DOCSLIB.ORG

Briefing Paper Syrian Independent Exile

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Briefing Paper Syrian Independent Exile November 2020 – by Biljana Tatomir, Enrico de Angelis and Maryia Sadouskaya-Komlach Briefing Paper Syrian Independent Exile Media Syria IMS Briefing Paper – Syrian Independent Exile Media Published in Denmark by IMS in 2019 Editor Rune Friberg Lyme Design NR2154 Publisher IMS ISBN 978-87-9220-965-8 © 2020 IMS The content of this publication is copyright protected. International Media Support is happy to share the text in the publication with you under the Creative Commons Attribution- ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a summary of this license, please visit https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Join the global work for press freedom and stay up to date on media issues worldwide forfreemedia InternationalMediaSupport IMS is a non-profit organisation working to support local media in countries affected by armed conflict, human insecurity and political transition. www.mediasupport.org IMS Briefing Paper / 1 Contents 2 Introduction 6 Executive Summary Part 1 Part 2 14 Part I Independent exile media globally — practices, policies and lessons learned 30 Part II Syrian exile media organisations and institutions 56 Annex Annex I: Methodology Annex II b): List of interviews Annex II c) 2 / Syrian Independent Exile Media Introduction IMS Briefing Paper / 3 This study focuses on the Syrian inde- Within a relatively short time-frame in trying to silence independent voices pendent exile media (SEM) organisa- of eight years, the sector went through is just one source of extreme insecu- tions and institutions that have devel- several distinct phases. The first phase rity and threat to the safety of those oped since the 2011 uprising. These (2011) was sudden and chaotic, as media trying to practise independent jour- media emerged and developed amid a outlets mushroomed, with many open- nalism in Syria. Syrian journalists are war of unprecedented scope and com- ing and closing shortly afterwards. Dur- persecuted by both state and non-state plexity; a war that has taken a heavy ing this period, media emanated directly actors. According to Reporters With- toll on Syria’s civilians and displaced from the uprising, in particular from out Borders’ 2017 report, 211 journalists a huge portion of its population. The actors belonging to peaceful move- and citizen journalists have been killed dynamics of the war and its impact on ments. Between 2011 and 2012, inde- in Syria’s civil war and “Syria has for the ground forced most if not all of the pendent media began to flourish in a dis- years been the world’s deadliest coun- independent media organisations and ordered but lively manner. This phase try for journalists and citizen journal- institutions that emerged after 2011 to was characterised by the first efforts to ists, who are caught between the Assad leave Syria. shift from media activism to more pro- regime and its allies, Islamic State and fessional media production. Activists many other radical Jihadi groups, and The development of the Syrian inde- and new journalists still widely believed the Kurdish forces.” 1 pendent media organisations and insti- that the regime would rapidly fall, pav- tutions was itself a kind of revolution ing the way to a transition to democracy. The case of the Syrian independent that challenged and provided an alter- The period between 2013 and 2015 saw media sector proves that professional native to the highly controlled, vertical the establishment of more media organ- development and achievement is pos- structure that characterised the pre-war isations and their move towards profes- sible even in the most extreme situa- Syrian media landscape. The result of sionalisation. As the security situation on tions. Efforts to consolidate the media this development after eight years is a the ground worsened, they were forced organisations professionally and institu- distinctly independent media sector that to move their operations abroad either tionally continues, even if, with far less is plural and diverse in nature. It exists partially or completely. Since 2016, even support available, many media organ- outside the framework of either state or more media and journalists have been isations are closing or have been con- corporate ownership; it is founded and forced to leave the country. sidering doing so. A number of media led by individuals with no links to any organisations are trying to adjust their political or other interest-based group, It should not be forgotten that the Syr- strategies to survive amid the crisis while and who are committed to professional ian alternative and independent media maintaining their professional develop- values. For these reasons, in terms of sector developed not only