[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
Thousands of Displaced Syrians Return from Turkey After Jarablus Liberated from ISIS Turkish official claims around 7,700 people have returned to the northern city after Turkish-backed forces retake Jarablus from ISIS.
Assad Wants to Rule Syria, but Economics Say Otherwise President Bashar al-Assad needs more than a military victory to retake control of the whole of Syria. The country’s devastated economy will prevent him from achieving a total victory, writes Middle East expert Mona Alami.
Improvised Mines Kill, Injure Hundreds in Manbij, Northern Syria In the city of Manbij, Human Rights Watch has documented the deaths of 69 civilians, including 19 children, killed by victim-activated, homemade explosives, which are banned under international law.
Unless Baghdad fills the political vacuum in Mosul, Isis will revive Sectarian, ethnic and political divisions in the city will give the jihadis hope of a return to power argues Hassan Hassan.
Are the ‘green buses’ coming to East Ghouta?East Ghouta residents sharply denounced intra-rebel tensions and infighting to Syria Direct on Sunday (23 October, 2016), fearing that their towns could be the next to fall in a two-month wave of opposition surrenders in Outer Damascus.
Coalition airstrikes in Syria have killed 300 civilians, says AmnestyRights group says more must be done to prevent fatalities and calls for independent investigations into possible violations of international law.
The dangers of a protracted battle to retake Mosul Hassan Hassan argues that protracted fighting could lead to the collapse of a promising strategy to expel ISIL from its most significant stronghold.
Air strikes kill schoolchildren in Syria`s IdlibRussia accused as air raids hit civilian buildings in village of Hass, including a school complex, killing at least 26.
Russia or Syria was behind deadly Idlib school attack, says US‘We know it was one of the two,’ says White House spokesman over attack in rebel-held area that killed at least 35 people.
Russia denies involvement in deadly Syria school attackMoscow says it had no role in airstrikes that killed dozens, including 22 children, in rebel-held Idlib province.
Aleppo fighting spreads amid claims of gas attackSuleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom Perry report that Syrian rebels opened a new front in Aleppo as fighting spread on the third day of a major insurgent counter-attack to break the government`s siege of the opposition-held part of the city, and each side accused the other using poison gas.
Regional and International Perspectives
Why Is the Foreign Policy Establishment Spoiling for More War? Look at Their Donors Dennis Kucinich discusses how war should not be tolerated, and that it is a face for a profitable playing ground.
Syria rejects Russian proposal for Kurdish federation Russia’s attempt to broker a Kurdish solution is warmly received by Kurds but gets the cold shoulder from Damascus.
Guardian briefing: the key questions around aid in SyriaRelief effort hindered by convoys being blocked or having items removed, as well as disputes on number of people needing aid.
Why Clinton`s plans for no-fly zones in Syria could provoke US-Russia conflictMany in national security circles consider the risk of a confrontation with Russia to be severe: ‘I wouldn’t put it past them to shoot down a US aircraft’.
Syria, the Spanish Civil war and foreign legionsLike in the Spanish Civil War, the "foreign legions" are complicating the resolution of the conflict in Syria.
Mosul and Aleppo: A tale of two citiesThey may only be 600km apart but the types of warfare both cities are experiencing are markedly different.
Policy and Reports
Syria: Destruction of Civil Society Means Dictatorship, Extremism and DisplacementRana Khalaf comments: The void in governance in Syria caused by the conflict has enabled a previously oppressed civil society to rise. Now this new society is under threat. Sustained commitment from the international community is required.
UN hires Assad`s friends and relatives for Syria relief operationUN insists it remains impartial as leaked documents show relatives of top ministers are on payrolls of relief agencies.
Russia denied membership of UN human rights councilGeneral assembly fails to vote for Russia to be one of 14 new members after campaign by rights groups over its bombing of Syria
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
How We See SyriaThe evolving conflict has forced news agencies and their photographers to adapt.
Syria`s “Voice of Conscience” Has a Message for the WestMurtaza Hussain, Marwan Hisham interview Yassin al-Haj Saleh about his expectations from the left in its response to the Syrian revolution, his position on the Islamist parties, and the possibility of Western intervention in Syria.
List of MPs who voted to turn away 3,000 unaccompanied Syrian childrenThis is a list of 294 MPs who voted to reject a plan for Britain to accept 3,000 unaccompanied Syrian child refugees have ended up in mainland Europe without a parent or guardian.
The real crisis for refugees isn’t in Calais. It’s Westminster’s failure to actDiane Abbott writes that unless they stop passing off refugees as somebody else’s problem, this government will go down as the one that watched while thousands suffered.
ISIL pushed out of town near Mosul as advance continuesCelebrations break out in town as Iraqi government forces continue to advance toward Mosul, meeting fierce resistance.
In Germany, Syrians find mosques too conservativeSyrians in Germany say many of the country`s Arab mosques are more conservative than those at home.
Arabic Links
طيران النظام يدّمر أكبر لوحة فسيفسائية في العالم The Syrian Armed Forces heavily shelled the town of Taybat Al-Imam near Hama which led to the destruction of the town`s museum.
في شأن الحل العادل لصراعنا: تصوّر سوري Yassin Al-Haj Saleh addresses an unidentified, moderately informed and well-meaning reader, and it suggests to them a vision for a just Syrian resolution, examining potential problems and hindrances in its path.
The English version of this article can be found here: MAJORITARIAN SYRIA: JUSTICE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION
حلب على أبوب فصل شتاء قاس في ظلّ الحصار Residents of besieged eastern Aleppo fear they might not survive the winter as their already meager and expensive fuel sources are running out.
The English version of this article can be found here: Aleppo braces for harsh winter
لماذا تختار لاجئات السكوت عن تعنيفهن في دولة القانون؟ This article investigates some of the reasons behind the silences of Syrian refugee women in Germany in regard to gender-based domestic violence.
«كرسي» نوجين السورية Abdo Wazen shares his thoughts on the story of Noujain Mustaffa, a disabled 17-year-old who fled Syria in a wheelchair last year.
الروس في سورية... احتواء وقضم Michel Kilo criticizes anew Syrian/Russian plan and consider it a serious threat to the revolution that must be confronted with a comprehensive national action.
مبادرة مخاطرة تستحقّ الطرح Samir Aita suggests a risky initiative in which the Syrian «opposition» declare a ceasefire unilaterally to claim the victim position and ask for a political solution.