Syria Media Roundup (July 19)

[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] 

 

International and Regional Perspectives

 

The Syrian Opposition: Who’s Doing the Talking Charlie Skelton provides an extensive list of the Syrian opposition sources cited by media outlets highlighting their close political and financial connections to the US and London.

 

The Middle East Needs Dialogue not War Patrick Seale optimistically argues that “Egypt and Saudi Arabia, could, through dialogue and cooperation, draw Iran into the security architecture of the region.”

 

Why Kofi Annan went to Iran? 

 

Syrian Narratives

 

Assassinations on an epic scale – but rebels will not claim their greatest prize Robert Fisk reflects on the death of Syrian officials by the opposition fighters who have reached for the regime’s “jugular vein”.

 

'I'm Fundamentally a Pessimist' Jonathan Littell on his coverage of Homs before the siege, on the developments of the uprising and the importance to reflect on the images that are circulating in social media outlets.

Exclusive interview: why I defected from Bashar al-Assad's regime, by former diplomat Nawaf Fares who makes “devastating claims against the Assad regime.”

Nawaf Fares: 'The Syrian regime is dead' James Bays confronts Fares with the criticisms made by people skeptical about his departure from Iraq’s Syrian embassy, sixteen months into the uprising.

Bombshell Tony Cartalucci mocks Nawaz Fares’ interviews with Western outlets saying he is an “exaggerating opportunist”.

Details of a Battle Challenge Reports of a Syrian Massacre Neil MacFarquhar writes that new details about the Hama “massacre” suggest it was “more likely an uneven clash between the heavily armed Syrian military and local fighters bearing light weapons.”

 

The Damascus suicide bombing  Glen Greenwald argues that the “killing of Assad officials raises uncomfortable questions about the meaning and justifiability of Terrorism”

 

Syrian switch triggers toxic omens Carl O. Schuster suggests “Syria's sudden movement of its chemical weapons indicates the regime is becoming increasingly insecure about its future and at least considering what it must do to survive.”

 

Manaf Tlass: The Defection Story Nasser Charrara describes General Tlass’ defection as a “half-surprise” for those who knew him.

 

The Golden Runaway  David W. Lesch reflects on General Tlass’ departure and the historical the ties between the Assad and Tlass families.

 

Just How Deadly is Assad’s Arsenal? John Reed’s detailed description of Syria’s military arsenal.

 

Syria’s Foreign Policy: A Juggling Act Elias Muhanna writes that the country’s foreign policy is “too complex to be boiled down to cartoonish catchphrases like “anti-imperialist” or “democracy promoting.”

Covering Syria: The Information War Aisling Byrne argues that “the media's conceptualization of victims and oppressors has in effect eliminated the space for negotiation.”

 

American Writes itself out of the Script Michael Young suggests that, because “president’s mind is focused elsewhere [U.S. elections], there is a sense of conceptual confusion when addressing the Middle East.”

 

Inside Syria

 

With influx of refugees, Syrian rebellion reaches deeper into heart of Damascus

 

Al-Qaeda tries to carve out a war for Itself in Syria Telegraph reporters says the presence of al Qaeda in Idlib is an “open secret”, adding that the group has “a widespread but still weak and generally ineffective presence.”

Fighting in Damascus: Bullets Through the Heart Muhammad Saleh meets with people in the capital who, one day before the killing of Syrian officials doubt a   “zero hour” offensive is on the cards

Palestinian Camps in Syria: Pulled into the Fray Anas Zarzar reports from Yarmouk, where Palestinians have despite them become increasingly entangled in the war.

Art and Social Media

Syrian Suffering on Display: It’s Happening Now...Leah Caldwell asks “how can certain scenes that depict very recent and real human tragedy be considered art,” analyzing Rabih Mroué’s “Pixelated Revolution.” 

Diaries of the Syrian revolution with Samar Yazbek Frontline club event featuring the Syrian novelist, who reflects on her hopes for Syria. 

Film "Ibn al Am Online" 2012 Ali Atassi’s film on Riad Turk, a veteran Syrian opposition figure who remains in Syria.

 

The Other Side of Syria's Civil War Kate Brook’s picture gallery with shots from funeral processions for Assad supporters and troops.

Yassin al-Haj Saleh: Remembering Long Nights Locked Up Mohammad al-Hajj reviews the latest book from the communist who was jailed for sixteen years in Syrian prisons, for which he expresses “nostalgia.”

Idealistic and Independent Radio for all Syrians Rami Jarrah and other activists in Cairo plan to broadcast news from Syria under a newly created exiled channel, “Ana”.

 

Policy and Reports

 

Month-by-Month Summary of Developments in Syria International Crisis Group’s summaries of events in Syria

 

Arabic

 

مناف طلاس ... إنشقاق أم هروب

 

المعارضون بالصدفة

Munther Khaddam discusses the “coincidental opposition” in Syria and criticizes their actions in response to the current struggle for democratic change in the country. 

 

سوريا..هل بدأ النظام يواجه خطر تفككه؟
Areeb Arrentawi writes about the recent developments and defections of high-ranking Syrian officials and analyzes their significance to the situation in the country. 

 

الأزمة السورية: العسكرة ابنة التدويل
Fawwaz Trabulsi associates the militarization of the revolution with its transformation into a matter of international politics.                                                                         

موسم الهجرة القسرية إلى الأرياف السورية 
Yehya Al-Aws writes about the migration of Syrians from the urban centers to the rural areas due to the lack of security and the deteriorating situation in those cities.   

سوريا: حراك الشارع في وادٍ... والمعارضات في وديان
Tarek Al-Abed writes about the current status of the opposition in Syria and the different solutions that each of its parties are providing for the struggle in the country.

المجازر والاحتجاج الشعبي المستمر... جزء من الحسم
Salama Kayla notes that the recent increase in the brutality of the Assad regime is a sign of its instability and inevitable demise.                                                                                                        

عبد العزيز الخير: العسكرة لا تسقط النظام

Assafir interviews Abd Al-Aziz Al-Kheir, who is against the militarization of the opposition and views it as counterproductive.

انشقاق طلاس وفارس هل هو بداية النهاية؟
Fadi Al-Ahmar offers his views on the recent defections of General Manaf Tlass and Syrian Ambassador to Jordan Nawaf Al-Fares and their implications on the Assad regime.