Obama’s two terms and the lie of the bloody Arab Spring made us feel that George W. Bush was a dove of peace. Bush did not, in practice, destroy anywhere but Iraq, given that Afghanistan was already destroyed, whereas Obama went ceaselessly from Syria to Libya and Yemen.
Walid Bunni asks whether the US president-elect will continue the Obama administration’s stance in denying the goals and freedoms of the region’s people for the past eight years
What Moscow is trying to achieve with the political settlement depends to a large extent on the Turkish and Iranian positions, and on the possibility of reaching clear agreements between these actors amid independent efforts to direct their battles in ways which achieve only their interests
Opposition members claim ongoing violations by regime and allied Iranian militias in the Damascus countryside is proof the regime does not want the truce deal to succeed
Store owners and sellers in the capital’s marketplaces describe a gloomy scene of overstocked merchandise for a non-existent clientele as the impacts of the war finally take hold of the Damascus tourism industry
Russia is not serious in its wish to impose a ceasefire, Walid al-Bunni argues
Displaced Aleppans in Lattakia and Tartous are eager to return to their embattled city to prevent demographic change after the regime and Russia declared victory against rebel fighters there
Lebanese militia stopped Russian engineers from entering the area outside the capital after negotiators reached an agreement with locals, sources claim
Interim government prime minister speaks to reporters alongside Coalition representatives about delivery of services and humanitarian aid to liberated areas during visit to the Qatari capital
Syrian opposition leaders meet with Qatari foreign minister to discuss the political and military situation, including the Assad regime’s assault on villages in the Barada valley outside Damascus
Assad tells visiting MP that Iran and other states that support the Syrian people are partners in the achievements made against terrorists
Opposition forces decide to freeze involvement in upcoming negotiations in Kazakhstan due to repeated ceasefire violations by the regime
Opposition says Assad regime and Iran must be stopped from obstructing truce agreement after 30 violations were recorded in as little as 12 hours
Iran’s head of MENA affairs says visit by Syrian FM aimed at cementing coordination following Aleppo victories
Is it really possible for Russia, Turkey and Iran to achieve a lasting solution which enables Syrians to choose their political system in a secular and democratic state, as stated by the three countries following meetings in Moscow?
FSA rebels threaten to abandon new truce deal if Russia does not halt Assad regime attacks on civilians near the capital Damascus
Foreign minister praises the success of the Syrian-Iranian-Russian partnership during meetings with top officials in Tehran ahead of the upcoming Astana dialogue this month
More properties in the historical district are facing vandalism and destruction, as claims Shiite and Iranian-backed businessmen are attempting to push locals from the area
Research shows a wave of purchases by Iranian traders involving a large amount of Syrian real estate in a number of cities including Damascus and Homs
Sources claim the Turkish president could lighten his tough stance on his Syrian counterpart on the condition of cooperation in preventing the establishment of a Kurdish entity
