Category: Syrian Politics

The Return of Rifaat!

Will the evil uncle reconcile with the foolish nephew? If we are to go by the proliferating reports out there, something along these lines is indeed in the works. But then, something along these lines have always been in the works, and nothing has so far materialized. Why?

Because the reconciliation process will only consecrate the Alawite nature of the regime, and will signify a complete break with the Sunnis in the country, as they absolutely loathe the man. And for what? Not all Alawites will be happy with the return of this “fearless leader.” In fact, many Alawites will see in such a move a further consolidation of power in the hands of the Assad-Makhlouf clan, and they will not be happy with that. Not at all. Continue reading “The Return of Rifaat!” →

Lions on Probation!

Yes, even if the ongoing inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese PM, Rafic Hariri, should end up exonerating Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from duplicity in the ordering and planning thereof, the young lion and his regime should still be put on a certain probationary period before their relations with the rest of the world are normalized. Continue reading “Lions on Probation!” →

The Shape of Things to Come!

If Ali ‘Abddlah and his two sons’ family has finally managed tofind outwhere they are, the family of Fateh Jamous is stilllooking, five days after his arrest.

This is the new style that Assef Chawkat, the head of the military security apparatus which we now know was behind the dramatic disappearance of Ali and his two sons, seems to have selected for dealing with all those dissidents who were daring enough to try to bridge the gulf between the internal and external opposition groups, even when their efforts were not necessarily that successful. For, unlike his former comrade in arms, Riyad al-Turk, Fateh’s enduring old-style communist predilections had already constrained his abilities to enter into serious dialogue or strike a serious deal with any of the existing groups in Europe. Continue reading “The Shape of Things to Come!” →