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In Homs, Rebels and Civilians Forge New Bonds
In the rebel-held districts of Homs, bombardments and isolation reinforce the bond between civilian communities and Free Syrian Army battalions.
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The Hangout: Landis on Alawites, U.S. Strike, and Making Syria Whole Again
Below is the full transcript of our interview with Joshua Landis*, a Syria scholar head of the Middle East Studies Department at the University of Oklahoma.*.
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
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The State of a Secular Rebel Fighting Force
Below is a transcript of an interview with Bassam, a rebel who serves with two secular brigades near Salamiyah. He spoke with us on Saturday via Skype.
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What to Expect in Washington Next Week
The White House is pressing its campaign to convince Americans to support a Syria strike. The Obama administration advanced its message this past week with media appearances, impassioned speeches, congressional hearings, closed door briefings and personal calls to key members of Congress, soliciting their support.
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At Aleppo’s Central Prison, Detainees Languish in Shadows of a Fight
As the Syrian regime watches the West debate a military strike, the detainees of Aleppo Central Prison languish in dark cells, unsure if and when they will see the light of day.
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The Best Think Tank Reports on Syria
Since we’ve been elbow deep in reading about Syria since the start of the conflict, we thought it worth sharing some of our favorite long-form reports from some top think tanks. They serve as our guide to some deep knowledge on Syria, its people and its unfolding conflict.
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The Ground View: Eastern Ghouta, Now Free of Fear
Today marks 181 days of siege here in eastern Ghouta, and 90 days without flour. For two months, bakeries have not opened. People have started to forget what real bread looks like.
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Syrian Slice of Life: A Citizen Journalist in Homs
The citizen journalist starts his day at dawn, waiting at one of Homs’ taller buildings (or what’s left of it) for the first explosion of the day. Once it happens he heads to the site, ignoring the dangers that surround him.
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War Economy: ‘My Life for $500’
Hassan, a 25-year-old prisoner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), looks depressed as he trades cigarettes with the 15 other men in his detention room in a makeshift jail in Aleppo province.
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Cash-Strapped Syrians Swap Chicken for Food Powder
As Syria’s economy has been crippled by two and a half years of war, Syrians have had to cope with the loss of their livelihood, some stretching the last of their savings to keep their families fed. .
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Washington’s Road Map to Syria Strike
After back-to-back hearings on Capitol Hill and an ongoing White House PR blitz, U.S. President Barack Obama’s push for military intervention in Syria is gaining traction. .
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The Student-Turned-Fighter in Douma
Maher, 25, was only two months away from a university degree when he abandoned his studies to join the nascent Syrian revolution. He went from being a peaceful activist to a fighter within five months.
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Islamists Up Close: A Soldier of ISIS
Playing outside the gates of Kilis refugee camp is Zahra, a six-year-old girl with a bright pink T-shirt and an infectious smile.
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Kerry, Seeking Congressional Approval, Goes on PR Blitz
Secretary of State John Kerry is leading a publicity blitz, making the rounds on Capitol Hill and this past weekend’s Sunday shows, to get lawmakers behind President Barack Obama’s call for military intervention in Syria.
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
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Syria Rebels Say Hit Hard, or Not at All
As the U.S. Congress prepares to debate military action against the Syrian regime, rebel commanders and fighters on the ground say that it would take a decisive strike to aid them in their fight. .
- Civil Society
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Social Media Buzz: Syrians Debate U.S. Intervention
Millions of Syrians are using social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Skype to disseminate and discuss the conflict. Syria Deeply monitors the online conversation in English and Arabic, pulling out the highlights in a feature called the Social Media Buzz.
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Syria Deeply Asks: Has the Threat of a Syria Strike Changed the Ground War?
With a week of intense diplomacy and global debate over a strike on Syria, what’s been the impact on the ground? Has U.S. President Barack Obama’s shift to a more forceful position, plus the counter threats from Russia and Iran, changed the dynamics of this war?
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And the War Goes On …
While the debate goes on about a U.S. military strike on Syria, the war continues on the ground.
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Full Text: President Obama’s Speech
In an address on Saturday U.S. President Barack Obama said he’s ready to strike Syria immediately, but would effectively pause the move in order to seek approval from Congress. U.S. lawmakers plan to hold a debate on Syria the week of September 9. .
