The Syrian War: Portraits with Political Meanings
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Key Actors and Abbreviations
Key actors and abbreviations The Assad regime and its allies ‘The regime’ Bashar al-Assad, Syrian President 2000– Hafez al-Assad, Syrian President 1971–2000 Asma al-Assad (née Akhras), Syria’s First Lady 2000– Maher al-Assad, brother of Bashar al-Assad, Commander of Republican Guard and 4th Armoured Division Anisa Makhlouf, mother of Bashar al-Assad Assif Shawkat, brother-in-law of Bashar al-Assad, head of military intelligence 2005–9, deputy minister of defence 2011–12 Rami Makhlouf, cousin of Bashar al-Assad, wealthy businessman Manaf Tlass, Republican Guard General, defected 2012 Farouk al-Sharaa, First Vice President of Syria 2006– Walid al-Muallem, Foreign Minister 2006– Bouthaina Shabaan, political and media adviser to the Syrian President 2008– Ba’ath – Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, the ruling party of Syria since 1963 Mukhabarat – Set of notorious regime intelligence agencies Shabiha – Gangs of irregular pro-regime thugs NDF – National Defence Force, formed 2013 Russia Vladimir Putin, Russian President 2000–8, 2012–, Russian Prime Minister 2008–12 Dmitri Medvedev, Russian President 2008–12, Russian Prime Minister 2012–20 Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister 2004– Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Foreign Minister 2011– Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran 1989– xii 5146.indd xii 19/06/20 5:00 PM KEY ACTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS xiii Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President 2005–13 Hassan Rouhani, Iranian President 2013– Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister 2010–13 Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister 2013– Qassem Suleimani, Commander -
The Syrian National Council: a Victorious Opposition?
THE INSTITUTE FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES IMES CAPSTONE PAPER SERIES THE SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL: A VICTORIOUS OPPOSITION? JARED MARKLAND KRITTIKA LALWANEY MAY 2012 THE INSTITUTE FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES THE ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY COPYRIGHT OF THE AUTHOR(S), 2012 THE SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL: A VICTORIOUS OPPOSITION? Jared Markland & Krittika Lalwaney Introduction The Syrian National Council (SNC) emerged as an opposition movement representing the democratic uprisings in Syria calling for regime change. The Assad regime’s forceful measures against Syrians have delegitimized the government and empowered the revolution. The success of the revolution, in overthrowing the regime hinges on the Syrian opposition’s ability to overcome its deficiencies. This paper analyzes the performance of the SNC by determining SNC success or failure to launch a successful opposition movement against the regime. The SNC’s probability of success in the overthrow of the regime is contingent on its ability to unify internally, obtain financial capacity, establish international recognition, and build internal popular support. Methodology The methods used to examine the prospects for success of the SNC as a viable opposition movement consist of comparative case studies and qualitative field research. We examined four case studies, including Nicaragua, Libya, El Salvador and Guatemala. These cases establish a set of core factors necessary for an opposition movement to succeed. The utilization of these factors allows us to create a comparative assessment of the overall performance of the SNC. Our qualitative fieldwork entailed a total of 32 interviews with current SNC members, Syrian activists, refugees, Free Syrian Army members, academic experts, and government officials. -
What Does the Syrian Opposition Believe? | the Washington Institute
