[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
What do Assad's forces hope to achieve in Hama? Hama witnesses its largest military build up since 2011 as regime forces attempt to tighten their grip on key rebel-held towns in the region.
War Widows: Caught between unbearable losses and daily challenges Widowed Syrian women face extreme poverty and grief without any financial stability and the heartbreaking decision to remarry.
RE: Syrian Crisis, Ode to the International Community The Syrian refugee crisis is a global issue, an issue that can only be resolved with political power.
Moderate Syrian Rebels say they may not be doing well but are very much alive“Syria’s relatively moderate rebel units continue to their struggle as Russian fighter jets become their latest foe.”
Syria rebels proclaim unity against Russian fire As Russian airstrikes escalate conflict, non-ISIS Syrian rebels call for a united front and more help from allies.
Airstrike Kills Member Of Syria's White Helmets Rescue Team An airstrike in northern Syria killed a member of the White Helmets, a well-known volunteer rescue organization, on Saturday. Issam al-Saleh, 29, reportedly died, according to the group, during a mission in Idlib province, while attempting to save civilians hit by an earlier strike.
In Syria, many families face a terrible dilemma Hassan Hassan says that he "noticed a trend of some families sending at least one of their children to join ISIL because that was the only way for them to generate an income in the family. This is especially the case among displaced families, although not limited to them."
Moderate Syrian Rebels Say They May Not Be Doing Well But Are Very Much Alive Borzou Daragahi reports that Syria’s relatively moderate rebel units continue to their struggle as Russian fighter jets become their latest foe.
#FREEBASSEL: Free culture advocate who built 3D renderings of Palmyra missing in Syria Bassel Khartabil, an open-source advocate and Wikipedian who was determined to digitally preserve Palmyra city for future generations, has been detained by the Syrian government for three years. He was recently moved out of the prison where he was being held; his current location is unknown, and his friends and family fear for his safety.
Regional and International Perspectives
Russia just handed ISIS a 'big win' in Syria's largest city“ISIS militants seized five villages on the northern edge of Aleppo, putting them within 1 mile of territory held by the Syrian regime.”
Obama’s legacy is tarnished as Putin fills the vacuum in Syria“Putin can face little resistance if he bombs an ambulance in Idlib when a US gunship incinerates a hospital in Kunduz.”
Should the U.S. cooperate with Russia on Syria and ISIS? A collaborative approach may be the most influential in Syria, with chaos on the rise.
Russia in Syria - Opportunism or Opportunity? Russian intervention could come to be viewed in favor of Syria, or merely a proxy war between the U.S. and Russia.
Russia’s giving ISIS an air force“Putin’s air campaign in Syria is not only supporting Assad, it’s giving cover to fighters from the so-called Islamic State.”
Did U.S. weapons supplied to Syrian rebels draw Russia into the conflict? American arms supplied to Syrian rebels are playing an unexpected role in shaping the Syrian battlefield.
John Kerry raises Syria no-fly zone despite Obama's skepticism Secretary of State John Kerry has raised the possibility of a no-fly zone in Syria to protect civilians even as President Barack Obama has consistently rejected the idea, several administration officials told CNN.
NATO rejects Russia explanation on Turkish air space NATO on Tuesday ( Oct 6, 2015) rejected Moscow's explanation that its warplanes had violated alliance member Turkey's air space by mistake and said Russia was sending more ground troops to Syria and building up its naval presence.
Russia Is Repeating Cold War Mistakes in Syria In 1957, the Soviet Union’s ally Egypt intervened in Syria’s messy politics. It didn’t go well. Why does Putin think this time will be different?
The roots of Syria's tragedy The current crisis can be traced back to events following the arbitrary partition of the Ottoman Empire.
Russia in Syria - Opportunism or Opportunity? Amir Madani argues that "considering America's de facto disengagement, a Russian intervention could fill the vacuum and promote pacification in Syria and Iraq - but only if carried out in coordination with the European Union and the US; otherwise it could make a bloody war even bloodier."
How Iranian general plotted out Syrian assault in Moscow At a meeting in Moscow in July, a top Iranian general unfurled a map of Syria to explain to his Russian hosts how a series of defeats for President Bashar al-Assad could be turned into victory - with Russia's help.
Policy and Reports
The Terrible Flight from the Killing Hugh Eakin writes on the Syrian refugee Refugees crisis, emphasizing that: "At the heart of the current crisis is a fundamental problem: there are virtually no legal ways for a refugee to travel to Europe."
Syria: Joint Statement Urging Release of Human Rights Lawyer Khalil Ma’touq In this statement, different organizations are reiterating their call for the immediate and unconditional release of Syrian human rights lawyer Khalil Ma’touq and his assistant and friend Mohamed Zaza, on the third anniversary of the enforced disappearance of the two lawyers.
