[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.]
Inside Syria
Death: The Only Reliable News in Aleppo
News of death in Aleppo has become an everyday occurrence and residents are planning news ways to survive the conflict.
Syrian army and Kurdish forces fight ISIL on two fronts Uncoordinated offensives against ISIL launch in al-Hassakeh, as regime forces and YPG secure villages from ISIL.
Hepatitis A threatens Damascus water supply
Cases of Hepatitis A are spreading through the Wadi Barada area, putting the drinking water in Damascus at risk for residents.
Assad forces, Hezbollah advance in south of Syria
Advances made by regime forces and Hezbollah in northwestern countryside of Daraa.
Isis `forces Raqqa citizens to give blood to fighters` badly wounded by coalition air strikes
Heather Saul reports that ISIS is forcing people living under its rule to give blood after dozens of fighters were injured in US-led coalition air strikes.
From Syria, an Atlas of a Country in Ruins
Sergio Peçanha and Jeremy White analyze recent satellite images by the United Nations, which reveal vast devastation in cities across Syria.
Missing Syria girls: Parents must `keep passports under lock and key` to stop children joining Isis
Lizzie Dearden writes about ISIS social media campaign to target young girls and the increasing cases in which teenage girls had fled to Syria from London to join the jihadist group.
ISIS abducts scores of Christians in northeastern Syria, groups say
Greg Botelho and Gul Tuysuz report about the abduction of between 70 and 100 Assyrians in northeastern Syria villages by ISIS militants.
Friends Divided By the Syrian Uprising
Mustapha al-Jalal shares the story of two men who brought together by their passion for football, but they have taken opposing sides in the armed conflict.
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
أنا وصديقي جمعتنا كرة القدم و فرقنا النظام
Regional and International Perspectives
Understanding Turkey`s unprecedented cross-border operation into Syria
“Turkey is now realizing that it should update its security policy with the West in regards to the ISIS threat."
Aleppo revolutionary will only meet de Mistura for a comprehensive solution
“Military and political opposition forces in Aleppo on Sunday rejected U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura’s proposal for a freeze in fighting in parts of Aleppo.”
More moderate Syrians ready to battle Islamic State than expected: U.S. official
U.S. plan to train numerous Syrian fighters annually in efforts to stop the Islamic State.
The destruction of the idols: Syria’s patrimony at risk from extremists
Patrick Cockburn writes about the ways in which Syria`s wealth of archaeological treasures is under threat both from iconoclastic Islamic fundamentalists and looters operating amid the lawlessness of war.
Islamic State is selling looted Syrian art in London to fund its fight
Daniela Deane writes about how many Syrian archaeological sites have suffered damage amid civil war as well as looting by the Islamic State.
Will Middle East ground troops be rallied against IS ?
Muath Al Wari discusses the possibility of the participation of Middle Eastern forces in war against ISIS and the question of President Bashar al-Assad’s fate.
Engaging in Politics, Assad-Style
Yezid Sayigh argues that the Assad regime’s belief that, by hanging tough, it will compel the United States both to accept its terms and make its regional allies follow suit is a high-risk gamble.
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
الانخراط في السياسة على طريقة الأسد
Syria`s digital civil war
Maria Xynou discusses the ways in which militarised spyware has played a crucial role in the Assad regime`s offensive against the Syrian opposition. But further risk remains as Syrians` data has been swept up in the global surveillance dragnet.
Unpaid, Unarmed Lifesavers in Syria
Nicholas Kristof shares the story of the White Helmets, a Syrian volunteer group whose 2,200 members rush to each bombing and claw survivors from the rubble.
Homo Homini human rights award given to a Syrian teacher that stood up to Bashar Assad`s regime and the Islamic State
Souad Nawfal, a Syrian teacher and activist, was awarded the 2014 Homo Homini Award, for her perseverance and fortitude with which she stood against the injustices committed by President Bashar Assad`s regime and the so-called Islamic State, regardless of the threat to her own safety.
