The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) organised on September 13-14 a two-day international trade union meet in the European Parliament complex in Strasbourg, France, to express solidarity with the fighting people of Arab countries and voice strong protest against the hegemonic interference of US imperialism and its European allies in the internal affairs […]
Geography Archives: Syria
Smart New Syria Strategy: Call the Monarchies’ Bluff and Make Them Do What They Are Demanding of You!
For a regime which has, as ICG put it, really inflicted so many wounds on itself (not to mention Syrians) . . . this strikes me as a very effective strategy going forward. You corrupt, collaborationist, monarchical, brutal regimes in the region want us, Syria, to reform and transition out. . . . OK — […]
Change at Al Jazeera
The Western and Arabic press is full of stories about Al Jazeera and the new direction it will inevitably follow with the selection of a new director-general for its operating networks. The ouster (the official statement did not mention resignation) of Waddah Khanfar has opened doors for speculation. No one really knows what goes […]
Hassan Abdul Azim: Syria’s Homegrown Dissident
Decades of dedicated political activism have earned Hassan Abdul Azim the trust of friend and foe alike. The old-time Nasserite may be uniquely positioned to mediate the country out of its deepening crisis. There were high expectation early on in the Syrian uprising when it seemed that Hassan Abdul Azim may assume a prominent role […]
Al Jazeera and U.S. Foreign Policy: What WikiLeaks’ U.S. Embassy Cables Reveal about U.S. Pressure and Propaganda
“Al Jazeera is a vital component to the USG’s strategy in communicating with the Arab world.” — Joseph E. LeBaron, U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, November 6, 2008 “Al Jazeera Board Chairman Hamed bin Thamer Al Thani has proven open to creative uses of Al Jazeera’s airwaves by the USG beyond straightforward interviews.” — Joseph E. […]
Hugo Chávez: Let Us Raise Our Voices against War, for Peace and Life
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez called on peoples of the world last Wednesday to speak out for peace and against the imperial madness of the countries attacking sovereign nations. “May the peoples of the United States, of Europe, speak out against war. Let us raise our voices, our chants, against war, for peace and life,” President […]
Libya, Egypt: Fashioning Democracy, Packaging Revolution
Democracy, democracy. Don’t we just love it? Don’t we love it as a pretence for furthering our international ambitions? Don’t we love it when it means cheaper oil and cosy partnerships? In the case of Libya, the façade of supporting a democratic movement has fallen from even our most blatant sources of propaganda. To quote […]
Syrian Opposition in Damascus: “No to International Intervention, No to Sectarianism, and No to Violence”
The Syrian opposition urged protesters Sunday to go on with peaceful demonstrations, noting that continued protests are a “decisive factor” in pushing for reforms in the country. In a statement issued one day after a meeting of some 300 opposition figures, the opposition called on the government to immediately stop its “repression” on protesters and […]
Syrian Opposition for Democratic Change Meets in Damascus, without Muslim Brotherhood
Over 200 Syrian opposition figures met in Halboun in the outskirts of the capital Damascus in order to coordinate efforts to build a national opposition movement and to address the anti-government protests that have gripped the country for the last six months. The meeting was attended by Michel Kilo, Fayez Sarah, and Mondher Khaddam, […]
Reading Wikileaked Cables about Qatar and Al Jazeera
Maximilian C. Forte is an associate professor in anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. His website is at www.openanthropology.org. Cf. Maximilian Forte, “The War in Libya: Race, ‘Humanitarianism,’ and the Media” (MRZine, 20 April 2011); Maximilian Forte, “Libya — Lather, Rinse, Repeat — Syria: Liberal Imperialism and the Refusal to Learn” (MRZine, 10 August […]
On the Regime and the Opposition in Syria
Despite my very negative position on the regime for private and public reasons, the truth is that the regime is very strong, and neither the outside nor the inside were able to make it change its usual stances. This strength does not come from a vacuum. The regime has a broad popular base that […]
Special Declaration of the ALBA-TCP Foreign Ministers on the Situation of Libya and Syria
The Foreign Ministers of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, meeting in Caracas, Venezuela on 9 September 2011, recalling the Special Communiqué of the Political Council on 4 March 2011 and the Special Communiqué of the Ministerial Social Council on 19 March 2011, condemns the NATO intervention in Libya and its illegal […]
NATO’s Democracy
Kritikal Point, a collective of artists, may be contacted at <kritikalpoint@yahoo.com>. En español. Cf. “How dare Egyptian rebels attack Israeli embassy instead of asking for foreign troops to destroy their museums and libraries? #Egypt #Jan25” (Mazen Shaer, 9 September 2011); “Egyptian revos storm #IsraeliEmbassy while Syrian self-proclaimed so-called revolution icons are promising Israel an […]
Outcome of the Visit to Syria by a Mission of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
In August a UN OCHA Mission visited Syria to assess humanitarian needs in the country stemming from the ongoing crisis there. The Mission included staff from several UN institutions and humanitarian agencies (UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, IOM, etc.). The Syrian authorities provided the Mission unimpeded access to all objects of interest. The UN officials […]
On the Scales of Syria
Ali Farzat, born in Hama, is a Syrian cartoonist. This cartoon was published on his Web site on 24 August 2011; it is reproduced here for non-profit educational purposes. Cf. “Syrian Local Coordinating Committees on Taking Up Arms and Foreign Intervention” (Jadaliyya, 31 August 2011); As’ad AbuKhalil, “Not Mightier Than Ali Farzat’s Pen” (Al-Akhbar, 2 […]
Syria: What Kind of Revolution?
The Syrian uprising which erupted nearly six months ago seems to be settling into a dangerous deadlock with neither side — the regime or the opposition — willing to budge from its stated position. The daily toll of deaths and injuries climb ever higher with no resolution in sight. The regime seems insistent on […]
Modern-Day Cowboy
Riding “Breaking News” to lasso a new cash cow . . . Hamid Karout is a Syrian cartoonist. This cartoon was first published in Tishreen on 17 July 2011; it is reproduced here for non-profit educational purposes. See, also, Syrian Electronic Army, “Blood Channels” (MRZine, 14 July 2011); Hamid Karout, “Still Trying to Detonate a […]
Syria: Testing Time
Syria remains relatively calm as efforts to destabilise its government through orchestrated attacks by rebels fail. Life in the Syrian capital, Damascus, seems to be continuing as normal. The streets and the mosques are crowded after the devout break their Ramazan fast in the evening. The security presence is minimal. In fact, there are […]
The Neocolonization of Libya: Interview with Aijaz Ahmad
Aijaz Ahmad: . . . Europeans, and Italians in particular, are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their first aerial bombing ever done in the world. The Italians bombed in Libya in 1911. Now, of course, with 100 years of development of the technology, there have been 20,000 aerial attacks on Libya. . . . They […]
Cuba Refuses to Recognize the Transitional National Council in Libya
The Foreign Ministry of Cuba has withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Libya, where foreign intervention and NATO military aggression has exacerbated the conflict and prevented the Libyan people from advancing toward a peaceful negotiated solution, in full exercise of their self-determination. The Republic of Cuba does not recognize the Transitional National Council, nor any […]