against the ment. In other words, the Syrian alterna- both ownership and content, the sector backdrop of war but against the back- tive and independent media sector is at can be considered independent. drop of systemic persecution of inde- a crossroads. Ironically, while the sec- pendent actors. The regime’s brutality tor is much more advanced and mature 4 / Syrian Independent Exile Media The alternative and independent media sector …embodies invaluable democratic and professional capital. If lost because of a lack of support today, it will be hard to re-build it later. than at any point in its recent history, it MENA region, which is, according to are well positioned, as their journalists faces an uncertain future, as the mini- a Freedom House report in 2017, the for the most part belong to the same gen- mum donor support required to ensure second-worst region for press freedom eration as their target audience (and thus its survival seems to be unavailable at (where 16 of the region’s 20 countries share their sensibility). They are also the moment. are classified as not free).2 There is no technology-savvy, and have the poten- evidence that this negative trend can be tial to tap into their audience’s chang- The relevance of the Syrian alternative reversed in the short- to medium-term, ing preferences and habits. and independent media sector and its as the major drivers originate from the role in the formation of an alternative re-consolidation of authoritarianism that It is highly relevant what type of media discourse in the Syrian public sphere varies in its intensity from one country will continue to influence the public cannot be denied. It is quite an unprec- to another. Finally, the global trends sphere now as well as during the post-war edented phenomenon for an independent are negative, too. These are the ele- period. There are hardly any grounds for media sector to evolve and exist as the ments of a broader context to be taken thinking that post-war Syria will embark only alternative to state- and factions- into account when it comes to strate- on political transformation (one that is influenced media, and it has the poten- gic considerations about Syrian alter- democratically oriented) and media tial (if it survives) to play a significant native and independent media organ- landscape reform. The moment to act is role in the post-conflict period. isations and institutions. now, rather than in the future post-war period. The alternative and independent The end of the Syrian civil war is not yet On the plus side, the Syrian independent media sector now operating in exile has clearly on the horizon. Nevertheless, the media sector faces opportunities deriv- the potential to contribute to peace and kind of media environment that will be ing from other regional trends. One trend reconciliation, accountability and trans- created by peace and post-war arrange- with long-term transformational poten- parency. The sector embodies invalua- ments matters even more for the future tial, particularly in its effect on younger ble democratic and professional capi- of the independent media organisations populations across the MENA region, tal. If lost because of a lack of support and institutions. Guarantees of freedom is “digital disruption”. The media land- today, it will be hard to re-build it later. of expression and to independent media scape is undergoing a paradigm shift, The sector’s development and progress to operate freely in Syria have not been one where the region’s developing infra- could be short-lived if its very survival part of any talks so far. Some of the structure alongside changing consumer becomes uncertain. countries involved in the war, as well as behaviour and growing demand for Ara- some of those attempting to take more bic-language content and specific for- The role of local media is undisputed, prominent role as “brokers of peace”, are mats are all relevant for Syrian alterna- as other comparative conflict and post- known for their own dismal records vis- tive and independent media, regardless conflict frameworks prove. Though oper- à-vis freedom of expression and media of whether they are digital-only or use ating in exile out of necessity, the Syr- freedom. The same applies to the entire multiple platforms. In that regard, they ian alternative and independent media IMS Briefing Paper / 5 organisations and institutions retain all that these outlets play a role today that of the prerogatives of local media: they cannot be limited to the vision of a have been set up and are run by Syri- future transition, but rather is relevant ans, they are focused on locally relevant today. They already constitute an actor topics and target a local audience, they that competes with and confronts other rely on reporters’ networks in Syria, and media actors on the scene: governmental they are de-facto local media with tem- and private, regional and international. porary headquarters abroad. Moving away from a transition para- We hope that this study provides the digm, in other words, would enable us foundation for compelling arguments to better assess the value of the media in favour of immediate and sustained considered in this report, as well as their support for the independent media sec- future prospects.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Syria: "Torture Was My Punishment": Abductions, Torture and Summary
