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France, Britain dismiss calls to renew relations with Syria's Assad | Reuters - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...n-france-idUSKBN0LV1QM20150227 france britain syria relations ISIS politics
shared by fcastro2 on 06 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • France and Britain dismissed on Friday any suggestion of restoring relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying this would likely end all hope of a political transition and push moderates into the arms of radical Islamist groups.
  • With the rise of Islamic State insurgents, some European |Union member states are critical of the position in Paris and London and say it might be time to re-establish communication with Damascus given that a four-year-old revolt has failed to overthrow Assad
  • "In reality, Bashar represents injustice, chaos and terror. We, France and Britain, say no to all three
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • the French and British foreign ministers hit back at those who sought a rapprochement with Assad by saying he was using the fear of Islamic State, which has seized wide areas of northern and eastern Syria, to win back international support
  • This week a four-man cross-party delegation of French parliamentarians traveled to Syria and some met with Assad, and triggering a national debate on the issue
  • countries would have to work with Assad to defeat Islamic State, while the U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said earlier this month that Assad must be part of the solution for defusing the conflict in Syria
  • An initially peaceful street uprising against Assad has spiraled into a civil war that has seen a level of suffering some diplomats see as justifying contacts with Damascus in pursuit of a political solution
  • Britain and France see Assad's departure as a precondition of peace negotiations but the collapse of his government has become less likely as the war grinds on inconclusively
  • For our own security, we must defeat Islamic State in Syria. We need a partner that can act against extremists. We need a negotiated political settlement
  • compromise would be needed between elements of the existing government and relatively moderate opponents of Assad.
  • fcastro2 on 06 Mar 15
     
    Both Britain and France have shunned Syrian President Assad in their quest to fight terrorism. They oppose all that the Syrian government stands for and this is why they will continue to dismiss the Syrian government and any ties with them. 
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ANNE R. PIERCE: Beware ISIS strategy that fortifies Russia, Iran, and Syria - Washingto... - 0 views

www.washingtontimes.com/...-isis-strategy-fortifies-russi strategy russia syria
shared by fcastro2 on 16 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • President Obama stressed the importance of showing the world “we are united in our resolv
  • Demonstration of united resolve against blood-thirsty terrorists whose ranks, ambitions and territory have grown exponentially is important
  • forging strategy to battle ISIS without also forging strategy to thwart Syria, Russia and Iran is a terrible mistake
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • brutality and aggression of the Islamic State, he still whitewashes the brutality and aggression of established states Syria, Russia and Iran, and still ignores the need for grand strategy to deal with them
  • We must, therefore, take Iran, Russia and Syria, and the collusion between them, seriously.
  • potentially, an even greater threat to the “free world” than ISIS. Because they are terror sponsors and supporters, WMD in their control means WMD out of control, susceptible to being sold or given to fanatics who are willing to work for their cause
  • working with the Iranian, Russian and Syrian regimes to address Middle Eastern problems and fight ISIS is a sure way to alienate Middle Eastern moderates and traditional partner
  • Russia’s staunch support of Syria and Iran; its ruthless aggression in Ukraine; and its expansionist designs in Eastern Europe, should make containing Russia an American foreign policy priority
  • Instead, much of the White House plan for combating ISIS plays right into Syrian, Iranian and Russian hands, for it revolves around their plans –which include allowing Assad to stay in power, legitimizing Russian-sponsored “peace conferences” that buy Assad time and raise Putin’s stature, accommodating the Iranian nuclear program, and giving Iran the lead in the battle against ISIS and in the Levant.
  • the United States has been mostly passive, while Russia, Iran and its proxies, and al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists, have seized the day.
  • opened the door to extremist groups eager to hijack the Syrian revolt and/or defend the Syrian regime
  • Iran and Russia have worked stolidly to protect Assad and capitalize on the chao
  • While the Obama administration justified its unwillingness to give meaningful aid to Syrian rebels with fear of helping extremists within rebel ranks, that stance allowed extremism within Syria to metastasize
  • development so serious that it now requires a military respons
  • Russia provided cover for Syria in the UN, and supplied many of the very weapons Assad uses to massacre civilian
  • the administration has endorsed yet more Russia-sponsored “peace talks”
  • President Obama and Secretary Kerry have backed even further away from demands that Assad leave, while even the goal of a transitional government which characterized the previous talks has been dropped
  • fcastro2 on 16 Mar 15
     
