[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
As rebel factions fracture, hardliners seek to prosper The fracture of the groups fighting in Syria might weaken the rebels, but hard-line factions have a way of winning, reports Hassan Hassan.
Russia confirms it has sent S-300 air defence system to Syria Moscow`s decision to deploy the missile system comes a day after the US suspended cooperation with Russia over Syria.
More than 80% of UN aid convoys in Syria blocked or delayed Of 33 deliveries approved by Syrian government, only six have reached their destinations so far in September.
Syria Army Advances As U.N. Decries Aleppo’s ‘Living Hell’ Forces allied with the Syrian government advanced over the weekend in Aleppo, as Syrian and Russian airstrikes continued to pound rebel-held areas of Syria’s largest city.
Aleppo`s White Helmets reject foreign influence claims Syrian rescuers in rebel-held area dismiss report linking them to Western government agencies bent on regime change.
Eastern Aleppo could be destroyed by Christmas, warns UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura warns of ‘another Rwanda’ and offers to personally escort Islamist fighters out of city to halt bombing.
US and EU sanctions are ruining ordinary Syrians` lives, yet Bashar al-Assad hangs on to power The conflict in Syria is the greatest humanitarian crisis the world has seen since the Second World War with 13 million people – two thirds of the population – in need of assistance.
IS `loses more than a quarter of its territory` in Syria and Iraq So-called Islamic State (IS) has lost more than a quarter of the territory it once controlled, new data shows.
Syria war: Hunger stalks besieged Madaya In the basement of a house in the rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya is what people there call a medical centre. It is, actually, just a room with a bed, where the sick come for some help.
Jund al-Aqsa pledges allegiance to ex-Qaeda branch in Syria A powerful Syrian Islamist insurgent group on Sunday ( 9 October) pledged allegiance to former al-Qaeda branch Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, a statement circulated by rebel officials and reported by a monitoring group said.
Syria White Helmets: Rescue Workers Protect Aleppo - Time “In Syria, it’s been all too easy to lose the plot. Things began simply enough, another promising bud in the Arab Spring—ordinary citizens marching peacefully against a Middle Eastern despot.”
Syria`s `Army of Islam` Says It Wants No War With Israel Mohammed Alloush, the political leader of "Army of Islam," told Eli Lake, a Bloomberg View columnist, that his fighters did not seek war with Israel.
Recreated treasures of Iraq and Syria on show at Colosseum Exact replicas of three architectural treasures damaged or destroyed by the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria and Iraq went on show Thursday at the Colosseum in Rome. The full-scale reproductions of the winged human-headed bull from Nimrud in Iraq, part of the state archives hall from the ancient Syrian kingdom of Ebla, and half the roof of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra will be on.
Regional and International Perspectives
‘Surrender and you can eat again’: Aleppo on the brink David Ignatius writes: "“Catastrophic” is the word several U.S. officials use privately to discuss the latest developments in Syria, in which a savage Russian bombing campaign has brought Aleppo near the point of surrender. Yet even as members of the Obama administration acknowledge the horror, they remain wary of options that might counter the onslaught."
Presidential candidate Clinton says removing Assad in Syria is No. 1 priority On Monday ( 5 October), U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said removing President Bashar al-Assad is the top priority in Syria.
Syria has made a curious transition from US ally to violator of human rights Mehdi Hasan writes that in the war on terror America was happy to send suspects to Syria. Now the US cries torture.
Syria: Do people really care? James Denselow writes that the enormity of the crisis in Syria is almost indigestible to those who do not see it directly.
We are watching the destruction of Aleppo. Where is the rage? Russia used these carpet bombing tactics to massacre civilians in Grozny. The west can’t stay silent: we know how this ends.
Russia and Syria must face war crimes investigations, says John Kerry US secretary of state calls for restoration of ceasefire and denounces bombings of civilian targets, ‘They are beyond the accidental now.’
`If we lose this generation, we lose Syria` With millions of Syrian refugee children out of school, a programme in Turkey is offering an alternative.
Amid Syrian chaos, Iran’s game plan emerges: a path to the Mediterranean Militias controlled by Tehran are poised to complete a land corridor that would give Iran huge power in the region.
Trump dismisses running mate Pence`s Syria view Trump says he hasn`t spoken to running mate Mike Pence about Russia and Syria. The GOP nominee indicated that he didn`t think that Russia was part of the problem in Syria.
Ottoman Ghosts: Imperial Memories in Turkey and Syria Ryan Gingeras examines the influence of the Ottoman past on Turkey`s regional policy "New books, films, and television series have led many Turks to see the Ottoman Empire—and by extension, and the Turkish Republic—as a source of inspiration and leadership among the peoples of the Middle East".
Policy and Reports
The Slow, Violent Fall of Eastern Aleppo For months, the Syrian and Russian air forces have pummeled the rebel-held enclave in Eastern Aleppo. Peace talks have failed to make any headway and the insurgents have failed to break the siege, Aron Lund reports.
The Black Market Kings of Damascus The war in Syria has devastated its economy. But some people have found ways to get rich.
Ten countries host half of world`s refugees: Amnesty The top refugee-hosting country was Jordan followed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Lebanon, according to Amnesty.
UN envoy warns east Aleppo faces `total destruction` Staffan de Mistura offers to personally escort rebel fighters out of Aleppo to help save 275,000 trapped civilians.
FPI BULLETIN: OBAMA’S FINAL OPPORTUNITY ON SYRIA Christopher J. Griffin, Evan Moore write: "The coming months are President Obama’s final opportunity to establish his legacy and set the stage for his successor. If he does not act, his administration will be forever marred by the fall of Aleppo and the bloodshed that catastrophe brings. His successor will be left to deal with an even more dangerous set of Islamist threats."
