Syria Media Roundup (January 1-15)

[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Syria and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Media Roundup Editors or of Salon Syria. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week’s roundup to info@SalonSyria.com by Monday night of every week.]

 

Inside Syria

Civilians die in air raids on Syria’s Eastern Ghouta (04 January  2018)

At least 23 civilians have been killed in aerial bombardment carried out by Syrian government forces in rebel-held parts of the Eastern Ghouta district.

4 Million Syrian Students Commence First Semester Exams  (04 January  2018)

Countrywide assessments to take place for school children attending 1st to 12th grades.

Assad Loyalists Accuse Govt Ministries of Treason Over Loss of Vehicles Administration (04 January  2018)

Regime supporters take to social media to express their anger over huge losses at the military facility in Harasta, Enab Baladi reports

New ‘Israeli air strikes’ near Damascus – Syrian state media (05 January  2018)

The strikes are believed to have targeted a Syrian military facility in the Damascus countryside. Syrian air defence systems had intercepted three of the missiles.

Syria war: Russia thwarts drone attack on Hmeimim airbase (07 January  2018)

Russian forces have foiled a drone attack on an airbase in Syria just days after reports that rebel shelling had damaged several planes, activists say.

Kidnappers Release Suweida Civilians in Exchange for 30M Syrian Pounds (09 January  2018)
The number of abduction cases in Syria’s south has mushroomed since the outbreak of the civil war.

ISIS Occupies Villages in Eastern Hama, Idleb After HTS Withdrawal (10 January  2018)

Offensive mounted by Iranian-backed militias and ISIS forces the retreat of the key opposition group, Smart reports.

Assad Regime Promotes Return of 1,500 Families to Wreckage of Zabadani (12 January  2018)

Locals dispute the number of purported returned residents, saying the actual figure is lower, Enab Baladi reports

Syrian war: Reports of chlorine gas attack on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta (13 January  2018)

A chlorine gas attack has been carried out on a besieged rebel-held enclave on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus, reports say.

Exclusive: Missile attack hits refugee camp in Syria (14 January  2018)

A push by the forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad aided by Russian air raids was causing a new wave of displacement from rebel-held territories. About 120,000 people have fled their homes in Idlib province in recent weeks.

Nearly 180 people killed in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta in 2 weeks  (14 January  2018)

According to the volunteer White Helmets rescue group, nearly 180 people, including 51 children, have been killed in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta in just over two weeks.

Regional and International Perspectives

Will Syria see a political solution in 2018? (04 January  2018)

Zena Tahhan explores the future scenarios of peace in Syria from the military solution that Russia and the Syrian governments may succeed in enforcing to possible peaceful political solution.

France Approves Trial of Jihadists Inside Syrian Kurdistan, Signaling De Facto Recognition (08 January  2018)

Kurdish authorities given green light to commence judicial proceedings against French citizens fighting in Syria, Kurdistan 24 reports.

Dancing to Russia’s Tune in Syria (08 January  2018)

As the United States stands back, the Saudis and even the U.N. special envoy are now open to a greater Russian diplomatic role in shaping the future of Syria.

America in Search of an Un-Geneva for Syria  (08 January  2018)

Sam Heller states that Washington needs to focus on more narrowly defined interests and achievable goals in Syria.

Russia implies US involvement in drone strikes on Syria military bases (09 January  2018)

Attacks on its bases in Syria would have required assistance from a country with satellite navigation, says Russian defense ministry, a charge the Pentagon denies.

Trump’s silence on Syria contrasts with his criticism of Iran (09 January  2018)

Airstrikes and civilian deaths continue in rebel-held Idlib but US president’s focus is elsewhere.

Turkey summons Russia, Iran envoys over Idlib violence (10 January  2018)

Turkey’s foreign ministry has summoned Russian and Iranian ambassadors for what Ankara says Syrian government forces’ escalation of violence in the city of Idlib.

