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[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Syria and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Syria Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to syria@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
International and Regional Perspectives
Abandoned by All, Syrian Refugees want an End to the WarThe Syrian Observer conducts “an interview with Omar Dahi on the dramatic situation of Syrian refugees, whose numbers continue to increase and who feel abandoned by the world.”
Syrie: Scenarios et Options Pour Une Sortie de Crise (Partie 2) Thomas Pierret outlines the various scenarios and options available to end the Syrian crisis.
Syrie: Scenarios et Options Pour Une Sortie de Crise (Partie 1)Thomas Pierret’s analysis on the causes behind the failure of the negotiations at Geneva II.
Kuwaiti Salafism and Its Growing Influence in the Levant Zoltan Pall details how “competition among Kuwaiti Salafi currents has produced corresponding fissures in local Salafi communities in Lebanon and Syria, with far-reaching consequences for each country.”
Syrian Rebel Wants a New Ally: Israel Kamal Labwani argues that “to protect the innocent and to defeat the Assad dictatorship, Syrians should work with Israel to create a safe haven”
Syrian rebel colonel ‘confesses’ to foreign hand in rout Phil Sands and Suha Maayeh report that “A confession from a rebel commander captured by Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria claimed foreign intelligence services orchestrated a disastrous military defeat for anti-regime forces in Deraa last year.”
Is Washington Purposely Bleeding Syria? Omar Ghabra reiterates what some have been arguing since the beginning of the crisis, that “the Obama administration is providing just enough aid to the rebels to sustain the war, but not enough to topple Assad.”
Al-Baghdadi, l’émir djihadiste dont la tête est mise à prix Jean-Pierre Filiu says the US offers twenty-five million dollars for the capture of Al-Zawahiri and ten million dollars for Al-Baghdadi.
Exclusive: U.S. to Support ICC War Crimes Prosecution in Syria Colum Lynch reports that “Barack Obama's administration has decided to back a push to have the International Criminal Court (ICC) open a formal, United Nations-sanctioned investigation into potential Syrian war crimes”
Analyse: l'influence de la guerre en Syrie sur le courant jihadiste marocain Romain Caillet offers an in-depth study of the impact of the Syrian war on the Moroccan jihadist current (French).
Syrian Narratives
The Syrian Islamic Council Thomas Pierret contends that “the establishment of the SIC may be an important step toward the goal of consolidating a moderate Islamic axis within the opposition in the face of the large Salafi military factions.”
A New Leader for Syria's Muslim Brotherhood? Raphael Lefevre anticipates the strife over the election of the new leader of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood due to take place in July.
Syrian Rebels Blame Sheik-Led Militias for Homs Loss Maria Abi-Habib reports that “many Syrian rebels blame the opposition's loss of the vital city of Homs this past week on sheiks and their small militias who have drawn funding and arms away from more-experienced antigovernment commanders.”
Why dictators hold elections: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Bashar al-Assad and the façade of legitimacy
Entretien Avec Ziad Majed-Ou En Est La Situation en Syrie Ziad Majed addresses various topics, from the past and current military dynamics in the country to the geopolitics of the conflict as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Syria: The hidden massacre Sharmine Narwani questions dominant media narratives and reiterates her claims that the uprising was violent from the beginning and that the casualties among security forces “explain a great deal about the Syrian government’s actions and responses throughout this crisis.”
High tensions in southern Syria as deadline for colonel’s release lapses Phil Sands and Suha Maayeh report on the tense relationship between the FSA and Jabhat al-Nusra, who have yet to resolve their disputes despite being “on the brink of war.”
Starving the Palestinian Yarmouk Camp Syrian Palestinian writer Salim Salamah provides an overview of the developments in Yarmouk since the beginning of the uprising.
Testimony of General Ahmed Tlass on the Syrian Regime and the Repression an interview by Francois Burgat
Regarder le régime syrien en face par Pierre PuchotAn interview with Hala Kodmani and Ziad Majed on their most recent work on the different stages of the revolution.
Damascus rugby team plays on amid chaos of Syrian war Stephen Starr reports: “On a recent Friday, players at Damascus Zenobians RFC held a sevens tournament among themselves. They pulled together three teams. With the almost constant threat of war on the city's doorstep, it was a small triumph for a group struggling on all fronts.”