Syria`s war: UN Security Council votes on Aleppo Russia vetoes French draft urging end to military flights over Aleppo while Russian draft fails to gather enough votes.
The new UN secretary general’s biggest priority must be Syria António Guterres is a worthy successor to Ban Ki-moon. But where Ban’s focus was climate change, Guterres’s will be war.
Syria Provokes an American Anxiety: Is U.S. Power Really So Special? Max Fisher and Amanda Taub writes: "Underlying the Syria issue is a set of questions that have animated every major debate over foreign policy for a century: What is America’s role in the world, what are its obligations, and what happens if it falls short of meeting them?"
Syria Conflict Mapping Project Reports
SYRIA SITUATION REPORT: SEPTEMBER 22 - OCTOBER 7, 2016 The breakdown in diplomatic coordination over the Syrian Civil War comes amidst reports that the White House is considering stronger action against the regime.
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
Syria: Free Human Rights Lawyer Khalil Ma’touq Held for 4 Years On the fourth anniversary of their enforced disappearance, 31 human rights organizations say that Syria should immediately release the Human Rights Lawyer Khalil Ma’touq and his assistant, Mohamed Thatha.
Why did the UK government act against a journalist on behalf of Syria? Roy Greenslade writes that it is a disgrace that border agency officials thought it necessary to confiscate Zaina Erhaim’s passport at the request of Bashar al-Assad’s regime
War in Translation: Giving Voice to the Women of Syria Lina Mounzer on the urgency of telling the stories of Syrian conflict.
Pope Francis names 13 new cardinals, including papal envoy to Syria New cardinals also include archbishops of Chicago and Indianapolis in move sending signal pope ‘values pastors focused more on mercy than morals.’
Recreated treasures of Iraq and Syria on show at Colosseum Exact replicas of three architectural treasures damaged or destroyed by the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria and Iraq are on show at the Colosseum in Rome.
Arabic Links:
مدن في الثورة: بانياس البيضـــا “Through the use of innovative forms of storytelling mixing research-based written content, infographics and documentary videos, the project’s objective is to fill this gap by documenting a comprehensive, chronological account of the events as they happened, in all their complexity and diversity, in the 6 cities, with a focus on civil movements and creative disobedience.” This is the story of the city of Salamiyah and how it experienced the Syrian revolution.
An English version of this article can be found here: Cities in Revolution Baniyas-Al-Bayda: The White City
تيّار الغدّ السوريّ والإدارة الذاتيّة يتّفقان على وثيقة حلّ لسوريا المستقبل An opposition group known as Syria’s Tomorrow and Kurdish self-rule proponents have forged an agreement they hope will bring other opposition factions together and enlist the support of Arab countries to end the war and build a civil democratic pluralist state.
The English version of this article can be found here: Unlikely partners join forces to lead by example in Syria
نهاية العقد الاجتماعيّ البعثيّ في سوريا بشّار الأسد: قراءة في التحوّلات الاجتماعيّة السياسيّة من خلال الجمعيّات الخير Laura Ruiz de Elvira and Tina Zintl analyze how the sociopolitical transformations Syria experienced between 2000 and 2010—the shift in state–society relations, the opening of the civic arena, and economic liberalization—are explored through the activities of charitable associations, including their interactions with other Syrian actors, and they argue that these transformations reflect the unraveling of the old social contract
الغزو التركي يتمدّد في الشمال: حلب خارج حسابات أنقرة... «إلى حين»؟ Souhaib Enjrainy writes about the expansion of the Turkish invasion in the Syrian territories.
لقاء لـ"المونيتور" مع المعارض السوريّ لؤي حسين In an interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian opposition figure Louay Hussein explains his movement’s vision for the transitional period in Syria and his positions against the revolution.
The English version of this article can be found here: Syrian opposition activist: Syrians no longer decision-makers to own destiny
جواد أبو حطب: "فلاشة" المناهج الدراسية سرقت من الحكومة المؤقتة Lina Shawwaf hosts the Head of the Syrian interim government Jawad Abu Hatab who reflects on the recent challenges. Abu Hatab claims that the USB Flash Drive which contained the "school curriculum" was stolen.
رؤية الغارديان لجائزة نوبل للسلام: امنحوها للخوذات البيضاء السورية In Aleppo and elsewhere, 3,000 local volunteers try to rescue the victims of mass bombing raids – at great risk to their own lives. They deserve global recognition.
The English version of this article can be found here: The Guardian view on the Nobel peace prize: give it to Syria’s White Helmets
الثقافة كسياسة Yassin Al Haj Saleh writes about culture as "politics." The article is the introduction of a newly released book with the same title.
بيانات المثقفين السوريين: من النضال الخافت إلى الزَّجَل من الزَّجَل إلى هَجْوِ الورى Thaer A. Deep criticizes the proliferation of polemic and non-critical statements by syrian intellectuals.
امتحان الشمال البارد Odai Al Zoubi reflects on his experience in the cold exile.
لا عودة إلى الوراء: لماذا اللامركزية هي مستقبل سوريا؟ Jihad Yazigi argues that a decentralized political system is the future of post-conflict Syria
طائرات النظام تصبّ جام حممها على المدنيّين في حلب بعد انهيار وقف إطلاق النار Dozens of civilians were killed and wounded in Aleppo after the cease-fire failed and regime forces launched a fierce campaign to recapture the opposition-held neighborhoods in the city.
The English version of this article can be found here: As Aleppo battle rages, citizens suffer from blockade, shelling