Analysis

by Steven Sahiounie, published on Mideast Discourse, June 15, 2023 Hundreds of Syrian men, women and children have drowned early Wednesday in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece after the sinking of an Egyptian trawler headed for Italy. It is being called one of the deadliest migrant ship …

by YaLiban, published June 7, 2023 This is interesting.  Though I disagree with the analyst’s perspective, the article lays out exactly the imperialist context that keeps Lebanon from having a functioning government, and from any kind of viable independence.   Aside from the factional infighting, notice the credentials cited for the …

Aaron Mate and Kate Halpern interview Kevork Almassian and Hekmat Aboukhater, from Useful Idiots Substack, May 25, 2023 From Iraq to Syria to everywhere else the US government attempts regime change, when corporate media tells us what the “voices of the people” are saying, it’s not often that we actually …

by Georgio Caffiero, published on The Cradle, May 30, 2023 Arab reconciliation with Syria is a two-way street, with both sides seeking important concessions from each other. While all solutions can be found within a grand regional compromise, not all Arab states will be willing to challenge Washington’s red lines. …

by Ali Abunimah, published on Electronic Intifada, May 31, 2023 The videos associated with this article are particularly interesting and informative.  [jb] Almost two decades ago, Jordan’s King Abdallah warned in a Washington Post interview of a so-called “Shiite crescent” stretching from Iran through Iraq and west to Lebanon. This …

by Peter Ford, published on 21st Century Wire, May 19, 2023 It is hard to overstate the significance of Syria’s readmission to the Arab League and President Assad’s attendance at the Jeddah Arab summit. The significance goes way beyond Syria itself. Let’s get straight to the point. It’s a massive …

by Hekmat Aboukhater, published on The Grayzone, May 16, 2023 Syrian-American journalist Hekmat Aboukhater traveled across Homs, Lattakia, Tartous, and Aleppo this April, reporting for The Grayzone on the devastating impact of Western economic sanctions on average Syrians. Throughout 2023, a series of anti-Syrian refugee bills, a failing economy, and …

by Aaron Maté, published on Mate.Substack.com, May 14, 2023 Syria’s re-admission to the Arab League is a milestone in the country’s continued recovery from a decade-long war that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of refugees, and widespread destruction. For the US, the move has different implications. “The decision …

by Steven Sahiounie interviews Aydin Sezer, published on Mideast Discourse, May 10, 2023 A snapshot of thinking on the Turkish election.  The first round took place but was more or less a tie leading to a runoff.  Seems like it will be very difficult for Kilicdaroglu to keep his promises …