Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tragedy and farce in Syria

Posted on April 7, 2012 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post, 05/04/2012 Recent developments show that the West appears to have acquiesced to the continued rule of the Assad family dictatorship. The supposed acceptance by the regime of Bashar Assad of UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan’s six-point plan represents … Continue reading →

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Lecture in Berlin on Syria, 8/11.

Posted on April 4, 2012 by jonathanspyer
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Taking note of Yemen

Posted on March 31, 2012 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post, 29/03/2012 The US is waking up to Iran’s support for Shi’ite rebels and its attempts to gain influence through proxy warfare. In a notable shift in the US public stance, Washington’s Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein this week … Continue reading →

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Clip of an interview on Syria

Posted on March 15, 2012 by jonathanspyer
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Islamic Jihad attacks, Hamas’s dilemmas

Posted on March 13, 2012 by jonathanspyer

In by far the sharpest escalation since late 2008, scores of rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel during recent days following Israel’s killing of the Gaza-based leader of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) Zuhair al-Qaisi and … Continue reading →

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Confusion in the Ranks

Posted on March 10, 2012 by jonathanspyer

This week, leading Gaza- Hamas activist Salah al-Bardawil told The Guardian newspaper that in the event of a war between Iran and Israel, Hamas would not back Teheran. Hamas Foreign Minister in Gaza Mahmoud Zahar later appeared to refute Bardawil’s … Continue reading →

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The West should help Syrian rebels

Posted on March 2, 2012 by jonathanspyer

The Australian, 1/3/12 In recent days the world has witnessed the Assad regime in Syria pretending to inquire as to its citizens’ opinion in a referendum on constitutional reform, while enthusiastically slaughtering the opposition with advanced artillery. About 100 civilians … Continue reading →

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Among the Insurgents

Posted on February 22, 2012 by jonathanspyer

Last Thursday afternoon, in the town square of Bini’ish in Idleb Province, northwest Syria, a small group gathered to protest against the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad. It was drizzling, and the protesters, about 200 of them, were mostly schoolchildren. A … Continue reading →

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Inside Free Syria

Posted on February 18, 2012 by jonathanspyer

The mountains outside Antakya were wrapped in black clouds the day we crossed the border from Turkey into Syria. The smugglers said this was a good sign as the Syrian Army patrols don’t care for rain and mud, and would … Continue reading →

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Hizballah backs Assad – and pays the price

Posted on January 20, 2012 by jonathanspyer

In early January, 2011, Hizballah and its allies took up the reins of government in Lebanon, having ensured the collapse of the coalition led by March 14 leader and then Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. Hizballah needed a coalition which it … Continue reading →

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