Podcasts about syrian arab republic

Tens of thousands of people went missing under the Assad dictatorship in Syria during more than five decades of systematic repression and forced disappearances.In response, the UN General Assembly established the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) in 2023 to help account for them all.The investigative body aims to provide long-awaited truth and closure for Syrian families.Speaking to UN News's Abdelmonem Makki following their recent assessment mission to Syria, IIMP head Karla Quintana said that “everyone knows someone who is missing”.

War leaves scars not only on people but also on the land. In Ukraine, vast fields are littered with explosive remnants, threatening the future of farming. Tiphaine Lucas, a Programme Coordinator for FAO's Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative, is on a mission to collect and analyze soil samples, ensuring the land can once again grow wheat and sustain communities. Watch how science and resilience are helping Ukraine rebuild. Financing challenges are at the heart of the current sustainable development crisis. The International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development, a group of experts on Financing for Development, will launch its report on pathways to resolve this crisis on Tuesday, 11 February 2025, at 1:15 p.m. (EST). The launch will take place on the sideline of the 3rd Preparatory Committee Session of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), which will take place at UN Headquarters from 10 to 14 February 2025.  The report provides innovative ideas and fresh perspectives critical to shaping the future of financing for development, putting forward proposals for concrete actions across a range of areas, including debt restructuring and strengthening the global safety net.   The International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development comprises 14 distinguished experts, including Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Laureate and Professor at Columbia University. Chaired by Professor José Antonio Ocampo, the Commission has developed a comprehensive set of recommendations to support all stakeholders involved in the substantive preparations and negotiations of the outcome document for the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain.   The Commission was set up by the Spanish Government, in support of its commitment to advancing the Financing for Development (FfD) process and welcomed by the UN Secretary-General.  The Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov today (10 Feb) told the Security Council that the “volatile situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is of great concern, especially as there is a risk that stockpiles of advanced weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.” Briefing the Council on the threat posed by Da'esh to international peace and security, Voronkov noted that the Syrian Badia region “continued to serve as a centre for Da'esh external operational planning and a critical region for their activities.” He also expressed concern over the situation in detention camps and other facilities in the north-east of the country. On Afghanistan, Voronkov said ISIL- Khorasan “has continued to pose a significant threat in Afghanistan, the region and beyond,” as supporters have “plotted attacks in Europe and were actively seeking to recruit individuals from Central Asian States.” He stressed that no State can confront terrorism in isolation, and noted that Member States “must prioritize comprehensive, long-term responses that address the conditions conducive to terrorism while strengthening the rule of law and upholding international human and humanitarian rights.” Also, addressing the Security Council on the twentieth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Da'esh to international peace and security, Natalia Gherman, the Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, highlighted the UN's efforts to support Member States in addressing the challenges. Gherman said, “the challenges posed by Da'esh remain complex, with humanitarian, security, and governance concerns persisting across regions affected by its activities.” She said, “after devastating so many parts of the world for more than a decade, Da'esh and other terrorist groups now pose the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the African continent.” For her part, United States Ambassador Dorothy Shea said, “countering ISIS and other terrorist groups around the world is a top priority for the Trump Administration. President Trump has already taken decisive action in conjunction with the Somali government by directing precision airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia on February 1st. President Trump's message is clear: The United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.