    ‘TORTURE WAS MY PUNISHMENT’ ABDUCTIONS, TORTURE AND SUMMARY KILLINGS UNDER ARMED GROUP RULE IN ALEPPO AND IDLEB, SYRIA Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2016 Cover photo: Armed group fighters prepare to launch a rocket in the Saif al-Dawla district of the Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on 21 April 2013. (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. © Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2016 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: MDE 24/4227/2016 July 2016 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 METHODOLOGY 7 1. BACKGROUND 9 1.1 Armed group rule in Aleppo and Idleb 9 1.2 Violations by other actors 13 2. ABDUCTIONS 15 2.1 Journalists and media activists 15 2.2 Lawyers, political activists and others 18 2.3 Children 21 2.4 Minorities 22 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Mapping Accountability Efforts in Syria
    MAPPING ACCOUNTABILITY EFFORTS IN SYRIA Prepared by the Public International Law & Policy Group February 2013 PILPG Syria Transitional Justice Mapping Evaluation, February 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of Purpose 1 Introduction 1 Background on the Syrian Conflict 2 Methodology 4 Legal Framework for Transitional Justice in Syria 5 Syria’s International Legal Obligations 5 International Criminal Law 5 International Humanitarian Law 10 International Human Rights Law 15 Syria’s Domestic Legal Framework 16 The Syrian Penal Code 16 Amnesties in Transitional Justice 18 Amnesties Issued by the Syrian Government 19 Structure of the Syrian Judicial System 22 Supreme Judicial Council 23 Syrian Court Structure 23 Judicial Independence 26 The Transitional Justice Evidence Documentation Process 27 TJE Collection 28 TJE Compilation 28 Facilitation and Training 29 Other Activities 29 TJE Collection in Syria 30 Syrian Groups and Organizations 30 Civil Society Organizations 30 News Agencies 31 International Organizations 31 Intergovernmental Organizations and Bodies 31 Governmental Initiatives 32 Non-governmental Organizations 32 PILPG Syria Transitional Justice Mapping Evaluation, February 2013 News Agencies 33 Needs and Challenges for TJE Documentation Efforts in Syria 33 Deteriorating Security Situation in Syria 34 Coordinating Efforts 35 Lack of Comprehensive International Legal Approach 36 Inconsistent Verification Standards 37 Reaching All Affected Areas and Populations 37 Rape and Sexual Violence 38 Unbiased Documentation of Violations by All
    [Show full text]
  • The Data Journalism Handbook
    THE DATA JOURNALISM HANDBOOK Towards a Critical Data Practice Edited by Liliana Bounegru and Jonathan Gray 1 Bounegru & Gray (eds.) The Data Journalism Handbook “This is a stellar collection that spans applied and scholarly perspectives on practices of data journalism, rich with insights into the work of making data tell stories.” − Kate Crawford, New York University + Microsoft Research New York; author of Atlas of AI “Researchers sometimes suffer from what I call journalist-envy. Journalists, after all, write well, meet deadlines, and don’t take decades to complete their research. But the journalistic landscape has changed in ways that scholars should heed. A new, dynamic field—data journalism—is flourishing, one that makes the boundaries between our fields less rigid and more interesting. This exciting new volume interrogates this important shift, offering journalists and researchers alike an engaging, critical introduction to this field. Spanning the globe, with an impressive variety of data and purposes, the essays demonstrate the promise and limits of this form of journalism, one that yields new investigative strategies, one that warrants analysis. Perhaps new forms of collaboration will also emerge, and envy can give way to more creative relations.” − Wendy Espeland, Northwestern University; co-author of Engines of Anxiety: Academic Rankings, Reputation, and Accountability “It is now established that data is entangled with politics and embedded in history and society. This bountiful book highlights the crucial role of data journalists
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Eighteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties / Dix
    Eighteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties / Dix-huitième session de la Conférence des Parties / Decimoctava reunión de la Conferencia de las Partes Geneva (Switzerland), 17-28 August 2019, Genève (Suisse), 17-28 août 2019, Ginebra (Suiza), 17-28 de Agosto de 2019 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS / LISTE DES PARTICIPANTS / LISTA DE PARTICIPANTES [1,694 participant(e)s] PARTIES / PARTES Afghanistan Mr. Ezatullah SEDIQI Afghanistan Mr. Jalaludin NASERI Afghanistan Mr. Qais SAHAR Algeria H.E. Mr. Boudjemaa DELMI Algeria Ms. Ouahida BOUCEKKINE Algeria Mr. Ali MAHMOUDI Algeria Mr. Hichem AYADAT Angola H.E. Ms. Paula Cristina COELHO Angola H.E. Ms. Margarida IZATA Angola Ms. Albertina Nzuzi MATIAS Angola Ms. Esperanca Maria E Francisco DA COSTA Angola Mr. Lucas Marculino MIRANDA Angola Mr. Soki KUEDIKUENDA Angola Mr. Lucas Ramos Dos SANTOS Angola Mr. Velasco Cavaco CHIPALANGA Angola Ms. Violante Isilda de Azevedo PEREIRA Angola Ms. Custodia Canjimba SINELA Angola Ms. Tamar RON Angola Mr. Miguel Nvambanu KINAVUIDI Angola Mr. Olivio Afonso PANDA Angola Mr. Alberto Samy GUIMARAES Angola Mr. Antonio NASCIMENTO Antigua and Barbuda Ms. Tricia LOVELL Antigua and Barbuda Mr. Daven JOSEPH Argentina H.E. Mr. Carlos Mario FORADORI Argentina Ms. Vanesa Patricia TOSSENBERGER Argentina Mr. Germán PROFFEN Armenia Ms. Natalya SAHAKYAN Australia Ms. Sarah GOWLAND Australia Ms. Rhedyn OLLERENSHAW Australia Mr. Damian WRIGLEY Australia Mr. Nicholas BOYLE Australia Mr. Cameron KERR Australia Mr. John GIBBS Austria Mr. Maximilian ABENSPERG-TRAUN 1 Austria Mr. Martin ROSE Austria Ms. Gerald BENYR Austria Ms. Nadja ZIEGLER Azerbaijan Ms. Gunel MAMMADLI Bahamas Mr. Maurice ISAACS Bahamas Ms. Deandra DELANCEY-MILFORT Bahamas Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • MEMP Received November 6, 2009 -- November 1, 2010
    MEMP Received November 6, 2009 -- November 1, 2010 TITLE = al-Dawah. IMPRINT = London, United Kingdom. IDENTITY = MF [Neg MF]; Oct. 2004-Jul. 2006; 2 reels. NOTE = Rec'd from filmer 10-5-2010. TITLE = Ittihad al-Sha'b. IMPRINT = Baghdad, Iraq. IDENTITY = MF [Neg MF]; Jan. 1959-Sept. 1960; 3 reels. NOTE = Rec'd from filmer 8-16-10. TITLE = Kurdistan. IMPRINT = Iran. IDENTITY = MF [Neg MF]; 1979-1999, 4 reels. NOTE = Rec'd from filmer 8-16-10. TITLE = Library of Congree Arabic Pamphlet Collection Part 2 NOTE = 39 titles on 89 reels received by 8-16-10. TITLE = al-Nur IMPRINT = Dimashq : al-Ḥizb al-Shuyūī al-Sūrī, NOTE = Rec’d 2 reels (Apr. 13, 2005-May 28, 2008) 12-23-09. TITLE = Sirwan. IMPRINT = Sanadaj, Iran. IDENTITY = MF [Neg MF]; May 2000-Nov. 2005; 3 reels. NOTE = Rec'd 3 reels from filmer. 9-21-10. MEMP On Order November 6, 2009 -- November 1, 2010 TITLE = Baghdad Times. IMPRINT = Baghdad, Iraq. IDENTITY = MF; 1918-1922; 3 reels. NOTE = Ordered 9-28-10. TITLE = Hilal. IMPRINT = Istanbul, Turkey. IDENTITY = MF; 1918; 1 reel. NOTE = Ordered 9-28-10 jea. TITLE = Lloyd Ottoman. IDENTITY = MF; 1917-1918; 2 reels. NOTE = Ordered 9-28-10. TITLE = Orient News. IMPRINT = Instanbul, Turkey. IDENTITY = MF; 1919-1922; 6 reels. NOTE = Ordered 9-28-10. TITLE = Sicilli Ticaret Gazetesi ve Piyasa Cedveli. IMPRINT = Istanbul, Turkey. IDENTITY = MF [Neg. MF]; Oct. 1951-Mar. 1953; 1 reel. NOTE = Sent 1 reel (4 issues from Oct. 1951-Mar. 1953) 10-13-10. TITLE = Times of Mesopotamia.
    [Show full text]
  • Us Policy Toward Syria
    U.S. POLICY TOWARD SYRIA (PART II) HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION NOVEMBER 29, 2018 Serial No. 115–175 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs ( Available: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/, http://docs.house.gov, or http://www.govinfo.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 33–366PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 18:15 Dec 20, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 Z:\WORK\_MENA\112918\33366 SHIRL COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California DANA ROHRABACHER, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey JOE WILSON, South Carolina GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida TED POE, Texas KAREN BASS, California DARRELL E. ISSA, California WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID N. CICILLINE, Rhode Island MO BROOKS, Alabama AMI BERA, California PAUL COOK, California LOIS FRANKEL, Florida SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas TED S. YOHO, Florida ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania LEE M. ZELDIN, New York DINA TITUS, Nevada DANIEL M. DONOVAN, JR., New York NORMA J. TORRES, California F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER, Illinois Wisconsin THOMAS R. SUOZZI, New York ANN WAGNER, Missouri ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York BRIAN J. MAST, Florida TED LIEU, California FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida BRIAN K.
