Syria Media Roundup (October 13)

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.]


Inside Syria

Suweida to Assad: The Chair For You and Coffins For Our Sons“Since the regime declared its war and turned the soldiers and officers into murderers and criminals, many young men from Suweida refused to serve in the army.” 

As ISIL advances on Syrian town, UN envoy urges international action to avoid ‘massacre’ The UN looks to adopt a realistic approach to assisting the millions of Syrian civilians suffering, and looks to facilitate a reduction in the current belligerent manner of the conflict. 

Why ISIS Is Gaining Ground – and So Hard to Beat Noah Bonsey, senior analyst with the ICG, gives insight on ISIS and its advancement in Syria and how to prevent further ISIS progression in the Syria.

Why some Syrians are against strikes on ISIS Syrians have been led to believe that efforts to attack ISIS are futile, and more violence will only provoke them and boost their popularity. 

Civilians "will most likely be massacred" if Kobane falls: UN Syria envoy“Kurdish fighters halted a thrust by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) jihadists towards the heart of the Syrian border town of Kobane.” 

Kurds Try to Capitalize on US Airstrikes Against Islamic State Fighters in Kobane The clash for the Syrian/Kurdish border town Kobane has sparked questions about a more robust response to the expansion of IS.

Can PKK transform military might into political power? Fehim Taştekin analyzes the complexity of the situation in Northern Iraq and Syria with the advance of ISIS towards Erbil and Kobani. ”As regional developments open new military and political arenas to the PKK, it is unlikely that the Turkish peace process will end with the Kurds disarming." 

Kobani becomes battle for Kurds' future Onur Burcak Belli writes about the frustration of Kurds because of the Turkish policy towards the offensive against Kobani. “With the Islamic State siege of Kobani endangering the peace process and the cease-fire between the PKK and the Turkish state, Kurds could soon be facing a host of new challenges.”

Salman Rushdie to share PEN Pinter prize with Mazen Darwish Salman Rushdie publicizes plight of the imprisoned Syrian human rights activist Mazen Darwish by sharing his PEN Pinter prize with the journalist and lawyer.

The National Ideological Resistance in Syria: A ‘Syrian Hezbollah’ Brand Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi writes about the emergence of native brands of Hezbollah in Syria, which are identical in ideology and messaging to that of Hezbollah.

Looting Spreads in Damascus Suburb Damascus Bureau reporter reports about the systematic looting of furniture in Damascus Suburb by "armed groups supported by the regime." 

What is sectarianism in the Middle East? “The term of "sectarianism" is heard whenever the Middle East or Syria is discussed; yet a talking head would be pressed to define what they mean by sectarianism. Mohammad Dibo speaks to two prominent Arab thinkers Salameh Kaileh and Victorios Shams, who provide their perspectives by going back to the basics.” 

ISIS’ Ammunition Is Shown to Have Origins in U.S. and China C. J. Chivers writes about the sources of ISIS’ ammunition, "more than 80 percent of the ammunition was manufactured in China, the former Soviet Union, the United States, post-Soviet Russia or Serbia."

Sources: U.S. air strikes in Syria targeted French agent who defected to al Qaida “A former French intelligence officer who defected to al Qaida was among the targets of the first wave of U.S. air strikes in Syria last month, according to people familiar with the defector’s movements and identity.”

Diplomat: Syria has four chemical weapons facilities it didn't disclose “Syria has four chemical weapons facilities that it did not previously disclose to the United Nations, a Western diplomat told CNN on Tuesday.”

Turkey Arrests 274 Kobane Refugees Fleeing Islamic State Attack John Beck writes about the Kurdish refugees who fled Kobane. "Turkish security forces have arrested and detained more than 200 Syrians refugees — including young children — fleeing the besieged border town of Kobane, according to their family members, lawyers, and local politicians." 

Syrian regime ignores supporters' rising anger Edward Dark reports "anger among pro-government supporters spilled into protests in Homs last week after two deadly suicide bombings, but the Syrian government remains indifferent to their complaints." 

Regional and International Perspectives 

A Kurdish Alamo: Five Reasons the Battle for Kobane Matters Katherine Wilkens discusses the impact of the battle for Kobane on IS progression in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.

A Time Bomb in Lebanon: The Syrian Refugee Crisis The influx of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has created economic, social, and political pressures. Lebanon makes an effort to limit the flow of refugees into the country.

No Syrians Are Allowed Into Jordan, Agencies Say International refugee agencies claim that Jordan refuses to allow Syrian refugees to cross the border. 

Biden's apology hides the truthTulin Daloglu analyzes US Vice President Joe Biden’s instant apology to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which may be considered a technical obligation, but not a denial of the merits of what has been said. 

Rojava, ISIS and Turkey Kurtuluş Tayiz analyzes the implications of the ISIS attack on Kobani and how that affects the policy of both Turkey and the Kurdish parties, namely, the PKK and its Syrian branch, known as the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen: Support for the Islamic State Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi  analyzes the attitude of The Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen, a Gaza-Sinai jihadi group and opponent of the Hamas government in Gaza, and wider trend of sympathy for ISIS in the Gaza-Sinai area.

What’s at Stake in Kobani: Islamic State and Kobani Calculations Carl Drott analyzes the current situation and the strategic importance of Kobani and the reasons behind ISIS offensive. 

Is Islamic State symptom of the Assad problem? According to Mustafa Akyol "Turkey's policymakers need to take seriously the Islamic State's growing power, instead of dismissing the group as a "symptom" of Bashar al-Assad's regime." 

Despite demands, Syria no-fly zone a no-go for US The imposition of no-fly zone in Syria "would set the stage for a direct confrontation with one of the Mideast's most formidable air defenses, a system bolstered in recent years by top-of-the-line Russian hardware".