The very first podcast of 2025 is up, in which I talk through some of the lessons learned in the preceding year, and some of the possible outcomes these lessons will dictate in the current one. I discuss how the fall of the Syrian Arab Republic has completely reshaped the Middle East's geopolitical landscape, and how the Banderastan War has fundamentally changed the dynamics in Europe. I talk about how we are, in many ways, returning to a non-Westphalian approach to relationships between states and governments, and how the conflicts of 2024 proved the total bankruptcy of the so-called "rules-based international order". I close with a call for a return to what truly works and makes sense, and end on a hopeful note with a prayer, as befits a podcast for the start of the year. Admittedly, this was perhaps not one of my more on-point podcasts - I am battling some sort of viral infection, which seems to be similar to a milder version of the Coof, and it still has not worked its way out of my system. On top of that, I had to deal with a very nasty, though mercifully short-lived, bout of food poisoning while I was on holiday. So let us just say, it has not been the smoothest start to the year. Therefore, I ask for your patience if the podcast itself seems a bit meandering and off-topic at times. As always, like, comment, share, and subscribe - especially to the Telegram channel, if you have not done so already. Support the War College If you like what I do, and you would like to express your appreciation, please feel free to do so here via my Buy Me a Coffee page. All funds go to upkeep of the site and podcast (well, whatever is left over after buying good Scotch, obviously…) Protect Yourself From Big Tech I make some pretty incendiary statements in this podcast, and in most of my podcasts. I can only do so because I take steps to protect myself from the Big Tech companies, and preserve my identity. You need to do the same – this is no longer optional, because if you don't, the gatekeepers WILL come for your head. If you don't know where to start, then I've got you covered right here with this post. Here are the specific steps that you can take: Make sure that your web traffic is safe and protected from prying eyes using a VPN – click here to get a massive 80% OFF on a 24-month subscription with Surfshark; Be sure also to check out Incogni, the new data and privacy management tool offered by Surfshark, which simply works behind the scenes to ensure that no malign actors can take advantage of your data ever again; Another solid VPN option for you is Atlas VPN, brought to you by the same company that creates NordVPN; The best SSD drive that you can get right now, with blazing fast speeds and near-native storage capabilities, is probably the SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable SSD with NVMe technology – I bought this myself to keep a moving backup of all of my files, it's the size of a credit card, and it's absolutely superb; Build Your Platform Get yourself a proper domain for your site or business with Namecheap; Put your site onto a shared hosting service using A2Hosting for the fastest, most secure, and stable hosting platform around – along with unlimited email accounts of unlimited size; Create beautiful websites with amazing, feature-rich content using Divi from Elegant Themes; Stand for Western Civilisation Buy yourself a proper Bible; Get your Castalia Library books here; Buy yourself a proper knife for personal defence;

A reduced crew for Tankie Group Therapy featuring Nora, Alex, and Sina discussing the end of the Syrian Arab Republic and its wide-ranging consequences. Video edition coming soon!   Consider supporting the show www.patreon.com/east_podcast

pWotD Episode 2778: Syria Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 546,113 views on Monday, 9 December 2024 our article of the day is Syria.Syria is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest. It is under a transitional government and comprises 14 governorates. Damascus is the capital and largest city. With a population of 25 million across an area of 185,180 square kilometres (71,500 sq mi), it is the 57th most populous and 87th largest country.The name "Syria" historically referred to a wider region, broadly synonymous with the Levant and known in Arabic as al-Sham. The modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires, including the Eblan civilization of the 3rd millennium BC. Damascus and Aleppo are cities of great cultural significance. Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and a provincial capital for the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt. The modern Syrian state was established in the mid-20th century after centuries of Ottoman rule, as a French Mandate. The state represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Syrian provinces. It gained de jure independence as a parliamentary republic in 1945 when the First Syrian Republic became a founding member of the United Nations, an act which legally ended the French Mandate. French troops withdrew in April 1946, granting the nation de facto independence.The post-independence period was tumultuous, with multiple military coup attempts shaking the country between 1949 and 1971. In 1958, Syria entered a brief union with Egypt, which was terminated in the 1961 coup d'état and was renamed as the Syrian Arab Republic in constitutional referendum. The 1963 coup d'état carried out by the military committee of the Ba'ath Party established a one-party state and ran Syria under emergency law from 1963 to 2011, effectively suspending constitutional protections for citizens. Internal power-struggles within Ba'athist factions caused further coups in 1966 and 1970, which eventually resulted in the seizure of power by Hafiz al-Assad. He effectively established an Alawite minority rule to consolidate power within his family. After Assad's death, his son Bashar al-Assad inherited the presidency in 2000.Since the Arab Spring in 2011, Syria has been embroiled in a multi-sided civil war with involvement of different countries, leading to a refugee crisis where more than 6 million refugees were displaced from the country. The Islamic State (IS) militant group captured many Syrian cities in 2014–15, in response to which the United States launched an international coalition that territorially defeated IS in Syria. Thereafter, three political entities – the Syrian Interim Government, Syrian Salvation Government, and Rojava – emerged in Syrian territory to challenge Assad's rule. In late 2024, a series of offensives from a coalition of opposition forces led to the capture of several major cities, including Damascus, and the fall of Assad's regime.A country of fertile plains, high mountains, and deserts, Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups. Arabs are the largest ethnic group, and Sunni Muslims are the largest religious group. Up until the capture of Damascus by rebel forces, it was the only country governed by neo-Ba'athists. The neo-Ba'athist government was a totalitarian dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Assad family and attracted widespread criticism for its severe domestic repression and war crimes. Being ranked 4th worst in the 2024 Fragile States Index, Syria is one of the most dangerous places for journalists. Freedom of the press is extremely limited, and the country is ranked 2nd worst in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index. It is the most corrupt country in the MENA region and was ranked the 2nd lowest globally on the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. Syria has also become the epicentre of an Assad-sponsored Captagon industry, exporting billions of dollars worth of the illicit drug annually, making it one of the largest drug cartels in the world.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:44 UTC on Tuesday, 10 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Syria on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ruth.