MENU Policy Analysis / Articles & Op-Eds What Does the Syrian Opposition Believe? by David Pollock May 30, 2012 ABOUT THE AUTHORS David Pollock David Pollock is the Bernstein Fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on regional political dynamics and related issues. Articles & Testimony here are increasing calls for international intervention in Syria after this weekend's massacre in Houla, where T Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces murdered more than 100 civilians. Obstacles to intervention remain, however, especially concern that the opposition to Assad's regime is dominated by religious fundamentalists. Until recently, for example, the Syrian National Council, a group of exiled opponents of the regime, was led by Burhan Ghalioun, whose unwillingness to counter the Muslim Brotherhood was widely viewed in the West as a troubling sign of Islamist influence. But a confidential survey of opposition activists living in Syria reveals that Islamists are only a minority among them. Domestic opponents of Assad, the survey indicates, look to Turkey as a model for Syrian governance -- and even widely admire the United States. Pechter Polls, which conducts opinion surveys in tough spots in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, completed the Syria opposition poll in December 2011. Respondents were contacted over a secure Skype connection by someone they could trust -- all native Syrians -- who asked them to fill out a short questionnaire anonymously in Arabic. Interviewers were selected from different social and political groups to ensure that respondents reflected a rough cross-section of overall opposition attitudes. To ensure confidentiality, the online survey could be accessed only through a series of proxy servers, bypassing the regime-controlled Internet. -
Faith-Based Organizations (Fbos) in the Palestinian Territories
Hidden Agents: Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in the Palestinian Territories Ziyad Zaghrout A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2012 Reading Committee: Mary Kay Gugerty, Chair Leigh Anderson Aseem Prakash Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Public Affairs ©Copyright 2012 Ziyad Zaghrout 1 University of Washington Abstract Hidden Agents: Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in the Palestinian Territories Ziyad Zaghrout Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Mary Kay Gugerty Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs Recently, there has been a great deal of scholarly and popular interest in the activities of faith- based organizations (FBOs) in the Middle East. In particular, socio-economic services provided by FBOs have generated a heated debate in which advocates and opponents of these organizations have locked heads together in an attempt to advance their own arguments and advocate for policies harboring their views. While there has not been any absolute winner in the debate both camps, to an extent, agree that the service activities of FBOs have an implicit political component as the later seek to influence and modify the societal relations extending among the public, private and the not-for-profit spheres. Understanding the role of FBOs in Islamic societies is further complicated by a relative absence 2 of empirical research or even accessible descriptive data either within a single country or across countries. In an effort to limit this complexity, the research design underlying this dissertation focuses upon one case: the Palestinian Territories (PT). I examine the advocacy behavior of FBOs in the Palestinian territories and how they influence local level social policies. -
La Relation Bilatérale Franco-Syrienne Depuis 2000 Ruptures Et Continuités À Travers Le Prisme De La Présidentialisation De La Politique Étrangère Française
BANQUE DES MEMOIRES Master « Sécurité et défense » Dirigé par le Professeur Olivier GOHIN 2017 La relation bilatérale franco-syrienne depuis 2000 Ruptures et continuités à travers le prisme de la présidentialisation de la politique étrangère française Quentin GABIRON Sous la direction du Professeur Nicolas HAUPAIS UNIVERSITÉ PANTHÉON-ASSAS – PARIS II Droit – Économie – Sciences sociales Année universitaire 2016-17 Master 2 Sécurité et défense LA RELATION BILATÉRALE FRANCO-SYRIENNE DEPUIS 2000 RUPTURES ET CONTINUITÉS À TRAVERS LE PRISME DE LA PRÉSIDENTIALISATION DE LA POLITIQUE ÉTRANGÈRE FRANÇAISE Mémoire préparé sous la direction de M. le Professeur Nicolas HAUPAIS présenté et soutenu publiquement pour l’obtention du Master 2 Sécurité et défense – finalité professionnelle par Quentin GABIRON JURY Président : M. le Professeur Nicolas HAUPAIS Assesseur : CGA Arnauld CHÉREIL de la RIVIÈRE LA RELATION BILATÉRALE FRANCO-SYRIENNE DEPUIS 2000 RUPTURES ET CONTINUITÉS À TRAVERS LE PRISME DE LA PRÉSIDENTIALISATION DE LA POLITIQUE ÉTRANGÈRE FRANÇAISE L’Université n’entend donner aucune approbation ni improbation aux opinions émises dans le mémoire; ces opinions doivent être considérées comme propres à leurs auteurs. TABLE DES ABRÉVIATIONS IDE : Investissement direct à l’étranger IFRI : Institut français des relations AEIA : Agence internationale de l’énergie internationales atomique INA : Institut national d’administration AFP : Agence France presse MAE : Ministre des Affaires étrangères APE : Analyse de la politique étrangère MAEDI : Ministre des -