    Working with the Iranian, Russian and Syrian regimes to address Middle Eastern problems and fight ISIS is a sure way to alienate Middle Eastern moderates.
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Syria gets Russian arms under deals signed since conflict began: Assad | Reuters - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...sia-arms-idUSKBN0MQ0RK20150330 syria russia conflict arms deals politics
shared by fcastro2 on 08 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • Russia is supplying weapons to Damascus under contracts signed since the conflict in Syria began in 2011
  • appeared to contradict Moscow's line that any Russian arms supplies to Damascus were agreed before the conflict began
  • "There are contracts that had been sealed before the crisis started and were carried out during the crisis. There are other agreements on arms supplies and cooperation that were signed during the crisis and are being carried out now
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • They went through some changes to take into account the type of fighting the Syrian army carries out against the terrorists
  • Assad gave no details of the weapons being supplied by Russia, the world's second-biggest arms exporter, since the start of the conflic
  • In fact, Moscow has always highlighted that there have been and are no embargoes on military cooperation. There are no legal limitations no us
  • Russia is a longstanding ally of Assad and is hosting meetings in Moscow on April 6-9 involving some of the more moderate Syrian opposition representatives and Damascus envoys.
  • Expectations of a breakthrough are low after a first round of consultations made little progress. Many Syrian opposition figures shunned the January consultations, saying they would appear only at meetings that led to Assad's removal from power
  • fcastro2 on 08 Apr 15
     
    Russia claims that the arms deal it has with Syrian President Assad was made before the Syrian civil war started and simply just carried out the deal throughout the war. On the other hand, Assad states that they signed agreements at the beginning of the war, maybe a bit earlier. 
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Syria crisis: Where key countries stand - BBC News - 0 views

www.bbc.com/...world-middle-east-23849587 syria politics Russia China US UK France Arab States
shared by fcastro2 on 08 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • The eruption of civil conflict in Syria in 2011 very quickly provoked a deep split in the international community over which side to back and what outcome to see
  • Syria regarded as the world's most pressing crisis, the US and Russia, along with other permanent members of the UN Security Council, Turkey and Arab states, have attempted to resolve their differences.
  • Their Geneva Communique, which calls for a transitional government based on "mutual consent", has become the basis for peace talks in the Swiss city. But it is clear the sides have different interpretations of the plan, and have so far failed to achieve a breakthroug
  • ...20 more annotations...
  • US wants Bashar al-Assad out of power, and is pushing for the transitional government called for in the Geneva communique.
  • President Barack Obama sought Congressional support for military action but postponed the vote - which was not certain to pass - when Syria indicated it would surrender its chemical stockpile
  • United States has been one of the most prominent advocates of firm action against the Syrian government, which it has accused of using chemical weapons and other atrocities.
  • It is backing Syria's "moderate opposition" with "non-lethal" assistance, including communications equipment, generators, and office supplies - but is also believed to be supplying light weapon
  • Russia is one of Mr Assad's most important international backers and has warned the US and its allies against taking one-sided action against Syria
  • Russia was key to Syria agreeing to give up chemical weapons, and backs the Geneva Communique. But it has repeatedly said Syria's future should be decided by Syrians and blocked anti-Assad resolutions at the UN Security Council. It continues to supply Syria with arms, including missile systems and aircraft
  • Britain has been a big critic of the Assad government and signed a statement in 2013 calling for a "strong international respons
  • supported military action but had to rule out Britain's involvement when he failed to secure the backing of parliament in August 2013.
  • UK, along with France, successfully lobbied for the EU's arms embargo to be lifted so as to allow further supplies to Syrian rebels
  • France has been among the most hawkish Western countries and was the first to stop recognising the Syrian government and deal with the main opposition coalition instead.
  • France up to join US military action until plans were put on hold. The president acknowledged that France could not, and would not, act on its own
  • China has joined Russia in blocking resolutions critical of Syria at the UN Security Council. It has criticised the prospect of strikes against Syria, insisting any military action without UN approval would be illegal.
  • Turkish government has been one of the most vocal critics of Syrian President Assad since early on in the uprising and signalled its willingness to join international action even without UN approval
  • Saudi Arabia has been a rival of the Syrian government for years. It has been particularly active in pushing for action against Mr Assad, and called for "all legal means possible" to be used to stop the bloodshed
  • Qatar is thought to be one of the main suppliers of weapons to Syrian rebels and says outside military intervention has become a necessity to protect the Syrian people.
  • ebanon there is deep division between supporters and opponents of President Assad. The country has suffered from an overspill of violence, including bomb attacks, as well as a huge flood of refugees. It has said it thinks military intervention might make the situation worse.
  • Jordan has also received hundreds of thousands of refugees and has called for a political solution to the conflic
  • Iran has been Syria's main backer in the region since well before the current conflict.
  • Iran has warned that any foreign intervention risks sparking a regional war.
  • Israel regards President Assad as an enemy, but has refrained from publicly backing military action against him. It fears its backing could alienate the Arab world,
  • fcastro2 on 08 Apr 15
     