    [Show full text]
  • P13:Layout 1
    Friday 13 International Friday, November 30, 2018 After killing, defiant Syria town march on Syrians in Kafranbel keep the revolutionary spirit alive KAFRANBEL: Gunmen may have killed their bel was rocked by fighting between regime most charismatic activist, but Syrians in Kafran- fighters and defectors from Assad’s army, soon bel are determined to keep the northwestern slipping out of the government’s control. “I have town’s revolutionary spirit alive. The gunning a dream. Let freedom ring from Kafranbel,” said down of Raed Fares on Friday was the latest one sign that year in English, playing on the blow to what remains of the dwindling civil so- town’s name and echoing the words of Martin ciety movement that rose up against President Luther King. Another poster the same year com- Bashar Al-Assad in 2011. plained of congested skies. “We demand a po- “We lost Raed Fares but he represented an liceman be appointed to regulate war plane idea that will not die,” 26-year-old activist Ab- traffic,” it said in Arabic, signed “Liberated dallah Al-Dani said, standing in front of a wall of Kafranbel”. At Christmas approached, Kafranbel graffiti calling for freedom. Seven years into a sent a message to the pope. “Merry Christmas brutal civil war, Kafranbel lies in the last major from Syria, the land where Assad killed Santa rebel bastion in the country, and is controlled by Claus,” it said in bold black Roman letters. By a powerful alliance led by former Al-Qaeda ji- 2015, Kafranbel was part of a large region under hadists.
    [Show full text]
  • HTS's Offline Propaganda
    HTS’s Offline Propaganda: Infrastructure, Engagement and Monopoly Haid Haid ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research is indebted to the generous support and contribution of all Syrian interviewees who shared their knowledge and experiences, especially Obaida Amer, Orwa Khalifa, Sultan, Muhammed and Mustafa. The author is also grateful to Inna Rudolf, Charlie Winter, Johanna Fürst at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) for their support in bringing this paper to fruition. Grateful acknowledgment also goes to Aymenn Al-Tamimi and Ali El Yassir who have enriched the findings of the research with their input and feedback. CONTACT DETAILS For questions, queries and additional copies of this report, please contact: ICSR King’s College London Strand London WC2R 2LS United Kingdom T. +44 20 7848 2098 E. [email protected] Twitter: @icsr_centre Like all other ICSR publications, this report can be downloaded free of charge from the ICSR website at www.icsr.info. © ICSR 2019 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 5 Semi-formal In-house Outreach Infrastructure 7 Ebaa Newspaper 7 Maktab al-dawa wa al-irshad [Dawa and Guidance Office] 9 Semi-independent Networks and Institutions 11 Affiliate Religious Education and Dawa Centres 11 Sawaed al-khir [Goodwill Corps] 14 The Salvation Government 16 Means of Engagement 19 Restricting the Flow of Information 23 Conclusion 27 1 HTS’s Offline Propaganda: Infrastructure, Engagement and Monopoly 2 HTS’s Offline Propaganda: Infrastructure, Engagement and Monopoly Executive Summary • Propaganda has long been central to violent jihadi groups as a means to disseminate their ideology, terrify their enemies, attract recruits and collect donations.
    [Show full text]
  • Idlib and Its Environs Narrowing Prospects for a Rebel Holdout REUTERS/KHALIL ASHAWI REUTERS/KHALIL
    THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY ■ FEBRUARY 2020 ■ PN75 Idlib and Its Environs Narrowing Prospects for a Rebel Holdout REUTERS/KHALIL ASHAWI REUTERS/KHALIL By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi Greater Idlib and its immediate surroundings in northwest Syria—consisting of rural northern Latakia, north- western Hama, and western Aleppo—stand out as the last segment of the country held by independent groups. These groups are primarily jihadist, Islamist, and Salafi in orientation. Other areas have returned to Syrian government control, are held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), or are held by insurgent groups that are entirely constrained by their foreign backers; that is, these backers effectively make decisions for the insurgents. As for insurgents in this third category, the two zones of particular interest are (1) the al-Tanf pocket, held by the U.S.-backed Jaish Maghaweer al-Thawra, and (2) the areas along the northern border with Turkey, from Afrin in the west to Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain in the east, controlled by “Syrian © 2020 THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. AYMENN JAWAD AL-TAMIMI National Army” (SNA) factions that are backed by in Idlib province that remained outside insurgent control Turkey and cannot act without its approval. were the isolated Shia villages of al-Fua and Kafarya, This paper considers the development of Idlib and whose local fighters were bolstered by a small presence its environs into Syria’s last independent center for insur- of Lebanese Hezbollah personnel serving in a training gents, beginning with the province’s near-full takeover by and advisory capacity.3 the Jaish al-Fatah alliance in spring 2015 and concluding Charles Lister has pointed out that the insurgent suc- at the end of 2019, by which time Jaish al-Fatah had cesses in Idlib involved coordination among the various long ceased to exist and the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir rebel factions in the northwest.
