First Syria and now Iran, French President Jacques Chirac is acting pretty tough in what seems like a French return to the international policy-making scene. The lessons that have been learned from the US-led invasion of Iraq seem to be counterintuitive somehow. Rather than championing the cause of non-interventionism and real politick, Chirac’s future policies towards the region promise to be far more interventionist than they have ever been. Continue reading “The Return of France!”
Category: Syrian Politics
The Lion’s Wall!
I actually subscribe to the “Pushed to the Wall” theory. But, naturally, my interpretation of it is less regime-friendly than that of others. My version of the theory stipulates that Bashar & Co. simply lacked the necessary leadership skills and vision to be able to chart a new set of policies for the country vis-à-vis Lebanon, the peace process, and internal reforms, and that it was this mediocrity of theirs that pushed them to the Wall. Continue reading “The Lion’s Wall!”
Déjà Vu All Over Again, and Again, and Again!
“Less hostile” and “downbeat” don’t cut it. Assad’s speech was plain dumb. But what else did we expect? He is a hopeless case. A really hopeless case. There is nothing more that can be said about that, except to remind that when such people are in charge of anything, they are bound to fuck it up. Start counting the days towards disaster. We have a leader who courts them, many people who support him, and a whole population that stands idly by as if the whole thing does not concern them.
A Canticle for the Masochists!
Another witness changing his testimony, political prisoners freed, some reform measures about to be announced, the Syrian regime’s strategy is clear: get the people to rally behind it. And they surely will. For the Syrian people desperately want to be fooled. And they surely will. Continue reading “A Canticle for the Masochists!”
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 