    This article details were certain countries, that are most affected by the Syrian conflict, stand within the conflict and how they would like to solve the issue. 
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Inside the quiet effort to plan for a post-Assad Syria | Foreign Policy - 0 views

foreignpolicy.com/...to-plan-for-a-post-assad-syria politics syria post-assad transition government
shared by alarsso on 28 Jan 15 - No Cached
  • The absence of Obama administration officials at these meetings, even as observers, was deliberate.
  • purposely stayed away from contributing to the direct overthrow of the Assad regime,
  • not directly involved U.S. government officials
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • The project is called "The day after: Supporting a democratic transition in Syria."
  • providing updates
  • o the Arab League, the Friends of Syria group, the team of U.N. Special Envoy Kofi Annan, and the opposition Syrian National Council.
  • develop concrete plans
  • immediate aftermath
  • mitigate the risks of bureaucratic, security, and economic chaos.
  • USIP’s involvement is primarily in a facilitation and coordination
  • plans to reform the justice sector
  • ole of the armed opposition in a post-Assad Syria
  • transition is not sweeping away of the entire political and judicial framework of Syria
  • alarsso on 28 Jan 15
     
    Committee meets to prepare plan for possible transition during post-assad period.
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Syria's Assad says West wants to weaken Russia | Reuters - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...d-russia-idUSKBN0MN0GQ20150327 syria russia the west politics
shared by fcastro2 on 30 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has accused the West of trying to weaken Russia by turning Ukraine into a puppet state, a tactic he said had also been used against his own country.
  • keep coming back to the fact that there is a connection between the Syrian crisis and what is happening in Ukraine
  • "Firstly because both countries are important for Russia, and secondly because the goal in both cases is to weaken Russia
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • The United States and the European Union have imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its role in the crisis in Ukraine.
  • Russia, a long-standing ally of Assad, denies sending troops and weapons to support separatists fighting government forces in east Ukraine
  • Assad will not attend, the president said those taking part should not lose sight of the main goal, clearly meaning restoring peace
  • Many Syrian opposition figures shunned the January talks, saying they would appear only at meetings that led to Assad's removal from power.
  • fcastro2 on 30 Mar 15
     
    Syria's President Assad claims that Western powers are trying to "weaken" Russia. Russia and Syria have been long time allies and so it is unclear what Russia will say to this. 
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To end Syria civil war, West must guarantee minorities' safety with peacekeeping force ... - 0 views

www.csmonitor.com/...safety-with-peacekeeping-force civil war Syria religion minorities middle east revolution
shared by alarsso on 21 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • alarsso on 21 Apr 15
     
    If Western powers gaurantee support for minorites, they will no longer feel the necessity to support the Assad regime. Furthermore, if opposition agrees to allow exception to minorities supporting Assad and simply attack Assad, this could also have significant effects on the war development
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Syria's Assad says wants actions, not words from Kerry - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...ry-assad-idUSKBN0MC16120150316 syria politics negotiations Assad's Regime peace talks
shared by fcastro2 on 16 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • fcastro2 on 16 Mar 15
     
