Syria

Syria and Lebanon are multicultural societies, but the American discourse about Syria tends to focus on the Muslim majority and to ignore the substantial Christian minorities. It is interesting that these Eastern Christians are solidly against an American missile strike on Syria. Many US congressional representatives discussing the possibility of military action against that country […]

Syria

Obama’s Syria Strike Part of ‘Broader Strategy’ (Germanos)

Juan Cole

Andrea Germanos writes at Commondreams As the Obama administration continues its "flood the zone" campaign to win congressional support for military force against Syria, a statement by the president Tuesday indicates its plan is to go beyond punitive strikes against Assad and to pursue a "broader strategy." President Barack Obama meets with his National Security […]

Syria

A US attack on Syria will Prolong the War

Juan Cole

The struggle in Syria began peacefully in spring of 2011, but after about half a year it turned violent when the regime deployed tanks and other heavy munitions against the protesters. Some of the latter took up weapons and turned to violence in revenge. Thereafter the struggle spiraled into a civil war, in which the […]

Iran

Former Iranian President Slams Syria for Gassing own People: Sign of deep Divisions in Tehran

Juan Cole

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani has roiled Iranian politics by admitting that the Syrian government gassed its own people at Ghuta in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. He was lamenting the calamities that are befalling the hapless Syrian people. He attacked the regime of President Bashar al-Assad for filling what he called “football stadiums” full […]

Syria

Obama goes to Congress on Syria as his International Support Collapses

Juan Cole

People have been asking why President Obama did not go to Congress about Libya but is willing to do so with regard to a much less robust action in Syria. The answer is a pragmatic and not a legal or constitutional one. Obama did not need Congress in the case of Libya. He had the […]

Gulf

Gulf Arab Press divided on Syria Strike (OSC)

Juan Cole

The USG Open Source Center paraphrases items in the Gulf Arab press regarding the US strike on Syria Gulf Press Carries Mixed Reactions to Potential US Military Attack on Syria OSC Summary Saturday, August 31, 2013 Document Type: OSC Summary On 30 August, websites of Gulf newspapers were observed to carry mixed reactions to a […]

Syria

Invoking International Law Against Obama: Old Europe, New Europe and NeoCon Fail

Juan Cole

Caretaker Czech Prime minister Jiri Rusnok and president Milos Zeman have denounced President Obama’s plans to bomb Syria not just as unwise but as actually illegal. In the United Nations Charter, which the US crafted and to which it is a signatory, there are only two grounds for going to war: self-defense and a UN […]

Egypt

Military-Ruled Egypt Opposes US Strike on Syria

Juan Cole

The newly assertive Egyptian military and the civilian transitional government in Egypt are helping make President Obama’s life difficult. Likely it was Egypt that blocked the Arab League from calling for intervention against the Syrian regime despite its condemnation of Damascus for using chemical weapons. Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy rejected a Western strike on […]

Syria

The Ghost of Iraq haunts Obama on Syria as British Parliament Defects

Juan Cole

The heavy propaganda for an Iraq War waged by the Bush administration and the Blair government in 2002-2003 came back to haunt the Anglo-American alliance on Thursday when the British parliament voted 285 to 272 not to authorize a military strike on Syria. While the government of Prime Minister David Cameron could theoretically have proceeded […]