Q&A with professor Diya Abdo about Syrian refugee crisis This is an interview with Diya Abdo, chairperson of the English department at Guilford College in Greensboro, whom in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, has challenged academic institutions to re-envision their campuses as sanctuaries for refugees.
Putin’s Boldness, Syria’s Misery Jeremy Shapiro argues that: "The Russian move into Syria is indeed daring, but it will not end the Syrian civil war or counter the threat of terrorism and extremism."
Russian Military Activity: October 1-8, 2015 Russia's Syrian campaign is part of larger confrontation with the U.S. and NATO. In addition to expanding the scope of its operations to bolster the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Russia issued an open challenge to NATO through repeated violations of Turkish airspace, the shadowing of U.S. Predator drones in Syria, and the launch of cruise missiles into Syria from the Caspian Sea through Iraqi airspace without warning the U.S. beforehand.
Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media
This is what the Russian air strikes in Syria look like from the ground A collection of images that show the repercussions of Russian intervention in Syria.
Caesar Photos: Inside the Syrian Authorities’ Prisons Panel Debate This video documents a panel on Caesar Photos that was chaired by Ian Black, the Guardian‘s Middle East editor, and hosts Mouaz Moustafa, Usahma Felix Darrah, and Kristyan Benedict.
Photographer captures haunting images of Syria's lost children Photojournalist Magnus Wennman traveled around Europe and the Middle East, capturing Syrian children of war as they tried to find some rest in a frightening, uncertain world.
My Escape From Syria: Europe or Die A Syrian refugee Ismail, 25, filmed his journey to Germany with 19-year-old Naeem, capturing the most dangerous parts of a perilous trip, including the boat crossing from Turkey to Greece where hundreds of refugees have died this year.
Michael Weiss: ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror This is a full video of Michael Weiss talk on ISIS at the Carnegie Council Events. The talk is followed by a question-and-answer session.
Northern Hama situation map This map shows the situation in Northern Hama as of Oct 8, 2015.
U.S. jet has close call with Russian fighter over Syria Russia secretly filmed first meeting with America to discuss air safety in Syria and posted it on YouTube.
عصابات داعش في درنة تهدد الأهالي بالذبح وسبي النساء This is an audio recording of ISIS members in Derna, Libya threatening locals that "1000s of Tunisians" ready to come, behead them, and enslave their women.
تغطية خاصة 94 - أمسية مع زكريا تامر This is a special coverage of an event in London with Zakaria Tamer, a Syrian short story writer, where he discussed topics such as Arabic novel and short story, Syria and the arm
Arabic:
أهداف روسيا طويلة الأمد في سوريا Russia hopes its recent military support to Bashar al-Assad will give it political leverage over the Syrian regime and counter Western military might both in Syria and globally.
An English version of this article can be found here: Russia’s Long-Term Aims in Syria
الرياض تحقّق في "بيان الجهاد": لا عودة لزمن أفغانستان Al Araby reportes that Saudi authorities will probe the pro-jihad statement issued by the 52 clerics calling for jihad in Syria against Russia.
خلود حلمي تفوز بجائزة التقارير الشجاعة في الأماكن الخطرة A Syrian journalist Kholoud Waleed was awarded the annual Reach All Women in WAR (RAW in WAR) Anna Politkovskaya Award for her work in keeping people in Syria informed about the war, and for speaking out against the violence.
A related article in English can be found here: Syrian Journalist Wins Award for Courageous Reporting Despite Dangers
عن الطائفية ومستقبل سورية Ammar Daiub discusses sectarianism and the future of Syria and argues that sectarianization was used by the Syrian regime as a tool to survive the uprising and by the Muslim brotherhood as a mechanism for political control.
لماذا يترك السوريون استانبول؟ This article investigates the reasons that motivate Syrians to leave Istanbul.
واشنطن: لا قرار لفرض حظر جوي بسوريا The US State Department said that there is no decision to proceed with the establishment of a no-fly zone in Syria,
ايران -روسيا: تحالف ام وراثة؟ This article raises some questions about Russian intervention in Syria: is it to supplement the Iranian role or to inherit the influence of Iran.
هدف موسكو فرض التسويات في المنطقة بشروطها Raghida Dergham discusses the US and the EU positions on Russian intervention in Syria.
80 ألف نازح من ريف حماة الشمالي عقب القصف الروسي Over 80 thousand people have been displaced, from the town of Kvrenbaudh, North of Hama in Syria, as a result of battles between the Syrian regime forces backed by Russian fighter jets and Syrian armed opposition groups.
مسؤولون أمريكيون لـCNN: سقوط صواريخ روسية على إيران كانت متجهة من بحر قزوين إلى سوريا.. وموسكو: القصف أصاب مواقع "داعش" بدقة US officials told CNN's, Thursday, that some of the missiles that Russia launched from warships in the Caspian Sea toward Syria, landed in Iran.