[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
Syrie. La Coalition nationale réaffirme les bases de sa participation aux pourparlers de Genève 2 Ignace Leverrier on the conditions set by the National Coalition for its participation in Geneva II
Syrie. Le cavalier seul du PYD fait l’unité contre lui et ferme à son président les portes de Genève Ignace Leverrier on the announcement of the creation of a provisory administration for the West Kurdistan region.
A Day in the Life: Za`atari - Episode 13: A home, at last A short clip by UNHCR
Lebanon’s Sheikh Hammoud: “The Suicide Bombers Have No Religion” Al-Akhbar interviews the Lebanese city of Saida’s Sheikh Maher Hammoud
Lines of the Game: The Iranian Spring Blooms in Damascus Sami Kleib suggests that “if in fact the Iranians and the West do come to an agreement on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, then the face of the region as a whole is likely to change.”
Looming battle drives thousands of Syrians to Arsal “The Social Affairs Ministry said Sunday that over 500 Syrian families had crossed to Arsal, east Lebanon, in the past few hours, bringing the total number of Syrian families residing in Arsal to 1,700.”
Syrian Narratives
The Conflict in Syria is a War on Development An interview conducted by Omar Dahi, with Rabie Nasser from the Syrian Center for Policy Research.
Rebels, Inc. Malik al-Abdeh explains how, “to overcome their declining fortunes, the rebels have re-tooled their strategy. Their solution has been to place a priority on consolidating the territory they hold and establishing financing networks that will reduce their reliance on fickle overseas backers. The consequence of this strategic shift is what some Syria-watchers have called a "Darwinian shake-down": small groups have coalesced around larger ones to create "families" of brigades, each with their own identity, organizational hierarchy, and sources of funding.”
Jihadi groups `devour` Syria`s revolutionary children Alexander Christie-Miller meets with an activist who says that, “‘in Aleppo now if you want to fight for the revolution you have three options: you can join Al Qaeda, you can be killed or imprisoned, or you can flee to Turkey.’
Exclusive: Secret Talks to Save Syria Begin Colum Lynch says that “the United States, Iran, Russia, and Saudi Arabia and others held secret and informal discussions on Thursday to devise a strategy for improving the U.N.`s stalled relief effort in Syria, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the effort.”
Response to ‘Syria: the revolution that never was’ Responding to a piece by Asa Winstanley, Darth Nader writes “I agree that the short-term political future of Syria seems bleak. I also can agree that perhaps Syria would really benefit from a ceasefire, giving the Syrian people a chance to breathe and also perhaps the Syrian revolutionaries a chance to regroup and flourish. Yet, I don’t understand why this view needs to be paired with the “there never was a revolution” claim.”
Le peuple syrien ne se soumettra pas. Ni face au régime, ni face aux jihadistes. » Mauro Gasparini interviews Joseph Daher.
As Syrian Chemical Attack Loomed, Missteps Doomed Civilians Adam Entous, Nour Malas and Rima Abushakra offer “a reconstruction of that fateful day from battlefield reports and dozens of interviews with eyewitnesses, rebels, medics, activists and Western intelligence officials. It reveals both the horror of the attack and the months of miscalculations by the Syrian regime, opposition groups and U.S. government that left them all unprepared for what happened.”
Coprolalia on Syria, European pseudo-Leftists, and Žižek Leil-Zahra says “Žižek´s article is the perfect example of every European leftist (prick) sitting in some bar drinking beer and talking about entire populations fighting in ways he only saw in books and movies.”
Three Outcomes in Syria Nadim Shehadi’s take on the three potential outcomes in Syria, 1) Iraq 1991-2003, 2) Dayton Agreement and 3) Ta’if Agreement
Asking Assad to stay is asking Syrians to be party to a charade Amal Hanano responds to an earlier piece by Faisal Al-Yafai, suggesting that while he “points out that no one has any good ideas to end the protracted bloody war, the idea of Mr Al Assad staying in power may just be the worst one.”
Inside Syria
`Syria is not a revolution any more – this is civil war` Ghaith Abdul-Ahad meets with a businessman, a defector and a smuggler.
BBC: Our World - Iran`s Secret Army A BBC report about Iran’s involvement in Syria.
Syria Speaks In Code During Times Of Unrest
The coming `battle for Qalamoun` Omar Khaied says “If the battles take place, they will be in specific towns, and will not be extensive.”