The Fate of Minorities in Post-ISIS Syria and Iraq (10 January  2018)

The ability of Syria and Iraq’s minorities to rebuild their communities in the post-ISIS landscape will depend very much on the political situation in these countries, according to analyst Yousif Kalian.

Who is attacking Russia’s bases in Syria? A new mystery emerges in the war. (10 January  2018)

Liz Sly reports on the recent attacks against the main Russian military base in Syria and raises questions about the sustainability of Russia’s gains in Syria.

Turkey to launch imminent Syria operation against YPG (14 January  2018)

Turkey’s president vowed “to purge terrorism” across the border in Syria, as Turkish forces pounded US-backed fighters with artillery fire on Sunday.

Policy and Reports

 The Syrian Doctor Building an Underground Hospital for Women and Girls (03 January, 2018)

With Syria’s healthcare system crippled by conflict, women and children are dying from treatable illnesses. One doctor and his team are providing them safe, dedicated medical care by building hospitals below ground, out of the reach of airstrikes.

400,000 Children in Idleb Province Received Polio Vaccinations in 2017 (05 January, 2018)

Campaign headed by the Free Health Directorate aims to stamp out the disease throughout rebel-held province.

Analysis: What Lies Ahead for Syria in 2018 (05 January, 2018)

The coming year in Syria will likely be marked by reconciliation deals, partial economic recovery and, ultimately, Assad continuing to hold power in the country, according to Syria expert Fabrice Balance.

Syria war: Hospitals being targeted, aid workers say (06 January, 2018)

At least 10 hospitals in rebel-held areas of Syria have suffered direct air or artillery attacks over the past 10 days, aid workers say.

‘Crazy numbers’: civilian deaths from airstrikes almost double in a year (08 January, 2018)

British involvement under scrutiny after study identifies 42% rise in number of civilians killed by explosives.

WHO’s Elizabeth Hoff pressed on Syria healthcare crisis (08 January, 2018)

Elizabeth Hoff, WHO Syria Representative in Damascus answers important questions on besiegement tactics, evacuations, the spread of communicable diseases.

UN: Three-quarters of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Live Below Poverty Line (13 January, 2018)

A survey by three leading U.N. agencies finds that more than three-quarters of the more than 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living below the poverty line of less than $4 per day.

Syria’s displacement crisis: ‘We had to hide in caves’ (14 January, 2018)

Aid agencies warn that if the Syrian government’s bombardment continues, a million displaced people will amass near the Turkish border.

Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media

‘Just like a Theater’: A Different View of the War Against Syria (02 January 2018)

New play directed by Ghassan Massoud shows the experiences and disappointments of Syrians as a result of the war, SANA reports.

French woman accused of recruiting for Isis ‘captured by Kurdish forces’ (02 January 2018)

Emilie König, who appeared on UN and US blacklists, has been interrogated and tortured, according to her mother.

The missing of Raqqa: families search for loved ones disappeared by Isis (06 January 2018)

Relatives plead for help tracing hundreds of people detained during Islamic State’s reign of terror in Syrian city

Syrian Opposition Figure Asma al-Faisal Dies in Canada (08 January 2018)

Dissident and former political prisoner passed away in hospital over the weekend, Enab Baladi reports

Syria shelling: ‘They used to tell me I was beautiful’ (11 January 2018)

One shell in Syria can change a life forever. Meet the Syrian girls who just want to be beautiful again.

Maps

Syria: Recent Developments in North-western (03 January 2018)

Since the beginning of November 2017, hostilities between Government of Syria forces and non-state armed groups (NSAGs) intensified considerably in the north-eastern countryside of Hama Governorate, the southern and south-eastern countryside of Idleb Governorate and the southern countryside of Aleppo Governorate.

Islamic State and the crisis in Iraq and Syria in maps (10 January 2018)

The US-led coalition against so-called Islamic State (IS) says 98% of territory once claimed by the jihadist group across Iraq and Syria has been recaptured.

