Al-Qubaysiat Organization and Its Relationship of With the Syrian Regime
The death of Munira al-Qubaysi, the founder of Al-Qubaysiat Organization, has sparked a lot of discussions about the organization, its origins and its role. Al-Qubaysiat is an Islamic women's organization that was founded in Syria and spread to other Arab countries and beyond. This reading discusses the group's complex relationship with the Syrian regime...
Russian False Flag Preceded Cluster Bomb Attack On IDP Camps in Idlib — Allegations about ‘Dirty Bomb’ in Ukraine follow the Syrian Disinformation Playbook
A false flag disinformation operation preceded a massacre of civilians by Russia and the Assad regime using banned cluster bombs on camps for the forcibly displaced in Idlib in Syria on Sunday 6 November. This was nothing new in the Syrian context – Vladimir Putin’s forces systematically allege that opposition forces are about to carry out an attack on civilians,…
Why an Assad advance on Idlib is unlikely
In October, Syrian forces, under the supervision of the Russian military, conducted training exercises in the Salma area of Latakia province, close to the rebel front line. These maneuvers, so close to the M4 highway that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has long coveted, prompted some oppositionists to fear a renewed assault. As one commander in the Turkish-backed rebel Free Syrian…
The Coming Collapse of the Iranian Regime: How Soon?
Recent months have witnessed a series of protests and ongoing civil unrest against the Iranian regime. Primarily emerging among younger Iranians, the protests began on September 16, 2022, as a reaction to the death of 22-year-old Masha Amini after she was arrested by the “morality police” in Tehran. The regime has deployed police, riot control teams, and officers from the…
A lot has changed in Syria since 2011, but the essence of the conflict is the same (2)
After 2016, actors on the ground in Syria established various zones of control throughout the country. The regime, which was on the verge of collapse, was able to recover with the support of Russia, Iran, and Shiite militia groups, leading it to reclaim many of the places that were captured by the opposition.
RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE: A PERIL FOR THE ASSAD REGIME?
Since 2015, Russia has had a significant military as well as political presence in Syria and remains the key guarantor of the Assad Regime. Yet with the war in Ukraine, Russia has been dealt a severe blow to its military capabilities and has been shunned even by some of its closest allies, leading to isolation on the world stage...
A lot has changed in Syria since 2011, but the essence of the conflict is the same (1)
The situation in Syria continues to haunt the lives of so many, inside and outside of Syria. When and how the crisis will come to an end, and whether stability and lasting peace will prevail, is currently unknown. In the 11 years since the crisis in Syria began, much has changed. But, looking at it today, the lines of the…
Is Syrian Unity possible?
The themes of division and unity are central to discussions about Syria and the Syrian revolution. If society’s fragmentation has been, on one hand, an important cornerstone of Baathist – namely Assadist – rule, many wonder if the lack of unity among revolutionaries was the main reason for their setbacks and defeats.
The Tehran and Sochi Summits – Türkiye’s Possible Military Operation in Syria
After all the diplomacy, including several meetings and telephone conversations, does Türkiye finally have the support of the actors on the ground to move forward with its operation in Northern Syria? It would be premature to say so. But, as several Turkish officials have reiterated, Türkiye does not require approval of any sort...
EU and US Ignoring Assad Turning Syria into a Narco-state
This scandal is symptomatic of how no effort has been made yet to hold the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran accountable for these atrocities, some of the worst committed since the Second World War. The cost of that indifference is being paid every day by civilians in Ukraine who are being slaughtered and terrorized by Putin’s commanders,…