Author Archives: jonathanspyer

Pajamas Media 30/7/11 Five years have passed since the Second Lebanon War. Five years since the burnt forests, the Katyusha rockets, the blazing sunlight, and bitter lessons of that July and that August 2006. A half-decade on, Israel has improved … Continue reading →

A border dispute between Iran and the Kurdish region of Iraq underwent a significant escalation this week, as Iranian Revolutionary Guards crossed the border to engage with guerrillas of the PJAK (Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan) organization. The … Continue reading →

Entering the bookshop at the American Colony Hotel recently, I noted a prominently placed display of four books directly facing the entrance. The books were the first thing seen by any visitor to the shop. They were evidently intended to … Continue reading →

By JONATHAN SPYER 24/06/2011 This week, beleaguered Syrian dictator Bashar Assad gave a speech in which he referred to protesters as “vandals” and re-issued a tired promise of reforms. The speech did nothing to lessen the anger of his opponents, … Continue reading →

By JONATHAN SPYER 14/06/2011 In the aftermath of the taking of Jisr al-Shughour by the Syrian army, it has become clear that the direction of events in Syria depends largely on the cohesiveness of Bashar Assad’s security forces. If the … Continue reading →

Jerusalem Post 22/4/11 Syrian President Bashar Assad’s decision this week to rescind emergency laws in place for 48 years and to abolish the state security court was less significant than it sounds. Syria is, to put it mildly, not a … Continue reading →