    Syria's current President Assad states the he wants the U.S. to take action and allow him to be a part of negotiations. U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry also states that Assad should be part of the peace talks but other world leaders such as in France and Turkey oppose this.
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WRMEA | Human Rights: Activists Discuss Post-Assad Syria - 0 views

www.wrmea.org/...-discuss-post-assad-syria.html post-assad syria human rights The Day After
shared by alarsso on 15 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • presented are the result of monthly deliberations among 45 to 50 key figures of the Syrian opposition,
  • Steve Heydemann,
  • the establishment of a new order in Syria will not start only upon the fall of the regime.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • he said, "The Day After" focused on the development of programs and strategies that assist already autonomous regions of Syria.
  • Shawnee State University professor Afra Jalabi
  • discussed
  • he lack of accountability for human rights and the need for justice, Jalabi said.
  • The goal
  • empower the Syrian people,
  • create a culture of equality under the rule of law, Jalabi continued.
  • Murhaf Jouejati,
  • "there are good apples that we can rely on after the collapse of the Assad regime" to assist new security forces.
  • alarsso on 15 Feb 15
     
    A group of scholars meet to discuss transition into post-assad Syria. focuses include human rights, and whether or not to completely abolish existing regime.
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PressTV-Erdogan army fighting in Syria: Assad - 0 views

www.presstv.ir/...a-Assad-presidential-elections isis syria turkey erdogan assad terrorists
shared by ralph0 on 01 Apr 16 - No Cached
  • ralph0 on 01 Apr 16
     
    Assad is pointing the finger at Turkey and Saudi Arabia. He claims that Erdogan's forces are heavily involved in Syria, and that they are "crossing a red line." I will be curious to follow the relations between these two countries.
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Arab states offer to help attack Isis, diplomats say | World news | theguardian.com - 0 views

www.theguardian.com/...udi-arabia-help-us-attack-isis arab states ISIS middle east war
shared by allieggg on 15 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • Several Arab states, believed to include the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have offered to help attack Islamic State (Isis) targets in Syria and Iraq,
  • US officials declined to say which countries had offered help, but one appeared to be the UAE, whose aircraft recently bombed Islamist militia targets in Libya from bases in Egypt.
  • Saudi Arabia felt so threatened by Isis that it was prepared to act in a frontline role. "There is a very real possibility that we could have the Saudi air force bombing targets inside Syria. That is a remarkable development, and something the US would be very pleased to see."
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • direct threat to Saudi Arabia. "They actually see themselves as the real target.
  • France has indicated that it will back US air strikes against Isis after its president,
  • expressed support for the Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi,
  • But Turkey, which borders on both Iraq and Syria, has quietly made clear that it would not take part or allow its bases to be used for combat operations – a disappointment coming from Nato's only Muslim membe
  • Syrian ministers have repeated calls for Damascus to join the coalition, though the US and Britain – backed by their Gulf allies – have insisted president Bashar al-Assad cannot take part because he has "lost all legitimacy" in the course of a war that has cost 200,000 lives
  • Details of how the anti-Isis campaign will be waged are still sketchy, though the US reportedly discussed basing and overflight rights at talks in Jeddah last week with the Saudis and the other Gulf states as well as Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. All expressed support for a "coordinated military campaign".
  • allieggg on 15 Sep 14
     
    Arab states have began to jump on board offering support to the coalition against ISIS. UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon have recently voiced their support. Turkey, the only Arab member of NATO has voiced their lack of support in the coalition thus far. Saudi, the home to major religious cities, feels like a direct threat to ISIS and have made it clear that they will be playing a major role in the war against the Islamic State. UAE allegedly initiated bombings from Egyptian bases on Libya due to islamic militia takeovers of major cities and institutions. Arab states along with France, Germany, and Britain have agreed to form a "coordinated military campaign." Bringing in Assad from Syria is somewhat crucial, but the coalition is hesitant due to the loss of the Assad Regime's legitimacy over the past years of civil strife. Official plans of attack are still sketchy, but are definitely in the works. The coalition of states have made it clear that in order to tackle this ISIS threat, they must band together to dynamically exterminate the Islamic State from all angles.
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Syria After Assad: Managing the Challenges of Transition | United States Institute of P... - 0 views

www.usip.org/...ging-the-challenges-transition post-assad transition syria
shared by alarsso on 28 Jan 15 - No Cached
  • alarsso on 28 Jan 15
     