Why the US will be forced to join the fight against Assad Hussein Ibish writes about the American policy towards Syria, "growing tensions between the United States and Turkey regarding the campaign against ISIL in Syria and Iraq reveal significant weaknesses in the current American approach, and where it will have to change course if it is to succeed." 

Turkish PM Davutoğlu: Only people can defeat ISIL, not air strikes “Turkey’s prime minister has warned against the supposed risk of popularizing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) among the people of Syria, by having the Syrian regime involved in a planned military battle against the jihadists.” 

Policy and Reports

الجندر والتجنيد والحماية والحرب في سوريا Rochelle Davis, Abbie Taylor and Emma Murphy provide a comprehensive report about gender in the context of the Syrian war and the need "to redefine classic conceptions of vulnerability and to consider civilian men and their needs as part of a solution rather than a problem." 

The English report:
Gender, conscription and protection, and the war in Syria
 

Economy and Agriculture 

Syrian price spikes: Aleppo gas increases by 140% Gas prices skyrocket in Aleppo as coalition’s strikes place more costs and problems on the citizens of Syria.
 

Arabic:  

مع ضربات التحالف... الأوضاع المعيشيّة للسكّان في تدهور
Mohammed al-Khatieb reports about the severe daily life in Aleppo which have been worsen following the airstrikes of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State, which have "targeted oil wells and refineries, causing prices of basic commodities in Syria to skyrocket."

To Our Countries لبلادي        
“To Our Countries” is a project produced by a group of youths who live in Sweden and are originally from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. 

أسامة محمد: في سوريا نافورة صور لن تتوقف والثورة لحظة لا تنتهي
Hauvick Habechian interviews the Syrian director Ossama Mohammed after the success of his last documentary "Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait" 

غُل لـ «الحياة»: نصحنا صدّام والأسد... ونخشى تقسيم سورية
Ghassan Charbel interviews the Former Turkish President Abdullah Gül who revealed that the Turkish government had advised both the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the Syrian President Bashar al Assad to initiate political reforms and avoid the war but they chose to ignore the Turkish advices.

The complete interview with Gül 

النازحون السوريون… بين الفقر والحصار الاجتماعي 
Nofa Ali reports from opinions of internally displaced persons in Syria following the reconciliations and agreements between the Syrian government and different fractions of the armed opposition in many areas. 

موقع لوزارة «الشؤون الإسلامية» يروّج لـ«الجهاد» ودعم المقاتلين .. ويصف المبتعثين بـ«الانحلال» 
A Saudi ministry of “Islamic Affairs” calls via a website for reviving the spirit of jihad and urges for supporting fighters with money to buy weapons! 

إنشقاق جندي لبناني رابع وإنضمامه إلى "داعش"
 A fourth Lebanese soldier defected from the Lebanese army and joined ISIS. 

جهود مساعدة جيل سوريا “المفقود” مازالت مخيبة للآمال
Benjamin Plackett writes about the disappointing efforts to help Syrian students who lost their schools and their rights to access of education because of the ongoing war.

45 ألف مواطن يشربون مياه معقمة من محطة الشميطية في ريف ديرالزور
Mohammad Hassan reports from Deir Ezzor about the successful efforts of the local council of the town of Al-Shumaytiyah that provided access to fresh water for more than 45,000 citizens.

«صرخة إنسان» تجربة موسيقية تحاكي آلام السوريين
Omar al-As'ad writes about "scream of human being", a new musical experience of the Syrian poet Ola Hosamow, which reflects the Syrian tragedy through songs. 

أنصار النظام السوري يترقبون بقلق تطور العلاقة بين الأسد والتحالف الغربي
An Al-Monitor Correspondent in Syria reports from the coastal city of Tartous that "the Syrian government’s supporters are divided in their views on the US-led strikes against the Islamic State in Syria, with many believing it violates Syria’s national sovereignty and humiliates the country."

The English translation of this article:
Supporters accuse Syrian regime of cooperating on airstrikes 

خسارة عدرا تعيد خلط أوراق المعركة في الغوطة الشرقيّة         
"Mustafa al-Haj writes about the sudden withdrawal of Jaish al-Islam from the strategic town of Adra in the Damascus countryside, which means that the "Syrian regime forces have scored an important victory, increasing pressure on rebel strongholds in eastern Ghouta."

The English translation of this article:
Syrian army closes in on Douma after Adra victory 

جدران مقبرة مدينة النبك... من الموت إلى الحياة
Mustafa al-Haj reports "the Syrian Women’s Forum for Peace has launched a new project to paint murals across Syrian cities, in an attempt to spread peace and life in the hearts of Syrians who are suffering from the effects of the war."

The English translation of this article:
Syrian women's group paints for peace                                                                             

جوع ودروس دين في "كامبات" السويد!              
Raheem Haidar writes about the life of Syrians within the Swedish camps for immigrants.  

خطة إعادة الإعمار: قرار سياسي أم؟
Abed Al-haj writes about the plans for reconstruction in Syria and the conditions for planning and conducting effective plan. 

عالم سويسري: "أعيش الأحداث الجارية في سوريا بألم وحسرة كبيرين"        
Mohamed Cherif of Swissinfo interviews the prominent Swiss archaeologist Jean-Marie Le Tensorer who spent more than 30 years conduction excavations in Palmyra until 2011.

«دروب دمشق»: «الإليزيه» تلاعب بتقارير الكيــميائي
Sabah Ayoub retrieves controversial information, such as the chemical attack on Ghouta of Damascus, from the new book, Le chemin de Damas: 40 ans de relations franco-syriennes.

الجيش في وادي عين ترما... ويتقدّم في جوبر
Marah Mashi and Ahmad Hassan report about the recent advances of the Syrian regular army towards Wadi 'Ayn Tarma and al-Dokhaniya.