[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.]
Regional and International Perspectives
Barbarians Arrive as UN Judges Syria Vijay Prashad says the status quo will persist in Syria, because those who voiced the need for a united stance to solve the crisis are sidelined by the UN Security Council.
A Regional Solution for Syria Kayhan Barzegar argues that “more proximity between Iran and Egypt can be the key as to solving the Syrian crisis in a regional context.”
On Syria’s Southern Border, Proof of the World’s Failures Hassan Hassan visits Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and says “the current circumstances in which refugees live - in official camps, with families or in tents - are an easy recipe for fatal illness.”
Europe Is Abandoning Syria’s Refugees Syrian refugees are now trying to reach Europe by sea departing from Turkey, which has allegedly resulted in Europe fortifying its borders.
The Mystery of the Syria Contact Group Vijay Prashad says “the road to peace in Syria might go through the Contact Group. But it requires Saudi Arabia involvement to make it credible.”
Imperialism and the Left
The West Conspires Against Bahrain While Exploiting Syria Ali Mushaima outlines “six important facts to consider regarding the Western position on Syria and Bahrain, and the future of the peoples and regimes of both countries – amid Western duplicity and double standards.”
Syrian Narratives
Syrie: Autopsie d’un Massacre France 2 reconstructs the Houla “massacre” based on the accounts of witnesses of the event and the testimonies of the journalists and rights organization who covered its aftermath.
When Were the Minorities Oppressed? Michel Kilo says “the regime was caught off-guard by the people’s unity during their latest uprising, it found no viable investment to utilize other than the disunity it had sown and the fracture it had instigated, and so the first thing the regime bargained on was sectarianism.”
Free Syria Army Will Shift its Headquarters from Turkey to Syria Patrick McDonnell says Colonel Riad Assad’s announcement “has obvious symbolic importance,” but he is skeptical about the “significance it would have on the battlefield in Syria.”
Syrian Conflict Makes Palestinians Into Both Refugees and Combatants Nicholas Blanford on the developments in Syria and how they further fragmented the Palestinian stance inside the country.
In Syria’s Continuing Tragedy, Dignity Is the Latest Victim Rym Ghazal tells the story of a dental student from Syria who is now working as a maid for a Lebanese family, to show how the experience affected her life beyond the trauma of physical displacement.
Syrians on Hunger Strike Sarah el Sirgany on Syrian women’s hunger strike, its disappointing reception in Egypt and unintended consequences.
Syrian Women on Hunger Strike in Cairo The article outlines some of the demands of these women.
The Foreign Fighters Joining the War against Bashar al-Assad Ghaith Abdul-Ahad on the escalating ideological tensions between the foreign jihadis and the secular portion of the Syrian rebels
The Dictator of Damascus David Lesch writes that “somewhere along the road, Assad lost his way. He either convinced himself, or was convinced by sycophants, that his well-being was synonymous with the well-being of the country, and that his brutal response to the protests was a necessary response.”
Among the Alawites Nir Rosen’s extensive reporting on the Alawite communities last April leads him to think that a “Lebanese solution for Syria, in which different areas have different outside backers, may be the end result, but it is nobody’s goal.”
History Repeats Itself as Tragedy Tom Blanton uses a 1982 Pentagon memo on Hama to argue that “the long roots of the current civil war are clearly visible in this 30-year-old analysis.”
Inside Syria
Syria’s Civil War: How Saying the Wrong Thing Can Get You Tortured Ghaith Abdul-Ahad tells the story of a man who confounded a Syrian rebel checkpoint with an army checkpoint in Aleppo, an incident reflecting the constant frontline shifts.
Having Tea with the Enemy on the Syrian Border In the FSA-controlled town of Jibata al-Khashab, Rita from Syria is hosted by a pro-regime family who says it has “welcomed numerous Syrian dissidents fleeing from the oppression of the regime and some wounded FSA fighters.”
Saudi Millions and Special Forces Expertise Turn Syria`s Rebels into a Fighting Force Ruth Sherlock reporting from Idlib province, visits one of the many training camps receiving foreign money and support from foreign military advisers.
A Day in the Life of Damascus, A City at War One day before another major blast in Damascus, Phil Sands writes about the first day of relative calmness in the capital since July.
In Damascus, Syria, Life is Disappearing from the Streets
In Syria, Aleppo Residents Grapple with Hardship, Uncertainties The author says “Aleppo has become an exhausted expanse of bread lines, fuel shortages, inflated prices, panicked families and abrupt Syrian military bombardment.”
A First Step Towards Dialogue in Syria Marah Mashi on the National Conference to Save Syria held in Damascus by regime opponents and “regime-supporting nations.”
Arabic:
حوار خاص على قناة الميادين
This is the transcript of Al-Mayadin Channel`s dialogue with Dr. Haitham Mannaa on the National Conference to Save Syria that was held in Damascus.
هل حسم المسيحيون أمرهم مع النظام؟!
Haytham Khouri writes about the stance of Syrian Christians on the revolution in the country.
تسوية تاريخية.. نعم ولكن
Hussein Al Awdat writes about the importance of dialogue and reaching a settlement between the opposition and the regime in Syria.
الشعب السوري يستحق الحياة ايضا
And Al-Bari Atwan writes about the international community`s stance on the struggle in Syria, while analyzing the present and the future of the situation in the country.
اعتقال قياديي المعارضة السورية الداخلية
Al-Quds on the Syrian regime`s detention of leading Syrian opposition member Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khayer of the National Coordination Council for the Forces of Democratic Change and one of his colleagues while they were visiting Beijing.
قراءة في كواليس المعارضات السوريّة
Al-Adab Magazine on the Syrian opposition.
تصدير الأزمة: لبنان في حسابات النظام السوري
And Al-Wahhab Badrkhan writes about the effect of the Syrian struggle on neighboring countries: Lebanon, most particularly.
نشطاء الإغاثة في حلب بين الإعتقال ونقص الموارد
Rasha Rami writes about the troubles and hardships that face Rescue activists in Syria`s second biggest city: Aleppo.
بانتظار الحقيقة
An Anonymous author writes about Syria`s 4th Armoured Division, which has been known for its extreme loyalty to the Assad regime.
في مسألة التحالفات ونقد السياسات الوطنية
Ammar Dyoub writes about the creation of a union or treaty among the forces of the revolution and opposition members in Syria.