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?” →

For Syrians, a Sense of Collective Identity Emerges Amid Battle for Reform

PBS News Hour

The U.S. called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop the use of violence after government forces attacked protesters with live ammunition. Judy Woodruff discusses protesters’ demands and the government’s crackdowns with the International Crisis Group’s Robert Malley and democracy activist and blogger Ammar Abdulhamid. Continue reading “For Syrians, a Sense of Collective Identity Emerges Amid Battle for Reform” →

White House rebuffs Syrian opposition

By Eli Lake, The Washington Times

“The White House has to date rejected our requests for stronger action on Syria,” Ammar Abdulhamid, an unofficial spokesman in the West for the Syrian activists organizing the widespread demonstrations, told The Washington Times.

Unrest In Syria Raises Alarm In Washington

Quoted in NPR

If Assad is seriously weakened or overthrown because of the current uprising, it will not only affect U.S. foreign policy. It is likely to have a spillover effect and upset the dynamic of the region, says Ammar Abdulhamid, a Syrian human-rights activist exiled in the U.S. and the founder of the Tharwa Foundation, an organization that promotes democracy in Syria.

“If the situation deteriorated in Syria as Assad himself is threatening … then frankly, Syria’s role in the future will become more and more of a destabilizing factor,” Abdulhamid says.