by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Syrian rebel killing Syrian soldiers It took law enforcement agencies of the United States nearly three days to identify the perpetrators of the recent terrorist bombing. It helped that the attack was in a modern city (Boston) and during a marathon event. Security cameras, spectators, and TV and media reporters on Read more
Continue ReadingSovereignty, Legitimacy and the Responsibility to Protect: Who is responsible and who is legitimate in Syria? by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Syria and the New Middle East Western leaders’ conflicting statements underscore the unease about change in the Arab world. Unless one believes that diplomats speak unscripted, an earlier statementby U.S. secretary of State, John Kerry Read more
Continue ReadingInterview in English translation: Interview in Arabic: Watch video The full text of the interview: Question: Mr President, you are welcome on Ulusal TV station. My first question might be a bit strange, but I need to ask it, because in the Turkish and world media there has been a lot of information published to Read more
Continue ReadingThe Pakistanization of Turkey and the Afghanization of Syria in the new proxy-war by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Witnessing the first democratic elections in Tunisia in 2011, I stood at the edge of the city listening to residents explaining the role of “neighborhood watch committees” in keeping peace and protecting personal and public property. Read more
Continue Readingby Foti Benlisoy and Annalena Di Giovanni Turkey A few months ago, in January 2013, an accident in a steel factory of Gaziantep, a bordering town in southwest Turkey, claimed the lives of seven workers. Under normal circumstances such news would have passed unobserved and eventually forgotten; Turkey is after all a country in which Read more
Continue Readingby Mohammed al-Qaisi Al-Qaeda in Iraq attacks places of worship, culture and education deeming them blasphemous, officials say. As tensions increase between Syrian citizens and members of extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra (JAN) Iraqi officials, researchers and security leaders warned of similarities between JAN and al-Qaeda in Iraq in terms of ideology and strategy. “We are Read more
Continue Readingby Heiko Wimmen The deep implications of Iran’s strategic and ideological investment in the Assad regime forces international efforts for a ‘grand bargain’ to face the stark and unpalatable reality of political compromise in Syria. As the Syrian crisis continues its descent into a protracted civil war, a ‘political solution’ remains the professed preference of Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* The danger in Syria is not that it is a new kind of a crisis; the danger is that it is becoming a replication of another one. The twin terrorist bomb attack in the capital Damascus on February 21, 2013, which took the lives of at least 100 civilians and injured Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Casualties of Syria’s war Turkey’s zero-problem with its neighbors foreign policy doctrine did not survive the Arab Spring test. At first, Turkey’s Justice and Development Party leaders took a cautious position regarding the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings. Their confliction was especially on display during the Libyan armed rebellion when Turkey, a member of Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Another massacre in Syria: click on image to view video In less than a month, peaceful Tunisian and Egyptian protesters ousted two of the most authoritarian rulers of the Arab world. The human and economic costs: a total of about 1100 people dead (300 in Tunisia and 800 in Egypt) and Read more
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