Out of the frying pan, into the fire Razan Ghazzawi reports on “Yasmin Banshi, a 35-year-old nonviolent activist, lawyer, and media worker who was arrested on April 12 at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing by Ahrar al-Sham, a prominent Islamist brigade in northern Syria.”
Les rebelles syriens ont "pulvérisé" l'hôtel Carlton d'Alep A report by Valeriane Gauthier, AFP and Reuters on how the famous Aleppo hotel overlooking the citadel was destroyed by rebels on 8 May.
An Explosion and a Blockade, and a Syrian Pact Is in Limbo Anne Barnard and Hwaida Saad on the explosion that was claimed by the Islamic Front.
Welcome to Jihad City, Syria Jacob Siegel reports on the developments in Raqqa.
Chemical Weapons
A World War I Weapon Reappears in Syria explains Joshua Keating
How Internet Defeated Seymour Hersh Anno Bunnik explains how, a closer look at his claims “reveals the work of a twentieth century reporter whose methodology has become heavily outdated and perhaps even unreliable."
Elections
Syrie. A un mois de la présidentielle, la valeur du scrutin dans un pays démembré An interview with Thomas Pierret on the upcoming presidential elections in Syria.
Syria’s dirty secret is that Assad could win in a fair election Faisal al Yafai says “the dirty secret in Syria today is that, if the presidential election were free and fair, Bashar Al Assad would still win.”
The Syrian Constitution: Assad’s Magic WandQais Fares also claims “even if the upcoming elections were democratic and transparent, Assad would win based on his constitutional powers alone.”
Syria's presidential poll stifles hopes for change Lina Sinjab writes that “those in areas under rebel control in the north are under daily bombardment from government forces and voting will not even be held there” while “Mr Assad's opponents who live in areas under his forces' control fear for their lives, keeping their heads downand being unable to express themselves publicly.
Homs
Evacuation of Syrian rebels from Homs under way Paul Wood reports from Beirut, as “hundreds of opposition fighters have left the centre of Syria's besieged city of Homs under an evacuation deal brokered by the United Nations.”
Despite the narrative, Syria’s rebels may be gaining ground Hassan Hassan maintains that, to the exception of “the human tragedy that is Homs”, the rebels are making steady process in Syria.
Syrian rebels begin Homs evacuation Martin Chulov says that “Homs and other opposition strongholds have been battered into submission by months of sustained artillery and air assaults that have gradually reduced the number of neighbourhoods they control. Sieges have been imposed, starving residents who have remained behind and gradually ebbing the will to fight.”
L'accord de Homs, « une victoire pour Bachar Al-Assad » An interview with Fabrice Balanche, who suggests that the Homs evacuation is a “victory for Bashar al Assad."
Tourism minister: Key attractions in Homs poised for prosperous tourist season According to the Syrian state news agency.
Inside Syria
Aleppo
Great Read in Syria, Residents of Aleppo Become Inured to Air Raids Raja Abdulrahim’s courageous reporting from Aleppo, where citizens are constantly exposed to “the sad soundtrack to its gradual demolition and a shrinking civilian population struggling to survive.”
Aleppo's rebel fighters disillusioned with war Francesca Borri reports that some “rebel fighters in Aleppo look to Homs as a potential model for a cease-fire to end the war in the city.”
Aleppo Diary: Stories from the Front Lines Sam Dagher says that “Aleppo abounds with stories of loss and separation, of resilience, resourcefulness and compromise in the madness of war. The people I met who were living or working near the front lines were of varying backgrounds, but it seemed they held in common the determination to try to go on with their lives in the midst of the mayhem.”
The Opinions of the people in Aleppo concerning the presidential elections 2014 in Syria. Syria Freedom Forever features a video taking the pulse of the city as the elections draw closer.
Idlib
Kurdish Areas
Syrian Kurdish Areas Under the Rule of Law? Carl Drott on how is upheld in various Kurdish areas of Syria’s north, especially outside of the Qamishli and Hassakeh enclaves controlled by the Syrian regime.
Homs
ISIS Shows Off Child Recruits According to a report by Syria Direct “A group of children, some masked, stood in rank-and-file form in front of the Islamic State of Iraq and a-Sham’s “Registration Office” in the Aleppo province town of al-Bab in a photo published on a pro-ISIS account Wednesday.”