    Meeting at USIP to discuss post-assad government in Syria
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Syria opposition praises France's anti-Assad stance | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR - 0 views

www.dailystar.com.lb/...frances-anti-assad-stance.ashx syria france middle east ISIS politics
shared by fcastro2 on 06 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • Syria's exiled opposition praised France Sunday for maintaining its "exemplary" opposition to President Bashar Assad after a group of French lawmakers made a controversial visit to Damascus this week.
  • The position of France has always been exemplary, and your country has consistently held to the side of the Syrian people against any attempt to rehabilitate the regime in Damascus under false protenses
  • The trip reignited debate in Europe over whether it was time to rebuild diplomatic ties with the Syrian regime in order to counter the greater threat from jihadi groups such as ISIS.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Those who argue they should cooperate with the Syrian regime to fight terrorism will only find the phenomenon worsenin
  • The National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces warmly welcomes the firm position expressed by France regarding the cause of the Syrian people and its aspiration to form a civil democratic state
  • According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group, the conflict in Syria, which started as a pro-democracy uprising seeking Assad's ouster in March 2011 and morphed into a full-blown war, has left more than 200,000 people dead
  • fcastro2 on 06 Mar 15
     
    France is continuing to oppose Syrian President Bashar Assad stating that his government will not be the best group to combat terrorism. They continue to side with the Syrian people and their aspiration to forma civil democratic state. 
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Syrian Opposition Groups Wary Of Russia's Invitation To Moscow : NPR - 0 views

www.npr.org/...f-russias-invitation-to-moscow russia opposition groups syria politics peace talks war
shared by fcastro2 on 13 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • U.N. envoy is pressing ahead on that front, while Russia tries to play peacemaker
    • fcastro2
      fcastro2 on 13 Feb 15
       
      U.N. continues to try to collaborate with both groups while Russia wants to be a "peacemaker."
  • Russia is inviting the parties to Moscow this month, but some opposition groups won't go to a country that has been backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
    • fcastro2
      fcastro2 on 13 Feb 15
       
      Rebel groups in Syria do not trust the Russian government since they have been supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • Syrian opposition figures have good reason to be skeptical of Moscow's diplomatic moves
  • they provide weapons and advice to the Assad regime and they have taken an approach of cherry-picking who they talk to and who the regime talks to
  • The U.S. is not pressuring the opposition groups it supports to go to Moscow. Instead it's suggesting they should think about it so that Russia can't blame the opposition for the diplomatic stalemate
    • fcastro2
      fcastro2 on 13 Feb 15
       
      U.S. is not pushing for the opposition groups to go to Moscow to talk peace but they feel they have nothing to lose if they do.
  • "If there are no guarantees as to the end state, that is, a movement towards a transitional government with full executive powers without Assad, then there is really no reason to go
  • meant to revive the peace process that started in Geneva in 2012
  • Russians aren't in a position to decide who will take part in future negotiations. And this has been the whole problem with their approach.
    • fcastro2
      fcastro2 on 13 Feb 15
       
      Russian strategy
  • He says the Russian job has always been to deliver the regime to the negotiating table, but the Syrian government only wants to talk about fighting terrorism, not discuss a political transition.
  • We are hoping, more than expecting, that it will be a success," he says.De Mistura describes Syria as the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II
  • They all agree that we need to do something to avoid that the Syrian conflict goes into a back burner and that movement towards some type of political solution should take place this year,"
  • He says that's because Assad thinks he's winning — and U.S. plans to train and equip 5,000 moderate rebels a year won't help level the playing field.
  • The rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State and the U.S.-led airstrikes against that group in both Syria and Iraq now top the U.S. agenda.
  • war in Syria has been raging for nearly four years and it's been challenging for diplomats to get warring sides to agree on even temporary truces.
    • fcastro2
      fcastro2 on 13 Feb 15
       
