Assad and the rise of ISIS
A link between Bashar Assad regime and the rise of the so-called Islamic State does not come as a surprise to many Syrians. Unlike the image the regime has been…
Syria: Has Turkey Been Marginalised While the US Thrusts into the Fight?
In a remarkably under-reported series of events in northern Syria, the success of the joint Turkish – Free Syrian Army (FSA) Operation Euphrates Shield (Turkish: Fırat Kalkanı Harekâtı, Arabic dara’ al-furat)…
Aleppo: Evacuations Continue but What’s Next?
Evacuations from besieged Aleppo are in progress right now and thousands of wounded people, elderly civilians and children have already made it out with the help of the Red Cross…
What to Be Improved in the Arab World?
The short answer to the question: Where does one start? If things in the Middle East and North Africa were not complicated enough, answering the question has been made even…
How Many Foreign Fighters in Syria?
It is estimated that a number between 27,000 and 31,000 foreign fighters have been flocking to Iraq and Syria since the breakout of the war in 2011. An updated assessment…
The War Criminals of Syria
“It is difficult to deny that Russia is partnering with the Syrian regime to carry out war crimes.” This is the charge laid by the British ambassador to the UN,…
Remember Syria’s President Adib Shishakli
Nearly 52 years ago, a Syrian political leader hiding in exile was killed in the heart of Brazil. As Syria watchers continue to monitor and understand the country’s grinding civil…
A Hospital Bombed Every 18 Hours
Right now hospitals are under attack in Syria. According to the Statistics compiled by the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a hospital was attacked every 18 hours during this month. This…
Destabilising the Middle East: A Historical Perspective of US Foreign Policy
I wrote the first version of this essay in June 2014. Since then, I had over 4,000 hits on it in my blog. I decided to update it partly because…
Clear the Skies For the Sake of Children
I am an American surgeon who recently spent two weeks working in an underground hospital in eastern Aleppo, Syria. I have been there a few times, and each time I…