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With Strikes Looming, Syrians Pour Across Lebanese Border
MASNAA, Lebanon / On Thursday, a large bus bearing the license plates of Syria’s Idlib province drove across Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing. It was one of thousands of vehicles to cross since Wednesday, transporting Syrians who were fleeing in fear of a potential strike by the U.S. military. .
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Conversations: A Slice of Life in Damascus
*As part of our effort to highlight civilian stories, b**elow is correspondence from Mohamed, a Syrian journalist based in Damascus.*.
- Religious & Ethnic Groups
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Christians Besieged in Homs, as Religious Lines Blur
The famous black stonework in Syria’s third city of Homs bears witness to the coexistence of Christians and Muslims over the ages. Nothing but ancient walls separate churches from mosques. Sometimes, those walls are even shared.
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Michel Kilo: The U.S. is Now Obliged to Strike
Michel Kilo, a writer and human-rights activist, is one of the elder statesmen of Syria’s democracy movement. He was a leader in Syria’s wave of democratic expression in 2000, known as the Damascus Spring, and remained a leading name in opposition politics ever since.
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View from Israel: Sizing Up the Iranian Threat
This week, Iranian officials said they would strike Israel in retaliation if the U.S. carried out what many see as an inevitable attack on Syrian government targets.
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Assessing the Success of a Syria Strike
As reports emerge of U.S. plans to strike Syria, possibly as soon as this week, some analysts doubt how effective those strikes could be.
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- Government & Pro-Government Forces
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Would Intervention in Syria Be Legal?
If U.S. President Barack Obama decides to intervene in Syria, will he go in without the approval and backing of the United Nations Security Council? And if he does, what would be the consequences of the strike?
- Government & Pro-Government Forces
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At a Tripoli Blast Site, Residents Shoulder State’s Burden
TRIPOLI, Lebanon / In the aftermath of twin car bombings that killed 47 and wounded hundreds on Friday, residents in this northern Lebanese city are picking up where the paralyzed state cannot. .
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Is the Assad Regime Feeling the Pressure of a Potential Strike?
Over the weekend, the U.S. moved one of its Mediterranean warships closer to the Syrian coastline as administration sources said President Barack Obama was seriously considering a strike on regime targets.
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Q+A: How Would Russia React to a Strike on Syria?
In a weekend call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Lavrov reportedly warned that a U.S. strike on Syria would have “extremely dangerous consequences.”.
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Roundup: Prospects for a Military Strike on Syria
Is the U.S. headed to war in Syria?
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MSF Dispatch: Thousands in Damascus Suffer Neurotoxic Symptoms
The following post is courtesy of Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
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Syria Deeply Asks: Will a Chemical Attack Spur Foreign Intervention?
After a possible chemical weapons attack left what activists say is more than 1,400 dead in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, U.S. President Barack Obama’s “red line” remains fuzzy.
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Voices from Damascus: ‘We Expect Nothing from the United Nations’
The photos and video circulating of yesterday’s alleged chemical gas attack in the east Damascus suburb of Ghouta are haunting. In some, dead bodies, including those of children, are lined up shoulder to shoulder on the floor.
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In South Beirut, A Funeral and Fighters at the Ready
Friday was a day of funerals in Lebanon in the wake of a deadly car bombing that struck the southern suburbs of Beirut, or Dahiyeh, a bastion of support for the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah.
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
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Q+A: The State of the Syrian Jihad
Earlier this month, a YouTube video showed members of al-Qaida affiliate the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) handing out Teletubby dolls to children in Aleppo, an attempt to curry favor among local residents.
- Government & Pro-Government Forces
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What We’re Reading
Karen Leigh, Syria Deeply’s managing editor, rounds up her top reads of the weekend.
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Voice from Moscow: More Confidence in Bashar
Earlier this month, Russia and the U.S. agreed to schedule long-delayed Syria peace talks in Geneva.
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In Raqqa, Islamist Rebels Form a New Regime
There’s a new sheriff in town in Raqqa, the first of Syria’s provincial capitals to be wrested from Assad’s grip: the al-Qaida affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
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Q+A: George Sabra on the Opposition’s Woes
This week, Ahmed al-Jarba, head of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), called for the creation of a unified Free Syrian Army operating under chief of staff Gen. Selim Idris.
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Crowdsourcing Syria: Voices on the Conflict
In a joint effort with the Baker Institute at Rice University, we reached a range of voices inside Syria to get a diverse set of answers on the same question. Below is an excerpt of perspectives on the conflict in their country. .