The War in Syria: Lessons for the West
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J Street Sides with Israel's Enemies & Works to Destroy Support for Israel
ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA J Street Sides With Israel’s Enemies & Works to Destroy Support for Israel Special Report Including Executive Summary by The Zionist Organization of America by Morton A. Klein, Elizabeth Berney, Esq., and Daniel Mandel, PhD “J Street is one of the most virulent anti-Israel organizations in the history of Zionism and Judaism.” - Prof. Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law School Copyright 2018, Zionist Organization of America CONTENTS Table of Contents . i Executive Summary . ES-00 - ES-13 Full Report . 1 Introduction . 1 I. J Street’s Anti-Israel, Foreign & Muslim Donors, and Its Lies About Them. 1 (1) For years, J Street Falsely Denied that Anti-Zionist Billionaire George Soros Was A Major J Street Funder . 1 (2) J Street’s Arab, Muslim and Foreign Donors . 4 II. J Street’s Interconnected Web Of Extremist Anti-Israel Organizations . 9 (1) J Street Is Part of a Soros-Funded Web of Anti-Israel Organizations . 9 (2) J Street Is Also Part of an Interconnected Web of Extremist Organizations Working to Delegitimize Israel, Founded by and/or Coordinated by J Street President Ben-Ami’s Consulting Firm . 11 III. J Street Persistently Even Opposes Israel’s Existence, Persistently Defames and Condemns Israel, And Has Even Encouraged Anti-Israel Violence. 12 (1) J Street Persistently Maligns and Blames Israel . 12 (2) J Street Speakers Have Called for the End of the Jewish State; and a J Street Official Letter to Congress Supported Those Calling for an End to Israel’s Existence . 15 (3) J Street’s Co-Founder Condemned Israel’s Creation As “Wrong” – A Repeated J Street Theme . -
Signature Redacted Certified By: William Fjricchio Professor of Compa Ive Media Studies Thesis Supervisor Signature Redacted Accepted By
Manufacturing Dissent: Assessing the Methods and Impact of RT (Russia Today) by Matthew G. Graydon B.A. Film University of California, Berkeley, 2008 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE MEDIA STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPARATIVE MEDIA STUDIES AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JUNE 2019 C2019 Matthew G. Graydon. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. S~ri' t A Signature red acted Department of Comparative 6/ledia Studies May 10, 2019 _____Signature redacted Certified by: William fJricchio Professor of Compa ive Media Studies Thesis Supervisor Signature redacted Accepted by: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE Professor of Comparative Media Studies _OF TECHNOLOGY Director of Graduate Studies JUN 1 12019 LIBRARIES ARCHIVES I I Manufacturing Dissent: Assessing the Methods and Impact of RT (Russia Today) by Matthew G. Graydon Submitted to the Department of Comparative Media Studies on May 10, 2019 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Comparative Media Studies ABSTRACT The state-sponsored news network RT (formerly Russia Today) was launched in 2005 as a platform for improving Russia's global image. Fourteen years later, RT has become a self- described tool for information warfare and is under increasing scrutiny from the United States government for allegedly fomenting unrest and undermining democracy. It has also grown far beyond its television roots, achieving a broad diffusion across a variety of digital platforms. -
"Al-Assad" and "Al Qaeda" (Day of CBS Interview)
This Document is Approved for Public Release A multi-disciplinary, multi-method approach to leader assessment at a distance: The case of Bashar al-Assad A Quick Look Assessment by the Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA)1 Part II: Analytical Approaches2 February 2014 Contributors: Dr. Peter Suedfeld (University of British Columbia), Mr. Bradford H. Morrison (University of British Columbia), Mr. Ryan W. Cross (University of British Columbia) Dr. Larry Kuznar (Indiana University – Purdue University, Fort Wayne), Maj Jason Spitaletta (Joint Staff J-7 & Johns Hopkins University), Dr. Kathleen Egan (CTTSO), Mr. Sean Colbath (BBN), Mr. Paul Brewer (SDL), Ms. Martha Lillie (BBN), Mr. Dana Rafter (CSIS), Dr. Randy Kluver (Texas A&M), Ms. Jacquelyn Chinn (Texas A&M), Mr. Patrick Issa (Texas A&M) Edited by: Dr. Hriar Cabayan (JS/J-38) and Dr. Nicholas Wright, MRCP PhD (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) Copy Editor: Mr. Sam Rhem (SRC) 1 SMA provides planning support to Combatant Commands (CCMD) with complex operational imperatives requiring multi-agency, multi-disciplinary solutions that are not within core Service/Agency competency. SMA is accepted and synchronized by Joint Staff, J3, DDSAO and executed by OSD/ASD (R&E)/RSD/RRTO. 2 This is a document submitted to provide timely support to ongoing concerns as of February 2014. 1 This Document is Approved for Public Release 1 ABSTRACT This report suggests potential types of actions and messages most likely to influence and deter Bashar al-Assad from using force in the ongoing Syrian civil war. This study is based on multidisciplinary analyses of Bashar al-Assad’s speeches, and how he reacts to real events and verbal messages from external sources. -