In the aftermath of the stunning Fall of Aleppo (Syria's second most important urban center and formerly its most populous / economically vital city, prior to the initial onset of the conflict over a decade ago) and the ongoing success of the surprise Northwestern Syria Offensive led by HTS (Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham, known formerly as the al-Nusra Front) and a motley coalition of rebel militia groups representing the Syrian Opposition, the question now on everyone's mind —Is this the beginning of the end for embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his secular, authoritarian Syrian Arab Republic? Or... Will Russia, Iran, and the rest of his political allies from abroad be able to once again save him and his regime from a total collapse? And what is the strategic role and foreign policy priorities when it comes to Erdogan's Turkey and its particular concerns pertaining to the Syrian refugee crisis and the ever precarious Kurdish Question? I discuss all these topics and provide further context to the rapidly evolving situation that has as of November 27th, 2024 (and continuing to the present) officially reignited the up until recently frozen conflict that is the Syrian Civil War which ever since 2011 has yet to be decisively settled in one way or another. An updated description is coming shortly and also a second segment that will mainly analyze the (more) recent Fall of Hama, what we can expect to happen next, and as well as the broader consequences of the reignited hostilities in Syria is coming VERY soon! Until then, please stay safe and stay tuned! -- Recommended Resources:  • Read the New York Times article I referenced: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/01/world/middleeast/syria-rebels-bashar-al-assad.html • Syrian Civil War Live Map: https://syria.liveuamap.com/ • Watch the video version of this segment on YT: ⁠ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=128rvL3yn4Q • Other resources referenced will be added shortly! -- Previous segments covering similar interrelated issues: A Third Palestinian Intifada? | Hamas Launches MAJOR SUPRISE ATTACK (Operation al-Aqsa Flood), Israel Responds with DECLARATION of WAR! - October 2023: https://getnuancednow.com/p/a-third-palestinian-intifada-hamas-092 The Russo-Ukrainian War as of October 2022 - Territorial Annexations and Tactical Nukes?! | Historical Context and Strategic Analysis of Putin's Byzantine Ambitions for a New Russian Empire: https://getnuancednow.com/p/the-russo-ukrainian-war-as-of-october-1e7 A Neo-Ottoman Foreign Policy in Erdogan's Turkey? | Understanding the Geopolitical Situation in Northern Syria (and Ukraine) - JUNE 2022: https://getnuancednow.com/p/a-neo-ottoman-foreign-policy-in-erdogans-e3d Afghanistan on the Edge: Foreign Policy Analysis of America's Retreat from the Graveyard of Empires | JULY 2021 EDITION: https://getnuancednow.com/p/afghanistan-on-the-edge-foreign-policy-e29 A Growing Rift Between Moscow and Damascus? | A Geopolitical Analysis of the Syrian Civil War - 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbC0Ct2E2h -- CONNECT: Substack Newsletter: http://www.GetNuancedNow.com/ Official Website: ⁠http://www.GetNuanced.com/ Tech Channel | ⁠http://youtube.com/TJCMN⁠ Show Twitter | ⁠http://twitter.com/GetNuanced⁠ Main Twitter | ⁠http://twitter.com/TJCM Show Instagram | ⁠http://instagram.com/GetNuanced⁠ Main Instagram | ⁠http://instagram.com/TJC⁠ -- —Tom --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getnuanced/support

Today, a listener named Chris sent me two videos that he urged me to watch. At first, I thought they were dubbed or tinkered with but as I explored further I realized that what I was watching was not a joke.The video showed informal comments to the media by H.E. Bashar Ja'afari, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, on the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic.He was speaking at a private meeting about the 14 US Coalition military officers that were captured last Friday morning in an East Aleppo bunker by Syrian Special Forces.However, what he said about those who were captured had to be listened to twice just so there was no mistaking a slip of the tongue.He claimed at least three times the spies and agents involved were genetically modified.Originally Broadcast on 12/20/2016

A flight is scheduled to reach Damascus tonight with specialised emergency health supplies, which are vital for frontline workers as they manage casualties.In addition, we are supporting surge capacity of frontline specialised medical teams.On the morning of the earthquake, WHO immediately accessed its pre-positioned supplies in the northwest and Aleppo, making treatment of major injuries immediately possible.After checking on the welfare of their own families, our staff immediately went to warehouses to start distributing supplies to health facilities. WHO is working across all affected areas and further scaling up across the country, including in the northwest.WHO immediately made available 16 million US dollars from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies for the response in both the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye.