      No guarantees as to what the alleged "peace talks" will provide from the opposition groups. 
  • fcastro2 on 13 Feb 15
     
    Russia is attempting to bring opposition groups and the Syrian government to Moscow in order to "talk peace." In the past, Russia has supported the Syrian President and because of this, opposition groups are wearing of these alleged "peace talks." 
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Understanding Syria: From Pre-Civil War to Post-Assad - The Atlantic - 0 views

www.theatlantic.com/...281989 syria understanding history causes war revolution transition
shared by alarsso on 08 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • xtreme temperatures
  • drought from 2006 to 2011
  • 2001 to 2010, Syria had 60 “significant” dust storms.
  • ...70 more annotations...
  • lessening of rainfall
  • as of the last year before the civil war, only about 13,500 square kilometers could be irrigated
  • agriculture
  • 20 percent of national income
  • employed about 17 percent
  • Syria’s oil is of poor quality, sour, and expensive to refine
  • densely populated
  • less than 0.25 hectares (just over a third of an acre) of agricultural land per person
  • population/resource ratio is out of balance.
  • So it is important to understand how their “social contract”—their view of their relationship with one another and with the government—evolved and then shattered.
  • threw the country into the arms of
  • Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser
  • or three and a half years
  • part of the United Arab Republic
  • A fundamental problem they faced was what it meant to be a Syrian.
  • 1961 Syrians were thrown back on their own resources
  • The majority of those who became Syrians were Arabic-speaking Sunni Muslims
  • seven and eight in 10 Syrians saw themselves as Muslim Arab
  • being a Muslim Arab as the very definition of Syrian identity.
  • Nationalists took this diversity as a primary cause of weakness and adopted as their primary task integrating the population into a single political and social structure.
  • Israel
  • Looming over Syrian politics and heightening the tensions
  • A ceasefire, negotiated in 1974, has held, but today the two states are still legally at war.
  • or Hafez al-Assad, the secular, nationalist Baath Party was a natural choice: it offered, or seemed to offer, the means to overcome his origins in a minority community and to point toward a solution to the disunity of Syrian politics
  • bridge the gaps between rich and poor
  • socialism
  • Muslims and minorities
  • Islam
  • society
  • hould be modern
  • secular
  • defined by a culture of “Arabism”
  • the very antithesis of
  • Muslim Brotherhood
  • military, which seemed
  • o embody the nation.
  • help the Syrian people to live better provided only that they not challenge his rule
  • his stern and often-brutal monopoly of power
  • foreign troublemakers
  • Hafez al-Assad sided with Iran in the Iran-Iraq war
  • During the rule of the two Assads, Syria made considerable progress.
  • locked into the cities and towns
  • they f
  • had to compete
  • Palestinians
  • Iraqis
  • Syria was already a refuge
  • March 15, 2011
  • small group gathered in the southwestern town of Daraa to protest against government failure to help them
  • government saw them as subversives.
  • He ordered a crackdown
  • And the army,
  • responded violently.
  • Riots broke out
  • attempted to quell them with military
  • what had begun as a food and water issue gradually turned into a political and religious cause.
  • interpretation of Islam
  • the Syrian government is charged with using illegal chemical weapons
  • All observers agree that the foreign-controlled and foreign-constituted insurgent groups are the most coherent, organized, and effective
  • astonishing as they share no common language and come from a wide variety of cultures
  • slam has at least so far failed to provide an effective unifying force
  • all the rebels regard the conflict in Syria as fundamentally a religious issue
  • pwards of $150 billion
  • a whole generation of Syrians have been subjected to either or both the loss of their homes and their trust in fellow human beings.
  • How the victims and the perpetrators can be returned to a “normal life”
  • First, the war might continue.
  • Second, if the Syrian government continues or even prevails, there is no assurance that,
  • t will be able to suppress the insurgency.
  • Third,
  • Syria will remain effectively “balkanized”
  • alarsso on 08 Feb 15
     
