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Archives for December 2024

Alawites
Shiite Latakia Falls to new Syrian Government, as Sheikhs call for Reconciliation and Recruits are Pardoned

Shiite Latakia Falls to new Syrian Government, as Sheikhs call for Reconciliation and Recruits are Pardoned

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Monday, the Levant Liberation Council (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham/ HTS) guerrilla forces extended their rule to Latakia, Syria’s major port, in the northwest of the country. One Syrian source maintained that there was an uprising of anti-Assad Alawites in Latakia, and that HTS rebels had not entered the city. Other […]

Israel/ Palestine
The world owes Palestine this much – please stop censoring Palestinian Voices

The world owes Palestine this much – please stop censoring Palestinian Voices

Ramzy Baroud

( Middle East Monitor ) – Social media censorship is a global phenomenon, but the war on pro-Palestinian views on social media represents a different kind of censorship, with consequences that can only be described as dire. Long before the current devastating war on Gaza and the escalation of Israeli violence and repression in the […]

Hayat Tahrir
Abu Mohammed al-Golani may become the face of post-Assad Syria – but who is he and why does he have $10M US bounty on his head?

Abu Mohammed al-Golani may become the face of post-Assad Syria – but who is he and why does he have $10M US bounty on his head?

The Conversation

By Sara Harmouch, American University (The Conversation) – The fall of President Bashar al-Assad has left a critical question: After a half-century of brutal dynastic rule has come to an end, who speaks for Syrians now? One group staking a major claim for that role is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which, under the leadership of Abu […]

Featured
Assad’s Fall is a Reminder that Russia is not a Global power but a Regional One

Assad’s Fall is a Reminder that Russia is not a Global power but a Regional One

Hamdullah Baycar

Trabzon, Turkey (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – When former U.S. President Barack Obama referred to Russia as a “regional power” at the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, he minimized Moscow’s global influence while recognizing its ability to a have an impact on events within its immediate vicinity. Obama further downplayed the notion […]

Syria
The sectarian Risk: Turkiye’s Syrian Mission

The sectarian Risk: Turkiye’s Syrian Mission

Middle East Monitor

by Dr Binoy Kampmark ( Middle East Monitor ) – Turkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan must be delighted about what is unfolding in Syria, though it is a feeling bound to be tempered by swiftly changing circumstances.  Iran’s Shia proxies have been weakened by relentless Israeli targeting and bombing.  Russia’s eyes and resources are turned towards […]

Israel/ Palestine
Is Piers Morgan normalizing Israel’s Genocide?

Is Piers Morgan normalizing Israel’s Genocide?

Yoav Litvin

( Counterpunch ) – Since October 7, 2023, white settler propaganda has ramped up through two insidious tactics targeting western audiences. The first rationalizes Israel’s brutality under the pretext of “self-defense” of a supposed “civilized” western democracy in a barbaric region, exploiting the conflation of Zionism with Judaism and dehumanizing all Palestinian people as “terrorists” […]

Featured
Syrians finally Won the Arab Spring; Can they avoid Pitfalls and Win Democracy?

Syrians finally Won the Arab Spring; Can they avoid Pitfalls and Win Democracy?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Syrian Revolution of 2024 has succeeded in deposing the al-Assad dynasty, in power since 1970, throwing off the rule of the once mighty Syrian Socialist Baath Party, a feared and murderous one-party state. Rebel forces streamed into the capital, Damascus, Sunday morning, facing no significant resistance from government troops, […]

Donald Trump
Trump is Already Rewarding Fossil Fuel CEOs; That’s not Good for Consumers or the Planet

Trump is Already Rewarding Fossil Fuel CEOs; That’s not Good for Consumers or the Planet

Sonali Kolhatkar

If you think fossil fuel profits lead to better prices, then look again at the Biden administration. ( Otherwords.org ) – During his campaign, Donald Trump publicly promised to reward oil and gas executives handsomely in exchange for funding his campaign. Within weeks of winning the election, he’s making good on his promise by tapping […]

Climate Crisis
On Climate Change, the International Court of Justice faces a pivotal Choice

On Climate Change, the International Court of Justice faces a pivotal Choice

The Conversation

By Claudia Ituarte-Lima, Lund University (The Conversation) – What legal obligations do states have to fight climate change? Should high-emitting countries be held responsible for the harm they’ve caused? And should states safeguard the climate for future generations? The international court of justice (ICJ) is considering similar questions to these in hearings ahead of issuing […]

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