Archive: syria

20th September 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
With events in Gaza dominating the news from the Middle East, the long-running conflict in Syria has slid down in the headlines. To the extent that Syria is being reported at all, the main story for several days has been of political wrangling over leadership of the opposition. This is unfortunate… Read more
23rd July 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
Following last week's assassination of several key figures, there are signs that the Assad regime is beginning to feel seriously threatened. It has taken the unprecedented step of warning the public that two of its most central institutions – the Republican Guard and the state TV – should be viewed… Read more
14th June 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
So, is it a civil war or not? This question has dominated much of the public discussion about Syria over the last couple of days. Some say it is a civil war and some say it isn't, while others warn that if it isn't a civil war already it's going to become one very soon. "Civil war", of course, is… Read more
10th June 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
President Assad, like all dictators, is fond of talking about sovereignty. "Our guiding light is always Syria's sovereignty," he said in his speech on Monday.  Sovereignty is indeed at the heart of the Syrian conflict, but not in the way that Assad imagines it. When Assad claims sovereignty what he… Read more
4th June 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
How does this sound as a way to end the conflict in Syria? Step one: The Syrian parliament grants immunity from prosecution to President Assad and his closest associates. Step two: Assad resigns as Syria's president but remains head of the Baath party, which in… Read more
7th May 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
  Election workers in Syria. Photo posted by Lyse Doucet of the BBC (@bbclysedoucet).     To describe today's parliamentary election in Syria as "cosmetic" would probably be over-generous. Nobody expects it to change the political reality and it's unlikely to change appearances much, either.… Read more
6th May 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
The Assad regime issued an emphatic denial this morning that it is planning to invite the Dalai Lama for an official visit to Syria.  On the face of it, the idea of Assad hobnobbing with the Tibetan Buddhist leader is preposterous – not least because it would infuriate the Chinese government which… Read more
27th March 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
The Russian foreign ministry has developed a sudden enthusiasm for the work of Human Rights Watch after the New York based organisation issued a statement last week accusing armed opposition elements of committing abuses in Syria. Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian foreign ministry's Commissioner for… Read more
20th March 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
As soon as the leaked "Assad emails" began to appear last week, As'ad AbuKhalil (who blogs as The Angry Arab) announced, very confidently, that they were a hoax. "It is so lacking in credibility," he wrote. "It took me minutes to reach my conclusion. Al-'Alam TV guy is giving advice to Asad… Read more
18th March 2012
By: Brian Whitaker
Dictators often have an odd relationship with the arts. The late Hafez al-Assad, for instance, dreamed of providing Damascus with a fine new opera house. He never saw it completed but in 2004 it was finally opened by his son and daughter-in-law, Bashar and Asma. Next week, The Assad House for Arts… Read more