    [Show full text]
  • Affecting Factors in Information Security Policy Compliance: Combine Organisational Factors and User Habits
    Affecting Factors in Information Security Policy Compliance: Combine Organisational Factors and User Habits Angraini1,4, Rose Alinda Alias2 and Okfalisa3 1School of Computing, Faculty Engineering, University Technology Malaysia, 81310 Johor, Malaysia 2Department of Information System, Azman Hashim International Business School, University Technology Malaysia,81310 Johor Malaysia 3Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim, Pekanbaru, Riau 4Department of Information System, Faculty Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim, Pekanbaru, Riau [email protected] Abstract. Information security policy compliance is one concern of organisations to improve information security, including universities. Previous research has shown that factors that influence user compliance can come from user behaviour and from within the organisation. This study aims to explore the factors of organisation and user habits that affect user compliance with information security policies. The research model proposed used organisational commitment, organisational culture, reward, and habit variables—this research conducted with a case study of public universities in Indonesia by using an online survey. The results indicated that the factors derived from organisational commitment established a positive influence on the user’s respectful behaviour. The insignificant organisational culture and reward affected information security policies. User habits also influenced user behaviour in maintaining information security. Keywords: compliance, information security policy, organisation commitment, organisation culture, habit. 1 Introduction There has been a growth in research to devote more attention to information security due to a significant increase in threats and attacks on information security. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that a business will fall victim to ransomware attacks every 14 seconds in 2019 and every 11 seconds in 2021 [1].
    [Show full text]
  • PREVENTING the FALL of ALEPPO a Strategic Analysis of Regime Barrel Bombings and ISIS Influence in Aleppo Province
    PREVENTING THE FALL OF ALEPPO A Strategic Analysis of Regime Barrel Bombings and ISIS Influence in Aleppo Province. URGENT ACTION is needed to prevent the ascendancy of both the Assad regime and ISIS in Syria’s most populous province. Mohammad Alaa Ghanem and Shlomo Bolts www.sacouncil.com February 2014 About the Authors Mohammed Alaa Ghanem is the Senior Political Adviser, Government Relations Director, and Strategist for the Syrian American Council in Washington D.C. He holds a master’s degree in Peacebuilding and conflict transformation. Ghanem was a professor at the University of Damascus, and has been involved in the Syrian revolution since its early days a peaceful protest movement. He has briefed U.S. government officials and policy makers in the executive branch and in Congress. His work and scholarship connect U.S. policy-makers and the Syrian American community with the revolution inside Syria. This connection is made possible by his extensive network of contacts at all levels of the Syrian opposition, his frequent trips to the ‘liberated areas’ in Syria, and his routine participation in international political and academic conferences on Syria. Applying his knowledge of American politics and international relations, he advises the local administrative councils emerging in liberated areas across Syria on foreign relations. In early 2013, he participated in monitoring the elections of the first democratically elected government in Aleppo. Ghanem is also a fellow with the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies. At SCPSS, he has been in involved in SCPSS’ Syria Transition Roadmap, an ambitious post- Assad transition project. Ghanem is frequently quoted in the media, and his Op-Eds have appeared in the Washington Post and Foreign Policy MEC.
    [Show full text]
  • Expert Report of David Kaye with Exhibits 1 to 13
    Case 1:16-cv-01423-ABJ Document 42-15 Filed 03/22/18 Page 1 of 217 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CATHLEEN COLVIN et al., Civil No. 1:16-cv-01423 (ABJ) Plaintiffs, v. SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC, Defendant. EXPERT REPORT OF DAVID KAYE, UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF OPINION AND EXPRESSION Case 1:16-cv-01423-ABJ Document 42-15 Filed 03/22/18 Page 2 of 217 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Contents I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 II. QUALIFICATIONS & BASIS FOR OPINION................................................................. 2 A. Qualifications .................................................................................................................. 2 B. Basis for Opinion ............................................................................................................ 5 III. As Part of Its Crackdown Following the 2011 Uprising, the Syrian Government Engaged in a Systematic Pattern and Practice of Violently Persecuting Journalists and Curtailing Freedom of Expression and Opinion .................................................................................. 6 A. Media Crackdown: the Syrian Government’s Anti-Media Rhetoric ............................ 11 B. Media Crackdown: the Syrian Government’s Policy of Censorship and Interference with Media Work .........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]