Israel lobbies US to keep Syria weak and decentralised
Israel is lobbying the United States to keep Syria weak and decentralised, including by letting Russia keep its military bases there to counter Turkey’s growing influence in the country, four…
A palace in shock: Bashar al-Assad’s final moments in Syria
Hours before rebel forces seized Damascus and toppled his government on Sunday, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was already out of the country, telling hardly anyone, five former officials told AFP.…
The Syrian impact
THE triumph of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led resistance in Syria has further disturbed the geopolitical equilibrium in the Middle East and beyond. For Pakistan, this development should mean not only modifications…
Syria on my mind
IN the mid-2000s, my sister was living in Damascus and I planned a visit to her and then a trip to Lebanon, together. But I could not secure a visa…
Straws in the Syrian whirlwind
THE pendulum of zealotry almost always ushers in intellectual subterfuge in its wake. The lightning, if not spontaneous, takeover of Damascus by mediaeval militias is being predictably applauded by Western journalists as…
Who won, who lost in Syria?
Who cares about learning a lesson when a really big prize is in sight? So, from the point of view of the US whose dollars, arms and intel no doubt…
What do we know about Syrian rebels’ major offensive on Aleppo?
Rebel forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad have launched their biggest offensive in years this week, controlling a majority of Syria’s second city of Aleppo according to a monitor. Government forces…
Slicing Syria
AS I write this, Syrian rebels are in control of half of the ancient and strategically vital city of Aleppo. In a rapid three-day advance that saw government forces melt…
Syria in the Arab League
“We will not walk away to leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran. … The United States is not going anywhere,” bragged US President Joe Biden…
Turkey-Syria earthquake: destruction should serve as a lesson to all of us
On Feb. 6, a 7.8-On Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake jolted southern Turkey near the northern border of Syria. This quake was followed approximately nine hours later by a 7.5-…
