hard-hitting official study detailing the trauma and sexual violence these women face has attracted almost no media coverage.
Strength in Weakness: The Syrian Army’s Accidental Resilience Kheder Khaddour writes that “writes that “[d]ecades of corruption have paradoxically led to the Syrian Army`s resilience in the face of a multifront war and tens of thousands of defections”.
An Arabic version of this report can be found here: القوة في الضعف: قدرة الجيش السوري العرَضية على الصمود
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
The Art of the Uprising Turned War in Syria A look back into some of the history and evolution of the country’s revolutionary art over the past five years of war, including political graffiti, digital art and other mediums that have become part of the language and culture of the uprising.
مرايا .. جورج طرابيشي .. رحيل حلم Al Arabiya’s special report on Georges Tarabichi’s achievements.
Portraits of Syrian child refugees – in pictures About half of the 4.8 million Syrians who have fled their homeland are children, and some of the most vulnerable live in dozens of makeshift tent camps. Children in these camps near the northern Jordanian city of Mafraq say they miss their old lives in Syria.
Despite Chaos And Loss, Syrian Women Become Refugee Community’s New Leaders The war in Syria has brought about an “empire of women” in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, said civil society leader and education advocate Nora Jumblatt during a celebration of International Women’s Day.
What Georges Tarabichi did not say! Turki Al-Dakhil writes "With Tarabichi’s demise, a major Arab institution has collapsed and we can now only find comfort in the legacy and his enormous contributions."
Damascus Love Songs Can’t Drown Out the Destruction of Syria At the Damascus opera house, youths in jeans, old gentlemen in suits and ties and women in long-sleeved dresses and headscarves cheer and applaud the two performers of Arabic love songs.
Lost and Found The Al-Hayek family fled their Syrian home to escape war. In Europe, they have found both hope and heartbreak.
Amal Clooney meets Syrian refugees, discusses her own family fleeing war To mark the fifth anniversary of the war in Syria, which has displaced millions of people both within the country and internationally, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and her husband George met with Syrian refugees living in Berlin.
Voices from a Different Syria The work of the anonymous Syrian film collective Abounaddara provides a strikingly different picture of Syrians and their country.
Arabic Links:
ست محطات في حياتي In his last article (published on Feb 23, 2015), Georges Tarabichi reflected on his personal life and "six stations" that shaped his thought and experience.
جورج طرابيشي: تحيّة وداع إلى معلّم Thaer A. Deep reflects on Georges Tarabichi’s achievements and personal characteristics.
جورجطرابيشي.. رؤيةلمابعدالرحيل
Sayyar Al-Jamil reflects on his memories with the late thinker Georges Tarabichi.
جورج طرابيشي مفكر تنويري نادى بالديموقراطية الشاملة Khaled Ghazal writes about the enlightened role of Georges Tarabichi in the Arab thought.
وداعاً جورج، وداعاً يا معلم Wael Sawah writes a eulogy for Georges Tarabichi who passed away on 16 March, 2016, in Paris, France.
الفيدرالية الكردية السورية... خطوة للتوسّع والانفصال حيث فشل بتركيا
Bassem Dabbagh criticizes the Democratic Union Party (PYD)’s declaration of establishing Federal territory in northern Syria.
الانسحاب الروسي من سورية... أهداف محققة وتداعيات مرتقبة Bader Al-Rashed writes about the goals of the Russian withdrawal from Syria as well as the potential fallouts.
تدمر: مفتاح التقدم نحو دير الزور Wael Essam writes that the Syrian regime aims, through its recent fierce military campaign, to retake Palmyra to achieve symbolic and field victory.
من هم السوريون المحرومون من دخول لبنان؟ Lebanon will ban the entrance of Syrians who entered Turkey illegally.
حافلات الخوف.. من بيروت إلى معاقل «داعش» في سوريا This article describes the transportation between Lebanon and Al-Raqqah and the ways in which the drivers negotiate ISIS rules.
الإصلاح الديني والثقافويّة ونقّاد طرابيشي Thaer A. Deeb reviews the significance of Georges Tarabichi’s works and defends his legacy.
اليسار العالمي وخطيئة سورية Salameh Kaileh criticizes the international Left attitudes toward analyzing the Syrian uprising and the Syrian conflict.