Back to School in Raqqa Abdel Karim Jaafar on the challenge of re-opening schools in Raqqa.
Alep : un patrimoine millénaire en danger A program on the state of the cultural heritage in Syria, featuring Jean-Pierre Filiu.
Videos from, and articles about November 17th New York City teach-in: Revolution from the inside out Syria Freedom Forever puts together this piece about the teach-in, with links to the talks by the speakers, including Nader Atassi, Ella Wind, Yasser Munif, Budour Hassan and Gilbert Achcar.
Geneva 82“If Rifaat al-Assad is going, then they should call it Geneva 82,” suggests this Facebook page referring to the 1982 Hama Massacre.
From Brazil... This is the Syrian Revolution “Documentary Film produced by the Unified Socialist Workers party (PSTU)- the Brazilian section of the International Workers League- Fourth International (IWL-FI), a revolutionary marxist organization. The film documents the campaign of solidarity with the Syrian Revolution that started on November 2012, and is still ongoing.
Solidarity With Syria and the Bus Of Dignity! “Join Roots To Resistance, Professor Yasser Munif, AFSC and Northampton Committee To Stop The Wars for a Fundraiser to honor Syrian Journalist Razan Ghazzawi and support Syrian Organization Karama Bus(Bus Of Dignity)”
Photoblog: Relative Stability Breathes New Life into Manbij Photos by Zaid Mohammad
The Death of Abdelqader Saleh Aron Lund says “Abdelqader Saleh’s death is big news. He was one of the founders of the Tawhid Brigade in July 2012, when the group came together from a constellation of local units in the northern Syrian countryside to charge into Aleppo.”
Policy and Reports
Say Hello to the Islamic Front An update by Aron Lund
Jabhat al-Islāmiyya – The Islamic Front Syria’s newest merger of rebel groups Another take by Peter Van Ostaeyen, on the creation of the Islamic Front.
Who Are the Abdullah Azzam Battalions? An update by Aron Lund
The Reluctant Sectarianism of Foreign States in the Syrian Conflict A Peace Brief by Thomas Pierret, “one of a five-part series on sectarianism in the Middle East, analyzes the regional sectarianism and dynamics related to the Syrian conflict.
Economy and Agriculture
Minister: Dollar Price Drop Positively Affected Food Prices Contends Sana State Media, as translated by the Syrian Observer
Syrians Puzzled on How to Protect Their Currency Value
Syrians Sell Their Cars The Syrian Observer suggests that “over the past two years, large numbers of Syrians have sold their private cars, which have become increasingly vulnerable to theft or vandalism.”
Des proches du régime syrien profiteraient des échanges commerciaux Ignace Leverrier on how the Syrian regime still benefits from commercial exchanges, especially the food sector.
Arabic
الأخبار» في القلمون [3] | «مسلحو المغاور»: إذا اضطُررنا سندخل لبنان لمحاربة حزب الله»
Radwan Mortada writes the third episode of “Al-Akhbar in al-Qalamoun.” In this article, he writes about the armed rebels and their endeavours in the caves of the mountains of al-Qalamoun.
الدور الاقليمي التركي إلى أين؟
Mohammad Sayyed Rasas on the changing regional role of Turkey throughout the years.
سوريا: معارك جنيف 2
اختطاف رجاء الناصر سيناريو معكوس لاختطاف عبد العزيز الخيّر والهدف واحد
بهلوانيات
آلاف من السوريين يفرون إلى لبنان بعد تفاقم العمليات العسكرية في القلمون
معادلة «جنيف 2»: «الطبخة» السياسية ونار الجبهات
الأيام الصعبة في سورية
هل حققت أميركا غاياتها في سوريا؟
توضيح من الدكتور هيثم مناع حول اعتقال رجاء الناصر على قناة الميادين
«واشنطن تدرس خيار «البحر» للتخلص من «الكيميائي
Washington considers destroying the Syrian chemical weapons, which it had acquired from the regime, in the sea.
المعارضة الحزبية في مرحلة الأسد الأب
!لقاء أردوغان ـ البرزاني: اتفاق على محاربة أكراد سوريا
قضايا المشرق | المسيحيّة المشرقيّة المستهدَفة... معناها ومآلها
إخوان» سوريا: انتفاخ وتسلّـــط قبل الوصول إلى السلطة»
