United Nations (UN)
All topics-
Western involvement in Syria
Fewer bombs, not more!
Only when the West has helped to end the war in Syria, or at least Assad's airstrikes, can it count on Syrian support in the fight against IS. To protect Syrians in their homeland, Germany in particular should be advocating no-bombing zones, says Kristin Helberg
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IS and the lessons learnt
Negotiating beyond time and space
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is a recruitment tool for the IS and has to go. Nevertheless, a successor government needs to be able to keep order and cannot allow the jihadists to exploit a power vacuum, as it has in Libya. An essay by Richard N. Haass
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Migration and human rights
Refugee versus migrant: what's in a name?
″All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights″: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights couldn′t be much clearer. Still the political response to the current flood of refugees is inevitably proving insufficient. Pia Oberoi, advisor on migration and human rights with the UNHCR, examines the issue
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Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Third intifada looming
Violence between Israelis and Palestinians is once again on the rise. Without renewed efforts to establish a two-state solution, no lasting peace will be forthcoming. An analysis from Jerusalem by Ingrid Ross
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Kristin Helberg goes on record about the Syrian conflict
″We need an alternative to Assad″
At the recent EU summit on refugees, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that she was willing to take part in talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In an interview with Wolfgang Dick, Middle East expert Kristin Helberg warns against misinterpretation
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Civil war in Syria
First Assad, then "Islamic State"
If the self-styled "Islamic State" is to be successfully combatted, the Syrian conflict has to be resolved. And for this, one thing is necessary above all: an alternative to the Assad regime. This alternative can only be created in safe zones, writes Kristin Helberg
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Jordan and the influx of refugees
The true Samaritans
Jordan takes in far more refugees than Germany, but there are no protests. Anyone who wants to learn the meaning of charity and human kindness should take a look at the way refugees are treated there. By Steffen Huck
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Migration and xenophobia
Europe's refugee problem, then and now
This is not the first time that Europe has faced a wave of desparate refugees. Nor is it the first time that its response has left a lot to be desired. According to Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the continent should recall its past when considering how to deal with the people who are willing to risk everything crossing the Mediterranean to reach its shores
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The Syrian conflict
The illusion of a political solution
There is much discussion in the West about a political solution to the conflict in Syria. But the reality is that the world is looking the other way, continuing to nurture the illusion that something is being done at international level and that the Syrian people have not been abandoned. A critical contribution to the debate by Burhan Ghalioun
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Peace initiatives for Syria
Negotiate locally, implement internationally
A comprehensive solution to the Syria conflict is still a distant prospect. And "freezing" the fighting will not succeed without UN monitoring. If the suffering of the people is to be alleviated and a foundation of trust laid for negotiations, local initiatives must be implemented with international support, says Kristin Helberg
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The kidnapping of the "Douma 4"
The Salafist and the human rights activist
A year ago, four Syrian human rights activists were taken from a suburb of Damascus. Among them was the well-known lawyer Razan Zaitouneh. The kidnapping illustrates the fatal turn the Syrian revolution has taken, partly due to the West's inaction, writes Kristin Helberg
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Turkey and the alliance against IS
Of inaction and double standards
In recent days, there have been a lot of reports about the Kurds' determined battle against the terrorist group Islamic State in Kobani, northern Syria. In this context, Turkey has frequently been accused of "inaction". Why? An essay by Cemal Karakas