Syrian Civil War
All topics-
Human Rights Activist Razan Zeitouneh Kidnapped
Syria's Fearless Dissident
For some two decades, the lawyer, recipient of the Sakharov Prize, and head of the Centre for Documentation of Violations in Syria has tirelessly fought against the Assad dictatorship. Together with three other activists, she has recently been kidnapped in Syria. Details by Albert Kadir
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Hamas after the Overthrow in Egypt
Stuck in the Tunnel
Hamas abandoned Syria and Iran in the course of the Syrian civil war and relied on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as their powerful regional ally. However after Morsi was overthrown by the Egyptian military, the Palestinian organization became isolated in the region. A background report by Juliane Metzker
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Syrian Civil War Refugees
Stranded in Gaza
To date, 70,000 Palestinians have fled the civil war in Syria. Only Hamas in the Gaza Strip is welcoming them with open arms. Inge Günther reports from Gaza
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Turkey's Foreign Policy
Return to Pragmatism
In the past month Ankara opened a membership chapter with the European Union after a 30-month hiatus, while intense diplomatic traffic is underway to end tensions with its Iranian and Iraqi neighbours. All of which is fuelling rising speculation that a major reset in Turkish foreign policy is underway. Dorian Jones looks at what lies behind the latest events
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Hezbollah after the Beirut Attacks
A Battle on Many Fronts
In Syria, Hezbollah is backing the Assad regime in the fight against the rebels, as a way of defending the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah alliance. This has been met with great hostility at home in Lebanon, and is provoking reactions on the Salafist front. Background from Juliane Metzker
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The Arab Spring in Historical Perspective
Revolutions Take Time
Analysts have gleefully declared the Arab Spring to have failed. What they don't understand however, is that fundamental societal changes don't occur over night. In her essay, Ingrid Thurner pleads for more time for the Arab Spring
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Saudi Arabia and America
The Estrangement of Two Allies
Saudi Arabia feels as though it has been left in the lurch by the US. Primary thorns in the Saudis' side are Washington's energy policy, its rapprochement with Iran and its conduct in the Syrian conflict. Riyadh is now going its own way. By Rainer Hermann
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Oriental Christians in Germany
Providing a Diplomatic Bridge
A new central council of oriental Christians has been formed in Germany to raise public awareness of the problems Arab Christians are facing in conflict-ridden countries like Syria, Egypt and Iraq. Günther Birkenstock reports
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Syria's Civil War
Promoting Democracy
The Syrian conflict is dangerous and complex. A recent publication points out how western governments might promote the pro-democracy forces in the country. By Dagmar Wolf
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Open Letter to a Border Guard
Defending Our Borders against the Scum
In Germany, helpers of Syrian refugees are being put on trial. These lifesavers are being treated like enemies of the state. In his polemic, Stefan Buchen addresses a German border guard and encourages him to prevent the misery of the Syrian civil war from spilling over into Europe
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George Sabra, President of the Syrian National Council
"We Always Have to Hope for a Political Solution"
The president of the Syrian National Council George Sabra tells Najima El Moussaoui why peace talks with Bashar al-Assad in his opinion will only waste time, but that he still believes in a diplomatic solution
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Syrian Refugees
Driven out of Egypt
The Egyptian authorities are taking a very heavy-handed line against refugees from the Syrian civil war. Amnesty International says Cairo is forcing those who have fled the violence and entered Egypt to leave the country again, thereby pushing them into a highly uncertain future. Andreas Gorzewski reports