Policy and Reports
Who Are the Pro-Assad Militias?
Aron Lund on the irregular armed groups that keep Assad, “the central actor of this war,” in power.
Why Bashar Assad Won’t Fight ISIS
Aryn Baker gives her take on Bashar Al-Assad’s ulterior motive towards the Islamic State and how this approach is necessary.
How ISIS Runs a City
Thanassis Cambanis describes how ISIS functions much like a government than any of its “detractors,” collecting taxes, pumping oil, and policing streets.
#Douma_Exterminated as the World Turns Its Back on Horrific Attacks on Ghouta in Syria
Nour Al Ali discusses a new report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights about a recent five-day military operation led by Assad forces targeting the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta province in Douma.
The full report can be found here:
Eastern Ghouta is Targeted by an Indiscriminate Killing Campaign
Syria: New Spate of Barrel Bomb Attacks
Human Rights Watch reports on new indiscriminate attacks over the past year with air-delivered munitions by the Syrian government. This new spate of barrel bomb attacks is hitting schools and hospitals far from frontlines.
The Arabic version of this article can be found here:
سوريا ـ موجة جديدة من الهجمات بالبراميل المتفجرة
Economy and Agriculture
TAKFIRINOMICS: How ISIS funds its caliphate
An excerpt from ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, by Hassan Hassan and Michael Weiss, how ISIS war economy actually works.
Aleppo residents burn furniture to protect children from freezing in winter
Syrians in Aleppo resort to burning their own furniture cook food and to keep warm in the winter.
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
مقاهي دمشق القديمة... متنفس السوريين من آثار الحرب
This visual report shows how Damascenes escape war`s pressure by engaging in cultural activities, which took place in the cafes of Old Damascus.
Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria
UN panel on Syria briefed the Security Council on Feb 20; appeals once again for justice on behalf of victims
بالفيديو...شاهد نموذجا عن مدارس داعش !
This video shows an example of schools under ISIS rule.
Arabic:
انطلاق راديو السوريات
The Syrian Women Forum For Peace announced the launch of Syrian Women`s Radio that will be devoted for Syrian women`s issues and perspectives.
في بعض أسباب تعثّر الوطنية السورية
Tariq Azizeh discusses the obstacles toward forming a Syrian national identity from a historical perspective.
ماذا يريد العرب من الكرد في سوريا؟ (6)
Rateb Sha`bo discusses the Kurds` and the Arabs` demands from each other in the context of the Syrian Uprising.
راديو روزنة*: لم الشّمل في مصر.. على نار رفض هادئة
Taleb K Ibrahim discusses the situation of family reunification for Syrian families who live in Egypt.
أم الشهيد
This article is about Youssef Abdelke`s painting "The mother of Martyr," which is dominated by black and white colors.
"داعش" يكشف عن مفاوضات ساجدة ــ الكساسبة
Mohammed al-Vdialat discusses an audio recording by ISIS that shows aspect of the mediation process between ISIS and Abu Muhammad al-Maqdis regarding Muath al-Kasasbeh and Sajida al-Rishawi.
سوريا: فرار آلاف المسيحيين إثر اختطاف "داعش" للعشرات
This article reports the escape of thousands Syrian Christians after ISIS`s abduction of 270 Assyrians in northeastern Syria villages.
أردوغان والقبور وبعث آل عثمان
Tariq Azizeh comments on Turkey’s intervention at the Suleyman Shah Tomb in Syria and Erdogan possible intentions behind this intervention.
سوريات من السجن إلى معتقل العادات والتقاليد
Hadia Mansour shares stories of women who were detained in Syrian regime prisons and their suffering after their release from the social traditions that shame them.
تقارير ألمانية: داعش يستولي على نحو 3800 جواز سفر سوري خالي
Majed Sharabajee won the International Women of Courage Award, which presented annually by the United States Department of State.