After weeks of demanding a strong statement by President Obama on the tragic developments in Syria, I was invited to attend his speech on U.S. policy towards the MENA region in view of the changes currently unfolding there. His references to Syria were encouraging, but were still below expectations, as he failed to call on Assad to leave. Nonetheless, one cannot expect President Obama to take such drastic step until the opposition got its act together. After which, I was interviewed at some length by The Washington Post. Continue reading “Ammar attends President Obama’s speech on U.S. Policy in MENA”
Category: Events & Appearances
Syria: A Turning Point?
Hudson Institute Event More than a month after protests erupted in the small southern city of Deraa, the Syrian Revolution is gathering steam. Friday after Friday, the opposition movement has taken to the streets of every major Syrian city to demonstrate against one of the more ruthless regimes in the Middle East. A long-time sponsor of terror and ally of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Damascus facilitated the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq to attack U.S. troops and Iraqi allies, while it also targeted U.S. allies in Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. Presumably, the fall of the Assad regime would constitute a net gain for American interests in the Middle East. Continue reading “Syria: A Turning Point?”
Ammar Abdulhamid and Joshua Landis in a debate on Bloggingheads.tv
Joshua Landis (University of Oklahoma, Syria Comment) and Ammar Abdulhamid (Tharwa Foundation,Syrian Revolution Digest) speak about:
- The state of the revolution in Syria 4:58
- Without Bashar al-Assad, will Iraq-style sectarianism reign? 7:50
- Ammar: The opposition is refusing to fall into the trap of violence 7:42
- Best and worst case scenarios for the end of the regime 7:18
- If Assad goes, who will run the country? 7:36
- The future of Syria’s relationship with Iran and Israel 8:17
Activists Join Senators in Call for State Department Action on Internet Freedom
Senator Brownback promises a hold on nominations until State Department acts on appropriations
Washington, D.C. — Surrounded by front-line activists from Iran, China, Cuba, Syria, Tibet, and the Uyghur Region of East Turkestan, Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) promised to put State Department nominations on hold until the Department follows Secretary Clinton’s January 21st Internet freedom speech with decisive action. “Those who have gathered here agree on one incredible fact: That we have it within our power to tear down the firewalls of oppression, right now, by supporting technology that shatters the censorship apparatus of regimes worldwide,” Senator Brownback said at a March 18 press conference in the Capitol Visitors Center. Continue reading “Activists Join Senators in Call for State Department Action on Internet Freedom”
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 