Lattakia
Teaching Revolution: Education in Wartime Syria Tam Hussein reports on his visit of rebel-controlled areas of Lattakia and the creative ways employed by citizens to provide rudimentary education.
Latakia captives speak out about their ordeal, others still missing Zainab Bahjat reports on the release of some of the civilians (including children) kidnapped since August 2013 in the eastern Lattakia countryside.
Arts and Social Media
My Lego Man Keychain – the Novelty Item that Became a Lifesaver Aboud Dandachi’s experience in Syria since the beginning of the crisis until last September when he left the country.
Un morceau de piano, gare Saint-Lazare, pour ne pas oublier les Syriens Jean-Pierre Filiu on the performance of Malek Jandali at Saint-Lazare train station.
This Is Syria's Third Largest City A photogallery showing the scale of the destruction in Homs
Testimony of Dr. Zawahiri in regards to ISIS
Entretien Avec Sophie Cluzan - Le Patrimoine Culturel Syrien "Imbrication du Passe et du Present" An interview with Sophie Cluzan, who discusses Syria’s archaeological heritage, its importance for the country’s economy as well as the current dangers it is facing.
False Alarm“Away from the images of destruction and the scenes of death, away from the faces of the fighters and the roar of their guns, how can one tell the story of the Syrian revolutionaries and how does the war lurk behind the revolution?”
Policy and Reports
Between the lines: counting the cost of reporting from Syria Stephen Starr reveals various findings from his research with “Professor Anthony Feinstein and researchers from the University of Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.”
Flight of Icarus? The PYD’s Precarious Rise in Syria The International Crisis Group’s summary of events in Syria’s north, in which it claims that “for all its successes, the PYD’s rise is in no small part illusory, attributable less to its own prowess than to its links with other regional forces. Perhaps most important is its de facto alliance with the regime, which handed territories over to it while continuing to give material support to those territories.”
Lebanon: Palestinians Barred, Sent to Syria According to Human Rights Watch reports that Palestinians seeking refuge in Lebanon have been sent back to Syria “without adequately considering the dangers they face.”
Economy and Agriculture
Syrian officials, rebels reach deal to restore electricity to Aleppo Raja Abdulrahim reports that “the Syrian government and rebels struck a rare agreement Monday to restore electricity in Aleppo province, cut off by the opposition for more than a week, in exchange for a cessation of airstrikes by the military.”
Syria: Water shortage hits Aleppo Basel Dayoub writes that “for a week now, queues of women and children have become ubiquitous in front of mosque fountains and government wells in order to fill small containers such as cooking pots, teapots and plastic bottles as well as small barrels.
Syria struggling to fill food import needs Jonathan Saul reports that “war-torn Syria is struggling to buy food commoditiesin the quantities it needs, despite repeatedly issuing tenders for hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sugar, rice and wheat, trade sources say.”
Prospects for Syria After Geneva IIChatham House presents a talk on the options “for the Syrian Opposition Coalition and discuss what can be done by the international community to help bring the conflict to an end.”
Events
Khaled Khalifa and ‘Syria Speaks’ Coming to England Next Month
Syrian Guest Scholars at Roskilde University
Arabic
مخيماليرموك' الوجهالآخر: ثقافةعلىهوىالحصار'
(عيونوآذان (سوريةوموتالتعايش
ماذالوتوقّفالقتال؟
البوصلاتالخاطئة
بابالثورةالدوار
«حزباللهفيسوريا [1/3] : الحربعلى«الإرهاب
حزباللهفيسوريا [2/3] : التدخلالطائفيوتحالفالأقليات
حزباللهفيسوريا [3/3]: خطابتحالفالأقليات
نظاميجيدتفويتالفرص
ديـرالـزور ... شـيـوخالـنـفـط
أكاذيبوحقائقعنالشهيدصلاحجديد
الفاشيونفيجبهة"النصرة" الرجعيةيعتقلونعددامنقادةالجيشالحرفيدرعا
The Revolutionary Leftist Current in Syria reports that “Annusra Front arrests a number of leaders in the Free Syrian Army in Daraa.”
شبح«الكيماوي» يطلبرأسهعلىسوريا
طلقكذاب
بحبالموت
“I Love Death” is the title of Bidayyat’s new satirical film.