Fractured Walls... New Horizons: Human Rights in the Arab Region
A-PDF MERGER DEMO Fractured Walls... New Horizons Human Rights in the Arab Region Annual Report 2011 (1) Fractured Walls... New Horizons Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies Human Rights in the Arab Region CIHRS Annual Report 2011 Reform Issues (29) Publisher: Cairo Institute for Human Cofounder Rights Studies (CIHRS) Dr. Mohammed El-Sayed Said Address: 21 Abd El-Megid El-Remaly St, 7th Floor, Flat no. 71, Bab El Louk, Cairo. POBox: 117 Maglis ElShaab, Cairo, Egypt President Kamal Jendoubi E-mail address: [email protected] Website: www.cihrs.org Tel: (+202) 27951112- 27963757 Director Bahey eldin Hassan Fax: (+202) 27921913 Cover designer: Kirolos Nathan Layout: Hesham El-Sayed Dep. No: 2012/ 10278 Index card Fractured Walls... New Horizons Human Rights in the Arab Region Annual Report 2010 Publisher: Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) Reform Issues (29), 24cm, 278 Pages, (Cairo) Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (Author) With support from The European Commission The Open Society Foundation (2) Table of Contents Dedication 5 Introduction: The Arab Spring: A Struggle on Three Fronts 7 Part One: Limits of the “Arab Spring” 23 Report Summary: Human Rights in the Context of the “Arab Spring” 25 The “Arab Spring” at the United Nations: Between Hope and Despair 45 Part Two: Human Rights in the Arab World 81 Section One – The Problem of Human Rights and Democracy 81 1- Egypt 83 2- Tunisia 103 3- Algeria 119 4- Morocco 129 5- Syria 143 6- Saudi Arabia 159 7- Bahrain 173 Section Two – Countries under Occupation and Armed Conflict -
Shifting Gears: Hts’S Evolving Use of Svbieds During the Idlib Offensive of 2019-20
SHIFTING GEARS: HTS’S EVOLVING USE OF SVBIEDS DURING THE IDLIB OFFENSIVE OF 2019-20 HUGO KAAMAN OCTOBER 2020 POLICY PAPER CONTENTS SUMMARY Since May 2019, a series of Syrian loyalist offensives backed by the Russian * 1 BACKGROUND air force has gradually encroached upon the country’s northwestern Idlib Province, home to the last major pocket of opposition-held territory. As the chief rebel group in control of Idlib, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has * 5 THE 2019 OFFENSIVE employed dozens of suicide car bombs as part of its continued defense of the area. Formally known as suicide vehicle-born improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs), these weapons have been a cornerstone of the group’s * 13 DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, — and by extension, the entire opposition’s — military strategy since early stages of the war, when rebel forces began capturing and holding territory. AND PROCEDURES In an attempt to further understand this strategy and how it has evolved over time, this case study seeks to compare and contrast HTS’s past and current use of SVBIEDs, with a heavy focus on the latter. It will also examine * 19 CONCLUSION HTS’s evolving SVBIED design, paying particular attention to technical innovations such as environment-specific paint schemes, drone support teams, tablets with target coordinates, and live camera feeds, as well as * 20 ENDNOTES upgraded main charges. MAP OF HTS SVBIED ATTACKS, 2019-20 Cover photo: An up-armored SVBIED based on a pick-up truck used by HTS against a Syrian loyalist position near Abu Dali/Mushayrifa in eastern Hama on Oct. -
“We've Never Seen Such Horror”
Syria HUMAN “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror” RIGHTS Crimes against Humanity by Syrian Security Forces WATCH “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror” Crimes against Humanity by Syrian Security Forces Copyright © 2011 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-778-7 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org June 2011 1-56432-778-7 “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror” Crimes against Humanity by Syrian Security Forces Summary .................................................................................................................................... 1 Note on Methodology .................................................................................................................. 7 I. Timeline of Protest and Repression in Syria ............................................................................ 8 II. Crimes against Humanity and Other Violations in Daraa ...................................................... -
'The Kremlin's Sleight of Hand'
