Syria

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Russian MiGs for the first time on Wednesday gave close air support to the Syrian Arab Army as it attacked rebels north of Homs. The Russians also continued their airstrikes against rebel-held Idlib Province. And, the Russians for the first time launched cruise missiles from warships […]

Bashar al-Assad

As Russia Strikes, Arab Twitter Wars over call for Jihad against “occupation” of Syria

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Russian plans hit 20 targets in Syria on Tuesday according to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. Among them were a training camp for terrorists in the countryside around the city of Idlib, and another facility in the outskirts of the port city of Latakia. The […]

Russia

Syria: Russians volunteering to fight ISIL alongside Leftist Kurds

contributors

By Tom Balmforth and Dmitry Volchek | ( RFE/RL) Bondo Dorovskikh traveled to eastern Ukraine last year to join separatists in their war against Kyiv. He soon quit the rebels in disillusionment because they turned out to be more like a “criminal gang” — not what Russian TV promised. He mulled switching sides, but was […]

Displaced and Refugees

Education for refugees can help save Syria’s lost generation

contributors

By Dorrie Chetty | (The Conversation) | – – With the world’s focus firmly on the European response to the refugee crisis in recent weeks, attention has been diverted away from the humanitarian needs of the Middle East itself. Only a minority of refugees have fled to Europe, with the majority of Syrians travelling across […]

Featured

Facing ISIL Propaganda, Russia Denies its Syria Campaign is a “Holy War”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Remember when George W. Bush lapsed and called his Iraq War a “crusade?” He had to back off that religious rhetoric really quickly because he needed Muslim allies. Now the Russian Orthodox Church has made a similar error. Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said that his church supports […]

Bashar al-Assad

Syria: Is there a Russian-Iranian Dispute over Fate of al-Assad?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Russia and Iran don’t see eye to eye about the future of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad after their military intervention in the civil war, according to correspondent Basil Muhammad of the Kuwaiti dailiy al-Siyasah (“Politics”). Mr. Muhammad says he interviewed a member of the Iraqi parliament […]

Bashar al-Assad

Deal with Saudis? Why does the US care if Russia bombs al-Qaeda and its Allies in Syria?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – President Obama on Friday pledged not to turn Syria into an arena for a proxy war between the US and the Russian Federation. But he went on to criticize president Vladimir Putin for attempting to prop up Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and predicted that Syria under […]

Bashar al-Assad

Is Putin Gambling it all on Syria?

contributors

By Scott Lucas | (The Conversation) | – – For those watching closely, the signal for Russia’s first airstrikes came in a statement early on September 30 by Kremlin spokesman Sergei Ivanov, just after the upper house of the parliament authorised military operations: To observe international law, one of two conditions has to be met […]

Bashar al-Assad

Trump Supports Putin’s Russia Policy in Syria

contributors

Erin Burnett | (CNN news video) | – – “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks with CNN’s Erin Burnett on foreign policy issues including Iran, Syria and ISIS.” CNN: “Donald Trump: ‘Let Russia fight ISIS’”