Press briefing by Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, Permanent Representative of Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations.

According to the United Nations World Migration Report, the number of international migrants was estimated to be around 281 million globally in 2020. COVID-19 has drastically altered the migration and mobility of people around the world in the past two years -- including impacting information diaspora/disinformation on migration. Climate change and major displacement events have also affected migration in the past two years: foremost have been the displacements of millions of people due to conflict (such as within and from the Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan), or severe economic and political instability (such as that faced by millions of Venezuelans and Afghans).

Discussing the Axis of Resistance in the Middle East. During today's episode, we talk about the rising popularity of this anti-imperialist coalition, which includes the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic, and resistance movements in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain. We debunk imperialist and zionist propaganda about the Axis of Resistance, paying special attention to the ongoing regime change operation against Iran. We also discuss the revolutionary political and theological roots of this cross-border movement. Today's guest is Dr. Marwa Osman, a journalist and host of PressTV's MidEaStream, a political show about west Asia. She is a political commentator and analyst on matters of politics, economy, and security in the region. Dr. Osman serves as Assistant Professor at the Lebanese International University as well as Al Maaref University in Beirut, Lebanon. She is also a proud mother of three daughters. Unmasking Imperialism exposes imperialist propaganda in mainstream media. Hosted by Ramiro Sebastián Fúnez.

GUEST OVERVIEW: Eva Karene Bartlett is an independent Canadian-American writer, journalist and human rights activist from Ontario who covers the Middle East region, particularly Palestine and Syria. Bartlett documented the 2008-2009 and 2012 Israeli attacks on Gaza while riding in ambulances and reporting from hospitals. Since April 2014, Bartlett has visited, made videos and taken interviews in various areas of Syria following their liberation, including Aleppo, Homs, Madaya, and Damascus. Bartlett has also given talks on topics of Imperialism and North Korea. On 9 December 2016, Bartlett gave a press conference as part of the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations. A clip of the video went viral and was viewed over 3,000,000 times. In March 2017, Mexico City, Bartlett was granted the “International Journalism Award for International Reporting” by the Mexican Press Club. Co-recipients included John Pilger and political analyst Thierry Meyssan, among others. Bartlett has been the victim of a smear campaign by various supporters of the White Helmets, which she thoroughly exposed and debunked in a YouTube interview.

South Africa has fallen from its position of 93 last year in the Economic Freedom of the World Annual Report, released by the Free Market Foundation (FMF) and Canada's Fraser Institute, to 99 this year. This marks a further fall from the country's best ranking of forty-seventh in 2000. FMF director Eustace Davie attributes South Africa's worsening ranking among 165 jurisdictions monitored, to the deterioration of economic activity in the country, including its high unemployment rate. Fraser Institute resident fellow and coordinator of the Economic Freedom Network Fred McMahon adds that, when jurisdictions increase taxes and regulations, the public become less economically free, which means even slower economic growth and less investment. In particular, South Africa has declined from a score of 5.99 to 6.14 in terms of size of government, while the legal system and property rights score improved to 5.95 from 5.09 the previous year. On the access to sound money aspect, South Africa declined from a score of 8.21 to 8.24, and from 5.8 to 6.6 in terms of freedom to trade internationally. South Africa's score on regulation of credit, labour and business has also declined to 6.78 this year, from 7.16 in the prior year. On the other side of the spectrum, Hong Kong and Singapore have maintained their rankings atop the index, at first and second place, respectively, while Switzerland, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, the US, Estonia, Mauritius and Ireland make up the remainder of the top ten. The Economic Freedom report was launched in 1996 to measure the ability of individuals to make their own economic decisions. FMF analyses several indicators such as regulation, size of government, property rights, government spending and taxation to produce its findings. This year's report captures 2020 data and, therefore, the effect of Covid-19-related restrictions. Among the ten lowest-rated countries are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Congo-Brazzaville, Iran, Libya, Argentina, Syrian Arab Republic, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Venezuela. This year, South Africa ranks lower than its counterpart India, at ninetieth, but better than other counterparts Russia, which ranked ninety-fourth, Brazil, ranking at 114 and China, at 116. Moreover, McMahon says, where people are free to pursue their own opportunities and choices, they lead more prosperous, longer and healthier lives, with more political and civil liberties to boot. FMF associate Neil Emerick says that, while South Africa is a lively destination for investment, its large government, closed economy and overregulation are holding it back from realising this potential. Business and macroeconomic analyst Phumlani Majozi says South Africa's government continues to believe it can solve the country's problems by spending more. This while State-owned entities keep receiving billions of rands of bailouts. “We need government intervention in health, transport and energy infrastructure development, and for it to allow for the conducting of business easily and competitively,” he notes. Davie concludes that there is no reason why South Africans should not be as economically free or even more free than people living in Estonia, Mauritius or Ireland. “The people of South Africa should demand that their country set out to become one of the freest in the world, just as Mauritians set out to do and achieved in 20 years.”

