A View From Inside Syria

The text of a lecture given at the Woodrow Wilson Center during my first ever visit to Washington, D.C. which also marked my first venture back to the U.S. since I left in September of 1994.

The Syrian Shadow Government and the Possibilities of Change

Introduction

Syrian-American relations have always been much too complex, despite the fact that they have always been rather minimal. There was hardly a time when the relations between the two countries could be described as warm or cordial, not to mention strong. As such, the current observable lack of good will, to put it mildly, between the two sides is not exactly a new phenomenon or a peculiar development. Rather, there are many outstanding issues in Syrian-American relations that remain unresolved and that have not, in fact, been seriously addressed yet. Continue reading “A View From Inside Syria” →

Old guard faces crisis as heat turns on Syria

Quotes in The Guardian:

Before the war, Syria denied having extensive trade relations with Iraq, even though they were worth $2bn a year and factories had set up special production lines to cope with the extra demand.

It also denied receiving oil from Iraq worth $500m a year – or rather, said the pipeline was only being tested. Once the war came and the pipeline was cut off, Syria’s oil exports suddenly dropped by 100,000-150,000 barrels a day. Continue reading “Old guard faces crisis as heat turns on Syria” →

Whereto?

Maaber.Org

We need to determine exactly where we are going and what it is that we are seeking in order to be able to choose the right path.

It is quite simple to understand why a people, who have been living under the humiliating conditions of foreign occupation for decades now, would feel so much frustration, bitterness, anger and hate. It is also simple to understand the need for an emotional outlet in these circumstances. That violence should proceed from this situation is not at all surprising. Continue reading “Whereto?” →

Syria 2000: a reform to end all reforms

This article was commissioned and published by Impressions, the inflight magazine distributed by British Airways.

What’s in store for Syria, now that Dr Bashar al-Asad is at the helm? What will it mean for the country’s economy, the banking sector and for potential outside investors? How will it open up in terms of information and the Internet? Ammar Abdulhamid examines the evidence. Continue reading “Syria 2000: a reform to end all reforms” →