 

Arabic links

تعايشاً معالحرب: هكذاتمضيالصداقة

قدّم خريجو هندسة الحواسيب في جامعة حلب عام 2010 مشاريع التخرج البحثية والتطبيقية التي أبهرت عدداً من الدكاترة المختصين حيث قال الدكتور المهندس محمد سعيد كريّم : (هذه دفعة قوية من المهندسين، يمتلكون الفرادة والتميّز)، لكن جاءت الحرب التي غيرت كل شيء لتنأى بطموح الشباب بعيداً.

تنظيم «الدولةالإسلامية» يستعرضقواتهغربالموصل

استعرض تنظيم «الدولة الإسلامية» برتل ضمن آليات عسكرية ذات دفع رباعي في منطقة الجزيرة غرب الموصل، وفق ما كشف مصدر أمني خاص لـ«القدس العربي».

صراعالسيطرةعلى “قطاعالتعليم” بينحكومتيالإنقاذوالمؤقتة “المعارضتين” فيإدلب

يجلس طلاب حرم جامعة حلب الحرة في شمال شرق محافظة إدلب على كراسي بلاستيكية وأكوام من الصخور في الساحة الخارجية، يدونون ملاحظاتهم تحت أشعة الشمس، في حين يحاضر أستاذتهم أمامهم، على بعد أمتار قليلة من صفوفهم الدراسية الفارغة بأبوابها المقفلة والمحاطة برجال مسلحين يحرسونها.

2017.. نكسةالمعارضةالسورية

رغم سيطرة النظام السوري على أحياء حلب نهاية 2016، لم يكن أكثر المتشائمين المناصرين للثورة السورية يتوقع تراجعها إلى الحد الذي وصلت إليه مع إغلاق 2017 أبوابه.

The English version of this article can be found here:

2017 .. The Syrian Opposition Deterioration

أميركانحواعترافدبلوماسيبـ«شرقالفرات»

يتوقع أن تتخذ واشنطن في الفترة المقبلة خطوات ملموسة تجاه منطقة شرق نهر الفرات التي تسيطر عليها «قوات سوريا الديمقراطية» الكردية – العربية، تشمل الاعتراف الدبلوماسي بهذه المنطقة التي تبلغ مساحتها نحو 28 ألف كيلومتر مربع، أي ما يساوي ثلاثة أضعاف مساحة لبنان.

لبنانيضعإجراءاتمشددةجديدةعلىدخولالسوريين

أعلنت “المديرية العامة للأمن العام اللبناني” عن وضع شروط جديدة مشددة أكثر من ذي قبل، حول تنظيم دخول السوريين إلى لبنان والإقامة فيه، دون تحديد موعد بدء العمل بها.

خاصروزنة: تفاصيلحصولالسوريينعلىالجنسيةالتركية

تواصل السلطات التركية العمل على تجنيس أصحاب الكفاءات من السوريين المقيمين على أراضيها، وسط تقديرات في أن يصل عدد السوريين الحاصلين على الجنسية التركية الاستثنائية نحو 100 ألف، من أصل نحو ثلاثة ملايين سوري لاجئين على أراضيها، في نهاية العام الجاري 2018.

أسماءجديدةلرجالأعمالفيسوريا.. مَنوراءهم؟
شكلت الحرب الدائرة في سوريا فرصة لبروز من يطلق عليهم “تجار الحروب والأزمات”، الذين ازدادت ثرواتهم، مستغلين الأحداث والظروف الأمنية المتردية.

مقتلمديرسجنصيدنايا.. والسببغامض

قُتل مدير سجن صيدنايا العسكري، الذي يعد أحد أشهر معتقلات النظام السوري الأمنية، ولم تتضح بعد بالضبط ظروف مقتله.

أنتكونيامرأةفيسورياالمعسكرة

أدى هذا التفاعل بين حب الوطن والانتماء إليه، والذي جرى قياسه بالاستعداد للتضحية والموت، إلى تصوير الرجل البطل كمواطن مثالي. 

[This article is published jointly in partnership with Jadaliyya.]