HJS 'The Kremlin's Sleight of Hand' Report NEW_HJS 'The Kremlin's Sleight of Hand' Report NEW.qxd 05/10/2018 11:44 Page 1 THE KREMLIN’S SLEIGHT OF HAND: RUSSIA’S SOFT POWER OFFENSIVE IN THE UK BY Dr AnDrew FoxAll PolicY PAPer no. 3 (2015) DEMOCRACY | FREEDOM | HUMAN RIGHTS February 2015 HJS 'The Kremlin's Sleight of Hand' Report NEW_HJS 'The Kremlin's Sleight of Hand' Report NEW.qxd 05/10/2018 11:44 Page 2 originally published in 2015 by The Henry Jackson Society. This edition published in 2018. The Henry Jackson Society Millbank Tower 21-24 Millbank london Sw1P 4QP registered charity no. 1140489 Tel: +44 (0)20 7340 4520 www.henryjacksonsociety.org © The Henry Jackson Society, 2015. All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and are not necessarily indicative of those of The Henry Jackson Society or its Trustees. Title: “THe KreMlin’S SleigHT oF HAnD: ruSSiA’S SoFT Power oFFenSive in THe uK” By: Dr Andrew Foxall HJS 'The Kremlin's Sleight of Hand' Report NEW_HJS 'The Kremlin's Sleight of Hand' Report NEW.qxd 05/10/2018 11:44 Page 3 THe KreMlin’S SleigHT oF HAnD Summary • russian foreign policy has become more assertive and revisionist under the leadership of President Putin. while russia’s use of hard power has received much attention, particularly since the 2008 russo-georgian war, the Kremlin’s use of soft power – with the exception of russia’s international rolling-news channel, RT (formerly Russia Today ) – has gone largely unnoticed. -
Demonizing the Russian Media: Shoot the Messenger and Obscure the Message
Demonizing the Russian Media: Shoot the Messenger and Obscure The Message RT in the Eye of a Media Storm By Danny Schechter Region: Russia and FSU Global Research, March 08, 2014 Theme: Media Disinformation In-depth Report: UKRAINE REPORT James Kirchick is just the neutral reporter the Daily Beast would assign to report on the ideological controversy surrounding the Russian backed RT-TV Channel’s coverage of the crisis in the Ukraine. The Beast lives up to its name by sending a hardcore polemical ideologue to uncover what he predictably labels as ideological media bias. Kirchickis a veteran of the anti-communist wars, now revived as the anti Putin wars, not some neutral journo crusading for democracy. According to Wikipedia, he is a fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, prior to this he was writer-at-large for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He is a graduate of the New Republic, Murdoch’s Weekly Standard and writes for Azure, a magazine that described itself as pro-Zionist and freemarket. Ok, just so we know who are dealing with here. And now, to bolster his “credibility” he presents himself as a victim in his latest article that exposes himself, far more than his target, asserting that his rights as a journalist were somehow compromised because of a gutsy quest for truth. Here’s his exhibit: •The Headline: “Watch RT, Putin’s TV Network, Call the Cops on Me” •The Lead:“That’s what happens, it seems, when you ask some simple questions outside RT’s Washington headquarters.” •The Polemic: “What would possess an American to work for a Russian propaganda outlet, especially now that the world is on the brink of a potential war in Eastern Europe? I asked that question of about two dozen people coming in and out of the Washington headquarters of RT, the Kremlin-funded television network that has become infamous in recent days for whitewashing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. -
Access Denied UN Aid Deliveries to Syria’S Besieged and Hard-To-Reach Areas
Physicians for Human Rights Access Denied UN Aid Deliveries to Syria’s Besieged and Hard-to-Reach Areas March 2017 Death by infection because security forces do not allow antibiotics through checkpoints. Death in childbirth because relentless bombing blocks access to clinics. Death from diabetes and kidney disease because medicines to treat chronic illnesses ran out months ago. Death from trauma because snipers stand between injured children and functioning hospitals. And – everywhere – slow, painful death by starvation. This is what one million besieged people – trapped mostly by their own government – face every day in Syria. This is the unseen suffering – hidden under the shadow of barrel bombs and car bombs – that plagues the Syrian people as they enter a seventh grim year of conflict. This is murder by siege. Cover: Syrians unloading an aid Contents Acknowledgements convoy in the opposition-held 3 Introduction This report was written by Elise Baker, town of Harasta in May 2016, the 4 Methodology and Limitations research coordinator at Physicians for first UN interagency convoy to 5 Besiegement and Aid: 2011-2015 Human Rights (PHR). The report benefitted reach people trapped there since 6 2016 Aid Deliveries: Access from review by PHR staff, including the start of a government siege in Denied, Blocked, or Limited DeDe Dunevant, director of communications, 2013. However, the delivery only by Syrian Authorities Carolyn Greco, senior U.S. policy associate, provided aid for 10,000 people – 14 Conclusion Donna McKay, executive director, about half the area’s population – 15 Recommendations Marianne Møllmann, director of research and and crucial medical supplies, 16 Endnotes investigations, and Susannah Sirkin, director including surgical and burn kits, of international policy and partnerships. -
