Free Syrian Army may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Armed opposition groups operating inside Syria may have violated international humanitarian law by committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Arguably, some members of the Syrian troops may also have committed similar violations. However, the self-incriminating evidence released by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups is simply overwhelming. The evidence used Read more

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Why is the U.S.-Islamic world relation so fragile?

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Muslims around the world President Obama offered renewed hope when he promised to usher in an era of mutual respect with the Islamic world. To jumpstart this new era, President Obama addressed Muslims in two key speeches: one delivered in Turkey, the last seat of the Sunni Islamic caliphate, and the Read more

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Can non-violent resistance and armed rebellion co-exist?

  by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* With two superpowers emphatically vetoing three UNSC resolutions on three different occasions, the world could not be more divided about the Syrian crisis. World leaders are nonetheless united in their rhetoric supporting peaceful protest. The Syrian crisis, however, revealed troubling contradictions in the position taken by key countries. For example, Read more

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What is behind Saudi Arabia’s uncharacteristic aggressiveness?

Until before Cablegate, when in February 2010 WikiLeaks began releasing classified U.S. cables, Saudi Arabia was known for its quiet diplomacy. Then its secret dealings were revealed and exposed its actual dealings. Regionally, released documents exposed Saudi Arabia as an enthusiastic proponent of military intervention in Iran. Privately, the Saudi rulers told U.S. officials that Read more

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Why are Turkey’s ruling party leaders struggling in developing a consistent, enduring Middle East policy?

Ahmet Davutoğlu On Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu responded to opposition parties’ members of parliament who accused the government of war mongering on Syria.  “A new Middle East is emerging and we will continue to lead this. Turkey will pioneer this order of peace. … The Turkish people of 74 million are with the Syrian Read more

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What caused the Syrian and Yemini uprisings to falter?

Syria: From peaceful uprising to armed rebellion By all accounts, the success of the uprisings against the old guard in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya was not matched in Yemen and Syria. The failure of the Yemeni and Syrian uprisings to achieve their goals can be explained by the post-revolutions’ events in the Arab Awakening countries Read more

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“Tactical retreat” as euphemism for defeat

The so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) announced on March 1stthat its members are withdrawing from the Homs neighborhood, Baba Amr, in a tactical retreat. They provided two explanations. First, they claimed that they are retreating to protect the remaining civilians still in the city. Second, some said that they are retreating because they ran out Read more

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