The Syrian Uprising and the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Syria is attracting a considerable international attention these days, not only because of the drama of peaceful protest against tanks and sniper bullets which represents a continuation of the Arab Spring started in Tunisia last December, but also because of that small country’s political importance on the Middle Eastern scene. A plethora of informational and analytical articles proliferates in the international press vouching for this importance. Analysts are pressed to speculate about the nature of what is happening, especially at the opaque levels of the Syrian top government officials, and also about the future of this civil unrest that many see as a potential game changer in the region. However, recently, an interesting NYT op-ed and a response to it seemed to pull our attention toward the past rather than the future. The author of the op-ed (“My Syria, Awake Again After 40 Years,” June 26, 2011) is Mohammad Ali Atassi,

The Impasse of the Syrian Revolt

Ahmad Nazir Atassi

It has been almost seven months since the beginning of the Syrian uprising and no solution is visible in the future. Being the cynic that I am, I would go as far as saying that the revolt had since the beginning all the elements for its slow pace and deadlock status of today. As a child of Syria, I am certainly proud of the achievements of this collective endeavor; because breaking fear barrier and taking on a brutal dictatorship like that of the Assad dynasty is no less a miracle than the fall of Saddam Hussein without the intervention of a superpower. It is exactly this observation that makes the impasse of the Syrian revolt, for many observers knew it, and many Syrians have just come to know it, that dislodging the dictator and his cronies from power needs a considerable military force. The gap of about ten to fifteen years between the eighties generation and the nineties generation can actually explain the rashness of decision that characterized the beginning of this revolt

The Meeting at Samiramis Hotel in Damascus

A group of 200 persons met at Hotel Samiramis in Damascus for eight hours and issued a final statement in front of the cameras of the official Syrian TV and those of Dunia Channel (semi-official). The meeting was presented as a consultative one for "independent" personality from the "opposition". Europeans and Americans were quick to support "the conference of the opposition". Every thing about this meeting was vague and shrouded in mystery: the late announcement, participation by invitation, meeting happened behind closed doors, no pre-announced list of participants, no pre-announced schedule, no guidelines for the "discussions", no clear idea who organized it, many rumors about who is and who is not participating, and even the epithet to be given (conference, meeting, discussion) to the meeting was not clear.

An introduction to understanding Syria today

A. Nazir Atassi

I find that, after three months of protest and numerous articles written on the subject, Syria remains a mystery to western readers and media alike. With all due respect to specialists in Syrian affairs, who added tremendously to our knowledge and understanding of Syria, a first-hand experience of a native of the country is still needed to elucidate certain issues that outsiders will rarely see or understand. Syria is still “the kingdom of silence”, to use the words of the prominent Syrian dissident Riyad al-Turk. It is a mystery enveloped in silence and thrown in the deepest abyss of fear. Nonetheless, plenty of hope for the future of Syria is in the air, and, for the first time, it is well justified. Syria will unravel with every day of protest, every voice raised, every protester killed, and every word written about it. In addition to patience and courage, well in supply these days, we need to talk about Syria; both Syrians and others need to talk about Syria because it would be a victory for non-violent activism. It will set the stage for 21st century activism if the Syrian uprising, as it is proceeding now, manages to effectuate a change of its ruling regime; one of few remaining Cold War era Stalinist regimes.