Syrian Artists: Between Freedom and Oppression Most Notable Violations Against Artists in Syria
Syrian Artists: Between Freedom and Oppression 1 Syrian Artists: Between Freedom and Oppression Most Notable Violations against Artists in Syria الشبكــــة السوريــة لحقـوق اإلنســان June 2015 Syrian Network for Human Rights 28 Syrian Artists: Between Freedom and Oppression 2 Contents First: Executive Summary ........................................... 3 Second: Introduction ................................................... 4 Third: Government forces ........................................... 7 Fourth: Armed opposition ........................................... 37 Fifth: Extremist groups ............................................... 39 Sixth: Unidentified Groups ......................................... 42 Seventh: Evidences and Attachments ......................... 44 Acknowledgment ........................................................ 50 الشبكــــة السوريــة لحقـوق اإلنســان June 2015 Syrian Network for Human Rights 28 Syrian Artists: Between Freedom and Oppression 3 First: Executive Summary Violations against artists are as follows: - First: Extrajudicial killing: SNHR documented the killing of 22 artists: - Government forces: killed 14 artists including four artists who were tortured to death - Armed opposition: killed four artists - Extremist groups: Daesh killed one artist -Unidentified armed groups: killed three artists - Second: Arrest and kidnapping: we recording 57 arrest-and-kidnapping cas- es: - Government forces: 50 cases including nine artists who are still un- der arrest or forcibly-disappeared. - Armed opposition: -
Final Report out of Sight, out of Mind: the Aftermath of Syria's Sieges
Final Report Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Aftermath of Syria’s Sieges Colophon ISBN: 978-94-92487-33-9 PAX serial number: PAX/2019/02 About PAX PAX works with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build just peace. PAX operates independently of political interests. www.paxforpeace.nl / P.O. Box 19318 / 3501 DH Utrecht, The Netherlands / [email protected] This report was written by Valerie Szybala and the PAX team. We deeply thank Siege Watch’s voluntary network of reporting contacts who communicated with the project team over the years, for your openness, generosity and patience. We have been inspired and humbled by your strength through adversity, and will continue to support your search for justice and peace. Siege Watch Final Report Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Aftermath of Syria’s Sieges PAX ! Siege Watch - Final Report 3 Table of Contents Foreword 06 Executive summary 08 Introduction 11 Part 1: An Overview of Syria’s Sieges 13 1. Understanding the Sieges 14 Defining Syria’s Sieges 14 The Evolution of the Sieges 15 2. The International Response 22 UN Efforts 22 Designation and Reporting 23 Response to Forced Surrenders 25 UN Humanitarian Aid 26 Multilateral Initiatives 27 Donor Support 29 3. Violations of International Law 30 Humanitarian Access 31 Forced Population Transfers 31 Attacks 32 Detention and Disappearance 34 Post-Surrender Violations 35 Part 2: The Lasting Impacts of Sieges: Needs, Priorities, and Goals 37 4. Meeting Siege Victims’ Needs 38 General Needs 38 Post-Surrender Communities 39 Internally Displaced Persons 42 Refugees 43 5: Reconstruction 46 The Challenge 46 The Response 48 6. -
Should Russia's RT Register As a Foreign Agent?
AtlanticAtlantic Council Council DINU PATRICIU EURASIA CENTER DINU PATRICIU EURASIA CENTER Should Russia’s RT Register as a Foreign Agent? AGENT OF INFLUENCE Should Russia’s RT Register as a Foreign Agent? By ElenaBy Elena Postnikova Postnikova Foreword by Alina Polyakova AGENT OF INFLUENCE By Elena Postnikova The author would like to thank Judge James Baker, a visiting professor of National Security at Georgetown University Law Center and former Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and Thomas Firestone of Baker McKenzie for their thoughtful comments and guidance in preparing this project. ISBN: 978-1-61977-408-7 This report is written and published in accordance with the Atlantic Council Policy on Intellectual Independence. The author is solely responsible for its analysis and recommendations. The Atlantic Council and its donors do not determine, nor do they necessarily endorse or advocate for, any of this report’s conclusions. August 2017 Table of Contents Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................1 Foreword ............................................................................................................................................2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................3 Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 .............................................................................