Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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Hamas Seeks a New Patron

Posted on January 12, 2012 by jonathanspyer

PJmedia, 12/1/12 The emergent winner of the Arab upheavals of 2011 is Sunni Islamism. This is reflected most centrally in the election results in Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood and the more extreme Salafi trend have won a landslide victory. … Continue reading →

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Arab Observer Farce

Posted on January 7, 2012 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post, 6/1 Since the beginning of last week, a team of observers from Arab countries have been in Syria. Their task is to monitor Syrian compliance with the Arab League Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Assad regime on … Continue reading →

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Rebels against the Pasdaran

Posted on December 28, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post Magazine, 23/12/11 In July, 2011, as the world focused on the bright hopes raised by the Arab Spring, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps launched a large-scale assault across the Iran-Iraq border. Their intention was to wipe out an … Continue reading →

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Syria: a word of caution

Posted on December 28, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Defense Minister Ehud Barak was reported as predicting that the regime of Bashar Assad would fall within weeks. Certainly things are not going well for the Assad family dictatorship. The bloodletting continues as the Free Syrian Army and other insurgent … Continue reading →

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Iraq pays the entry fee to the Iran-led bloc

Posted on December 28, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post, 20/12/11 As the Assad regime in Syria fights for its life, it is important to remember that it still possesses a considerable number of assets. Perhaps most important among these is the fact that its regional allies have … Continue reading →

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Hizballah and the Arab Spring

Posted on December 28, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post, 6/12/11 Before the Arab upheavals of 2011, the Middle East was dominated by a cold war, pitting US-aligned regional states against a self-designated “Muqawama (resistance) Axis” of states and movements led by Iran. Both these blocs still exist. … Continue reading →

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Civil war begins in Syria; Turkey’s stance will prove crucial

Posted on November 27, 2011 by jonathanspyer

A civil war is now under way in Syria. It is a contest in which the two sides are vastly mis-matched. Without increased international pressure and possible intervention, the blood-letting looks set to continue for a long time ahead. The … Continue reading →

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