INSIDE SYRIA: 18 MONTHS on Conference Report
INSIDE SYRIA: 18 MONTHS ON Conference Report Thursday 20 September 2012 London School of Economics and Political Science TABLE OF CONTENTS Conference Programme 2 Introduction 3 The Regime 3 The Opposition 5 Economic Implications 7 Social Implications 8 Opportunities for Further Research 9 INSIDE SYRIA: 18 MONTHS ON Conference Report 1 CONFERENCE PROGRAMME Panel 1 – Inside The Regime The makeup of the Syrian Leadership, the Military and Shabiha, Business Networks and Alawis What went wrong with the Bashar Al-Assad Presidency? Dr Christopher Phillips, Queen Mary University The Military Balance of Power: The State of the Syrian Army (Retired) Bridgadier General Akil Hashem How Regional and International Factors Impact the Syrian Conflict Ghayth Armanazi, Political Analyst and Former Arab League Ambassador Panel 2 – Inside the Opposition The Nature and Dynamics of the Various Opposition Groups and Movements, Focussing on those Inside Syria The Syrian Opposition: A Balance Sheet Rime Allaf, Chatham House The Syrian Opposition: A View from the Inside Suheir Atassi, National Council of the Damascus Declaration for Democratic Change Armed Groups in Libya: A Comparative Look Brian McQuinn, Oxford University / Centre on Conflict, Development and Peace Building Panel 3 – Identity in Syria The Complex Influences on Identity and Allegiance and how these may affect the Course of the Struggle Violence as a Modality of Government in Syria Professor Salwa Ismail, SOAS Divide, Terrorise and Rule in the Syrian `Black Hole State’ Dr Abdelwahab El-Affendi, -
Islamism Within a Civil War: the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood's Struggle For
RETHINKING POLITICAL ISLAM SERIES August 2015 Islamism within a civil war: The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood’s struggle for survival WORKING PAPER Raphaël Lefèvre, Carnegie Middle East Center SUMMARY: After 30 years in exile outside of Syria, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has become an important component of the western-backed Syrian opposition. Despite its influence, the expansion and radicalization of the Islamist scene in Syria challenges the legitimacy of the Brotherhood’s gradualist approach and constrains its presence on the ground. About this Series: The Rethinking Political Islam series is an innovative effort to understand how the developments following the Arab uprisings have shaped—and in some cases altered—the strategies, agendas, and self-conceptions of Islamist movements throughout the Muslim world. The project engages scholars of political Islam through in-depth research and dialogue to provide a systematic, cross-country comparison of the trajectory of political Islam in 12 key countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, Libya, Pakistan, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia. This is accomplished through three stages: A working paper for each country, produced by an author who has conducted on-the-ground research and engaged with the relevant Islamist actors. A reaction essay in which authors reflect on and respond to the other country cases. A final draft incorporating the insights gleaned from the months of dialogue and discussion. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and policy solutions. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations for policymakers and the public. -
