Tag Archives: Assad

A Critical Meeting in Moscow

Posted on July 20, 2016 by

July 20, 2016 The need for US-Russian cooperation for the resolution of Middle East problems, prominently among them the Syrian conflict, had been obvious from the start (1). On February 22, the United States and the Russian Federation, Co-Chairs of … Continue reading →

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Time to Boost Syria’s Political Transition

Posted on May 9, 2016 by

May 9, 2016 “Cessation of Hostilities in Syria”, worked out between Russia and the US and approved by the UNSC through Resolution 2268, entered into force on February 27, 2016. For two months, despite violations, it seemed to hold inspiring … Continue reading →

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Ripple Effect of the Syrian Conflict

Posted on March 25, 2016 by

March 25, 2016 In early February scientists announced that they had finally detected gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of space and time that Einstein predicted a century ago. They are only to be congratulated. Their achievement must have … Continue reading →

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Geneva III: A Rocky Start

Posted on February 3, 2016 by

February 3, 2016 The road map for Syrian political transition which the UN Security Council (UNSC) approved through Resolution 2254 envisaged the Syrian government and the opposition engaging in formal negotiations in early January 2016. It also envisaged a nationwide … Continue reading →

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Fighting ISIL on the Battlefield and Beyond

Posted on November 23, 2015 by

November 23, 2015 Following the terrorist attacks in Paris President Hollande declared that France was at war. President Obama called the attacks “an attack on the civilized world”. In a telegram to his French counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin said … Continue reading →

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Russia’s Intervention in Syria (2)

Posted on October 26, 2015 by

October 22, 2015 Despite growing evidence of a build-up of military personnel and equipment around Latakia the scale of Russian military intervention in the Syrian conflict caught the West by surprise. Many analysts tend to see it as a new … Continue reading →

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Russia’s Intervention in Syria

Posted on October 7, 2015 by

October 7, 2015 Russia’s airstrikes in Syria, particularly the targets chosen, have added further confusion to an already complicated picture. Since March this year, with the Islamic State (ISIL) controlling half of Syrian territory and the “Army of Conquest” consolidating … Continue reading →

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Syria’s Unsustainable Conflict

Posted on August 31, 2015 by

31 August 2015 Efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict appear to be gaining momentum. Whatever the outcome, recent diplomatic flurry can be attributed to the following: • The completion of the Iran nuclear deal, • ISIL’s … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Syria Conundrum

Posted on August 3, 2015 by

3 August 2015 A country’s foreign policy is shaped by its identity, sense of belonging, world outlook and geographic location. This last one is a constant; others are subject to evolution, change and definition/redefinition within the limits of reason. The … Continue reading →

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Combating ISIL

Posted on July 9, 2015 by

9 July 2015 On July 6, 2015 President Obama delivered remarks after meeting with military leaders at the Pentagon to discuss US strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State (ISIL). Here are key quotes from his remarks and a … Continue reading →

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