    This article captures Syria's geography, history, and all events leading up to the state Syria is in today.
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Northern "liberated" Syrian city lives in post-Assad mode - Your Middle East - 0 views

www.yourmiddleeast.com/...y-lives-in-postassad-mode_8775 syria post-assad middle east war refugee
shared by alarsso on 09 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • northern Syrian city of Aazaz
  • a military and a political council running daily life.
  • taken by the rebels following five months of fierce fighting with forces of President Bashar al-Assad.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • "Today, we have restored about 80 percent of services,"
  • gasoline prices have quadrupled
  • five kilometres from the city, the military airport
  • supplies of antibiotics, gauze and children's medicine have been depleted
  • only a doctor and three staff
  • "The Syrian National Council does not help us. They only make promises."
  • "All we want is for Bashar to go,"
  • ight in the crucial battle for Aleppo, leaving no one to protect the city of 70,000 inhabitants.
  • Almost all of the rebel fighters
  • not want to cross the border into Turkey and become a refugee like many other Syrians
  • In February, government forces stormed Aazaz but the rebel Free Syrian Army seized control of the city at the end of July
  • after five months of fierce fighting
  • alarsso on 09 Feb 15
     
    A northern city has created its own set of councils, in charge of everyday matters, itself after months of fighting with Assad forces. Though life is not quite perfect, people manage and the city has also become a common site for refugees. 
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BBC News - Assad says Syria is informed on anti-IS air campaign - 0 views

www.bbc.com/...world-middle-east-31312414 syria Assad interview civil war foreign relations
shared by alarsso on 17 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • The US National Security Council has denied co-ordinating with the Syrian government.
  • Mr Assad also denied
  • barrel bombs
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • ebel-held areas
  • we don't have barrels."
  • the barrel bomb has become the most notorious weapon in the regime's arsenal.
  • haven't heard of the army using barrels, or maybe, cooking pots."
    • alarsso
      alarsso on 17 Feb 15
       
      not a real answer...obviously acting stupid
  • Islamic State's (IS) seizure of large parts of Syria
  • prompted
  • "#Duma_is_being_exterminated"
    • alarsso
      alarsso on 17 Feb 15
       
      who is he??
  • consider working with the Syrian leader to combat the group
  • we cannot be in an alliance with countries which support terrorism," he said.
  • refuse to talk with American officials
  • "because they don't talk to anyone, unless he's a puppet",
  • "There are no indiscriminate weapons. When you shoot you aim, and when you shoot, when you aim, you aim at terrorists in order to protect civilians... You cannot have war without casualties."
  • Human rights activists say
  • dropped
  • government forces
  • at high altitudes
  • impossible to target with precision,
  • alarsso on 17 Feb 15
     
    A somewhat in-depth interview with Assad concerning Syria's present state, answers to questions of bombing Syrian cities, and Syria's foreign relations. Interview taken 1 week ago
1More

President Bashar al-Assad - 0 views

www.biography.com/...bashar-al-assad-20878575 President Bashar al-Assad Syria human rights
shared by hkerby2 on 18 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • hkerby2 on 18 Feb 15
     
    This link is a biography of President Bashar al-Assad. Towards the end of the biography Assad's role in human rights and use of chemical weaponry is mentioned. Additionally, the link provides his early life and life in presidency which is crucial to understanding the current situation that exists in Syria.
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Bashar al-Assad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/...Bashar_al-Assad President Bashar al-Assad biography syria presidency
shared by hkerby2 on 31 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • hkerby2 on 31 Mar 15
     
    This link provides information regarding President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. There is a summary of his ruling which has been since 2000, as well as many more facts pertaining to personal life, public life, human rights role, foreign relations and much more.
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Syria: Assad casts doubt on ceasefire prospects - CNN.com - 2 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html Assad Syria politics
shared by blantonjack on 17 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • blantonjack on 17 Feb 16
     
    President Assad believes that there is no cease fire in sight for the civil war raging in Syria.He told a group in Damascus on Monday that "no one" was capable of bringing about the necessary circumstances for a planned truce to take effect later this week. But in his comments on the proposal, Assad seemed skeptical about whether a halt in the conflict was possible.
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