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Articles Titles N Title Writer Abdul-Rahman Al- 1 Tribalism, Ethnicity and Religion Salimi Ethnicity, Tribalism and the Future 2 Burhan Ghalioun of ‘Primitive Societies’ Human Community According to the 3 View of the Holy Qur’an and the Ridhwan Al Sayyid Historic Arab Islamic Experience The Sociology of Nomads and Iraqi 4 Society: with Specific Reference to Faleh Abdul-Jabbar Ali Al-Wardi and Ibn Khaldun The Tribe and the Relationship Muhammad Al- 5 between the Qur'anic Jahiliyya and Rahmuni Ibn Khaldun's Nomadism Tribalism and State in the Era of the Abdullah Al-Said 6 New Nomadism Ould Abah Tribalism: the Key to Understanding 7 Al-Arousi Al-Amri Arab Society, Present and Future Tribe and Religion in Historical and Muhammad bin 8 Anthropological Studies Moosa Hassan Al-Habib Al- 9 Tribe, State and Economy Janhany Religion and ethnicity: between Abdul-Rahman Al- 10 globalization and international Salimi conflict Ethnicity, Tribalism and the Future of ‘Primitive Societies’ Burhan Ghalioun 1- The Concept of Ethnicity Ethnicity, tribal and sectarian conflicts became a main subject for discussion in social and political research domains, not only in the Arab world but also around the globe. However, it is still difficult to agree on a clear and comprehensive definition for ethnicity and its wide horizons. The first mention of the concept may date back to European studies in 1787. It was used to refer to non-Christian nations or groups and mainly related to idolatry. As continuity for the use of this meaning, which referred to whatever was different and negatively distinct from the Christian community, the concept of ethnicity developed(1). -
Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Briefed on Syria Transition Roadmap
Contact: Hart Uhl FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. (202) 828-1228 Email: [email protected] SYRIAN EXPERT HOUSE DELEGATION MEETS WITH DEPUTY MINISTER BOGDANOV Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Briefed on Syria Transition Roadmap Washington, DC – On April 16, 2014, Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies (SCPSS) Executive Director Dr. Radwan Ziadeh and a delegation from the Syrian Expert House met with Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov and other representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Syrian Expert House Delegation included: Dr. Radwan Ziadeh - Executive Director of the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies, President of the Syrian Commission for Transitional Justice Dr. Osama Kadi – President, Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies; Head, Assistance Coordination Unit Dr. Monzer Makhous – Representative in Paris, National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces Dr. Mahmoud al-Hamza – Chairman of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration Abroad In the meeting, the delegation gave a presentation on Syria Transition Roadmap, a document recently published by SCPSS and the Syrian Expert House detailing the Syrian opposition’s vision of the democratic political transition in Syria. The Roadmap covers constitutional reform and rule of law, political and administrative reform, electoral reform and political parties law, security sector reform, economic reform, and transitional justice and national reconciliation. The delegation highlighted the Syrian Expert House’s recommendations on electoral reform, explaining that future elections should be conducted in small districts and be based on a system of proportional representation. In addition, Dr Ziadeh stressed the necessity of reforming the security forces and dividing them into two branches: the national security forces and military intelligence. -
The Interest of States in Accountability for Sexual Violence in Armed
Military Self-Interest in Accountability for Core International Crimes Morten Bergsmo and SONG Tianying (editors) PURL: http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/08dd00/ E-Offprint: Kiki Anastasia Japutra, “The Interest of States in Accountability for Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts: A Case Study of Comfort Women of the Second World War”, in Morten Bergsmo and SONG Tianying (editors), Military Self-Interest in Accountability for Core International Crimes, FICHL Publication Series No. 25 (2015), Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher, Brussels, ISBN 978-82-93081-81-4. First published on 29 May 2015. This publication and other TOAEP publications may be openly accessed and downloaded through the website www.fichl.org. This site uses Persistent URLs (PURL) for all publications it makes available. The URLs of these publications will not be changed. Printed copies may be ordered through online distributors such as