[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]
International and Regional Perspectives
Assad’s Kurdish Strategy Joshua Landis on why the Syrian regime wants “to help the PKK to take control of the Kurdish regions of Syria in the North East”
Nuri al-Maliki’s Strategy toward Syria and Syrian Kurds Joshua Landis on why Iraq may follow the Syrian regime’s strategy for Syrian Kurdish areas at the risk of angering the leadership of the Iraqi Kurdistan.
Syria and Us (Part I) Ibrahim al-Amin on the origins of the uprising and its developments both at the domestic and regional levels
Syria and Us (Part II) Ibrahim al-Amin says Palestinians seem to become “increasingly embroiled in domestic quarrels which ultimately have a confessional or sectarian basis.”
Syria`s Sectarian Echoes in Turkey Giorgio Cafiero says “Turkey’s Alawite and Alevi communities across the border have legitimate concerns about the regime’s demise.”
Hezbollah Stubborn on Syria Majalla interviews a former Hezbollah fighter who discusses the organization’s stance towards Syria.
Lebanon`s Growing Syria Crisis Sulome Anderson on the Meqdads, their activities and their connection to Hezbollah.
Mokdad Clan: The Syrian Vendetta Radwan Mortada on the Mokdad clan’s plot to kidnap Syrians in Lebanon.
Syrians in Lebanon: Bearing the Brunt “Syrians have been subjected to beatings, kidnapping, and killing.”
Leaving Syria: Lebanese Students Need Answers
Can Lebanon resist the sectarian narrative being foisted on Syria? Shane Farrell says although “Lebanon has the potential to explode into a sectarian bloodbath fuelled by developments in Syria, there are many reasons to be hopeful that this will not be the case.”
Syrian Narratives
The Age of the New Takfiris Ibrahim al-Amin on the absence of a “rational debate” on Syria
72 Hours with Father Paolo of Syria The Italian priest who lived in Syria for 30 years discusses the direction of the Syria uprising.
Kidnapping Festival in Lebanon and Syria As’ad AbuKhalil says the kidnappings of “innocent Syrian workers in Lebanon” reminds him of “the beginning of the sectarian civil war.”
Can non-violent resistance and armed rebellion co-exist? Ahmed Souaiaia argues that “the first and most important casualty of the militarization of the Syrian uprising is the non-violent movement.”
Fallen analogies Mona Chalabi says the idea of “falling” presidents robs Arabs of agency in the revolutions and stresses “the need for a revolutionised form of pan-Arabism built on a new sense of empowerment is more urgent than ever.”
The High Price of Hesitation Christopher Reuter says “trying to manage the transition without overthrowing the regime will not work.”
Si Assad tombe, pourra-t-il créer son Etat alaouite ? Marie Kostrz gives five reasons why the creation of an Alawite state is an unlikely scenario.
Imperialism and the Left
State Department leads interagency team to talk Syria in Turkey On the United States’ attempt to improve the coordination of “non-lethal aid” for Syria.
Syrian Australians Demand an End to Foreign Intervention Chris Ray says “only the terminally naïve would recommend the Syrian people risk a repeat of the Libyan triumph.”
Turning back the clock on the Arab Spring Ahmad Barqawi says the legitimate demands of Syrians for democracy were transformed forever by “sectarian drive that the Syrian opposition itself worked so hard to foster among its own supporters.”
Realpolitik blurs US red line on Syria Pepe Escobar says the conversation about weapons of mass destruction in Syria is not used as a pretext for an invasion and occupation, but as “a pretext for whatever euphemism the Obama administration comes up with to define ‘kinetic military activity’.”
Inside Syria
They Snipe at us Then Run and Hide in Sewers` Robert Fisk meets with Assad generals.
`No power can bring down the Syrian regime` Robert Fisk reports from the frontlines in Aleppo’s al Baz
Syria`s Kurds Quietly Consolidating Benjamin Hiller says the unrest in Syria has enabled Kurds to politically mobilize and rebuild their cultural heritage.
Pawns in Syrian Conflict Await an Endgame Jonathan Steele says “discussion among Damascenes no longer centers on whether to support change or stick with the status quo for fear that the alternative to Bashar al-Assad`s regime will be worse. The focus is on priorities.”
Latakia: Waiting for the Next Battle Marah Mashi thinks Latakia could be the next site of an important battle.
Damascus Eid: Trying to Keep Smiling
La vie sans Bachar Garance Le Caisne’s rosy report on a « liberated region» near Aleppo that witnesses the beginning of democracy.
The Air War in Aleppo Justin Vela says “the rebels are winning” in the Northern province of Aleppo.
Syrian rebels fight on for Aleppo despite local wariness Martin Chulov reports a different perspective, writing about the interactions between pro-regime residents and rebel fighters.
Two sides of the same coin? Rita says Islamists and secularists share similar principles and ideas about the Syrian regime, arguing that the two groups need “the strength and courage to actively integrate and mix so that we can be rid of the corrosive prejudices which threaten what this revolution stands for.”
A Secret Hospital in Syria On Medecins sans Frontiere’s covert work in Syria.
Inside a Syrian Rebel City Erin Banco with the FSA in Aleppo’s al-Bab
From the Gap to the Firing Squad Richard Spencer draws a profile of a Syrian who left a Gap store in Dubai to become an executioner in Syria
Art and Social Media
Samer Omran: A Syrian Artist, Not a Politician Anas Zarzar on the life of Syrian theater director and actor Samer Omran.
In Syria, the Soap Opera Is a Casualty of War Omar Adam Sayfo says “in losing the soap opera, the Syrian government has lost one of its most powerful means of spreading ideas and political messages, both within and beyond the country`s borders.”
Top Syrian Media Host Abandons Assad for the Truth Bastian Berbner on Ola Abbbas’s resignation from her work on Syrian state TV.
Dark Humor Facebook Pages of the Syrian Opposition
Policy and Reports
Syria Reverts to Statist Policies in the Course of Its Political Uprising Linda Matar on the state of the Syrian economy.
From Resilience to Revolt: Making Sense of the Arab Spring Report issued by the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) on developments in Syria.
Arabic
العيـد في دمشـق: لا مكـان للفـرح إلا تحدّيـاً للواقـع
Tarek Al-Abed writes about the scene on the Damascene streets during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday.
المبادرة المصرية في سورية
Abed Al-Bari Atwan writes about the initiative that the newly elected Egyptian President has proposed in order to reach a peaceful political solution in Syria.
السعودية وإيران: الخطر الأهم على الربيع السوري
Mohammad Dibo writes about the true threat that Iran and Saudi Arabia pose regarding the Syrian revolution.
شريط فيديو، أزمة وطن
Ammar Al-Waqaf writes about the incident that changed the Syrian uprisings from being acts that were geared by logic to ones that were based on emotions and instinct.
عن دوامة العنف في سوريا!
Akram Al-Bunni writes about the increase in the military and weaponized rhetoric that the Syrian revolution has adopted and the brutal whirlpool in which the country finds itself.
فليُفرَج عن المخطوفين وليعتذر فرزات
Hazem Al-Ameen writes about the mistakes of the revolution and the need to protect it while demanding an apology from Ali Farzat who has been charged with using sectarian rhetoric during the revolution.