Anti-regime demonstrations reportedly erupted last week among the Alawite inhabitants of the coastal city of Lattakia. Demonstrators were apparently frustrated with Bashar al-Assad’s style of leadership which, from the perspective of many Alawite, is allowing for the erosion of their power and control over the state, raising the specter of potential Sunni domination in the minds of many, with all the acts of vendetta that such a state of affairs is perceived to entail. For this reason, demonstrators reportedly hoisted pictures of Bashar’s uncle, the one and only Rifa’at Al-Assad, the champion of the bloody crackdowns of the early 1980s. Bashar’s brother-in-law and chief of security, the illustrious General, Assef Chawkat, is said to be taken charge of the crackdown. Scores have reportedly been arrested. Continue reading “In the Last Few Days…”
Category: Regional & International Politics
Nuclear Considerations
I have been contemplating a return to full-blogging mode for a while now. After all, how else can I continue to justify introducing myself as a blogger in all these conferences, lectures and workshops that I have been attending recently? Continue reading “Nuclear Considerations”
Few Necessary Clarifications!
First of all, I would like to say thank you to all the people who supported my decision to withdraw from the NSF and sympathized with my main motivations in this regard, even if they were somewhat vaguely stated.
This said, however, I think a few clarifications are in order: Continue reading “Few Necessary Clarifications!”
A Good Rally!
Well, it was not exactly a revolution but we did it. We rallied in front of the Syrian Embassy on Saturday and we did manage to make some noise. We were about 50 people in all at one time, but some counts around 75 people did show in the three hours period that we spent. The crowed was pretty diverse, and represented Syrians from various backgrounds, ethnic and political. There were also some American and Arab participants who wanted to show their support of our cause. For this, they have our lasting gratitude. Some photos of the event can be found on the Syrian Elector blog, but the picture above shows the heretical family in action: my daughter, Oula (21), holding the sign on the far left, my wife Khawla holding the sign on the right, I am holding, but not hording I swear, the loudspeaker, and my son, Mouhanad (17), holding the sign on the far right. Continue reading “A Good Rally!”
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 