www.amazon.co.uk. © Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher, 2015. All rights are reserved. PURL: http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/08dd00/ 10 ______ The Interest of States in Accountability for Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts: A Case Study of Comfort Women of the Second World War Kiki Anastasia Japutra* The term ‘comfort women’ or ianfu (also jugun ianfu or military comfort women) refers to hundreds of thousands of women recruited to serve the Japanese military as sex workers during the Second World War.1 An es- timated 80 per cent were Koreans while the rest comprised women from China, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and the Pacific region. To facilitate this practice, military installations known as so-called comfort stations were established all over Asia, in territories where Japanese troops were de- ployed. -
Bulletin De Liaison Et D'information
INSTITUT KUDE RPARD IS E Bulletin de liaison et d’information n°332 novembre 2012 La publication de ce Bulletin bénéficie de subventions du Ministère français des Affaires étrangères (DGCID) et du Fonds d’action et de soutien pour l’intégration et la lutte contre les discriminations (FASILD) ————— Ce bulletin paraît en français et anglais Prix au numéro : France: 6 € — Etranger : 7,5 € Abonnement annuel (12 numéros) France : 60 € — Etranger : 75 € Périodique mensuel Directeur de la publication : Mohamad HASSAN Numéro de la Commission Paritaire : 659 13 A.S. ISBN 0761 1285 INSTITUT KURDE, 106, rue La Fayette - 75010 PARIS Tél. : 01- 48 24 64 64 - Fax : 01- 48 24 64 66 www.fikp.org E-mail: [email protected] Bulletin de liaison et d’information de l’Institut kurde de Paris N° 332 novembre 2012 • KURDISTAN D’IRAK : FORCES « DIJLA » CONTRE « HAMRIN », KURDES ET IRAKIENS AU BORD DE LA GUERRE • SYRIE : VERS UNE FORCE MILITAIRE UNIFIÉE DES KURDES ? • TURQUIE : DÉCISION DE JUSTICE STUPÉFIANTE DANS L’AFFAIRE PINAR SELEK • CULTURE : MORT DE SHOKROLLAH BABAN • CINEMA : TROIS FILMS KURDES À L’AFFICHE CULTURE KURDISTAN D’IRAK : FORCES « DIJLA » CONTRE « HEMRIN », KURDES ET IRAKIENS AU BORD DE LA GUERRE peine le conflit sur les région est sous la responsabilité pas reconnaître les forces Dijla ni hydrocarbures tempo - des Conseils provinciaux et les croire à leur succès opérationnel. rairement apaisé, c’est mouvements des forces Dijla À au sujet des régions déstabiliseront la sécurité de Loin de baisser le ton, Maliki a kurdes séparées du cette région et en bouleverseront envenimé la polémique en lan - Gouvernement Régional du la réalité politique. -
Syria: Playing Into Their Hands
Syria Playing into their hands Regime and international roles in fuelling violence and fundamentalism in the Syrian war DAVID KEEN Syria Playing into their hands Regime and international roles in fuelling violence and fundamentalism in the Syrian war DAVID KEEN About the author David Keen is a political economist and Professor of Conflict Studies at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he has worked since 1997. He is the author of several books on conflict and related problems, includingUseful Enemies, Complex Emergencies, Endless War? and The Benefits of Famine. Saferworld published a discussion paper by Professor Keen in 2015 entitled Dilemmas of counter-terror, stabilisation and statebuilding, on which this paper builds. Acknowledgements This discussion paper was commissioned as part of Saferworld’s work to challenge counterproductive responses to crises and critical threats and promote peacebuilding options. It has been managed and edited by Larry Attree and Jordan Street for Saferworld. Very valuable comments and advice, on all or parts of the text, were additionally provided by Rana Khalaf, Henry Smith, Fawaz Gerges, Rajesh Venugopal, Stuart Gordon, Paul Kingston, Sune Haugbolle, Leonie Northedge, Shelagh Daley and David Alpher. Any errors are solely the responsibility of the author. The author is grateful to Mary Kaldor at LSE for supporting the fieldwork component of this research, funded by the European Research Council. I am particularly grateful to Ali Ali for his guidance and inside knowledge during fieldwork on the Turkey-Syria border and for subsequent comments. Some people have helped greatly with this report who cannot be individually acknowledged for security reasons and my sincere gratitude extends to them.