South Africa has fallen from its position of 93 last year in the Economic Freedom of the World Annual Report, released by the Free Market Foundation (FMF) and Canada's Fraser Institute, to 99 this year. This marks a further fall from the country's best ranking of forty-seventh in 2000. FMF director Eustace Davie attributes South Africa's worsening ranking among 165 jurisdictions monitored, to the deterioration of economic activity in the country, including its high unemployment rate. Fraser Institute resident fellow and coordinator of the Economic Freedom Network Fred McMahon adds that, when jurisdictions increase taxes and regulations, the public become less economically free, which means even slower economic growth and less investment. In particular, South Africa has declined from a score of 5.99 to 6.14 in terms of size of government, while the legal system and property rights score improved to 5.95 from 5.09 the previous year. On the access to sound money aspect, South Africa declined from a score of 8.21 to 8.24, and from 5.8 to 6.6 in terms of freedom to trade internationally. South Africa's score on regulation of credit, labour and business has also declined to 6.78 this year, from 7.16 in the prior year. On the other side of the spectrum, Hong Kong and Singapore have maintained their rankings atop the index, at first and second place, respectively, while Switzerland, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, the US, Estonia, Mauritius and Ireland make up the remainder of the top ten. The Economic Freedom report was launched in 1996 to measure the ability of individuals to make their own economic decisions. FMF analyses several indicators such as regulation, size of government, property rights, government spending and taxation to produce its findings. This year's report captures 2020 data and, therefore, the effect of Covid-19-related restrictions. Among the ten lowest-rated countries are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Congo-Brazzaville, Iran, Libya, Argentina, Syrian Arab Republic, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Venezuela. This year, South Africa ranks lower than its counterpart India, at ninetieth, but better than other counterparts Russia, which ranked ninety-fourth, Brazil, ranking at 114 and China, at 116. Moreover, McMahon says, where people are free to pursue their own opportunities and choices, they lead more prosperous, longer and healthier lives, with more political and civil liberties to boot. FMF associate Neil Emerick says that, while South Africa is a lively destination for investment, its large government, closed economy and overregulation are holding it back from realising this potential. Business and macroeconomic analyst Phumlani Majozi says South Africa's government continues to believe it can solve the country's problems by spending more. This while State-owned entities keep receiving billions of rands of bailouts. “We need government intervention in health, transport and energy infrastructure development, and for it to allow for the conducting of business easily and competitively,” he notes. Davie concludes that there is no reason why South Africans should not be as economically free or even more free than people living in Estonia, Mauritius or Ireland. “The people of South Africa should demand that their country set out to become one of the freest in the world, just as Mauritians set out to do and achieved in 20 years.”

The Syrian conflict has underlined some of the weaknesses of the international justice system: the lack of formal justice avenues has left victims of international crimes largely in the cold. Conversely, this stalemate has also led to a transnational justice scene, arising from creative and innovative Syrian and international justice initiatives. This last Syria podcast episode sheds a light on some of the pitfalls and achievements that could inform justice actors in other conflicts. While local civil society's efforts to document crimes and collect evidence are remarkable, Mohammad Al Abdallah, director of the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) is pessimistic about their outcome. Mr. Al Abadallah fears that as long as there are no domestic justice processes, accountability would fail to achieve its goals. Nonetheless, he is adamant about the importance of credible, authentic documentation: “to help justice processes in the future to start on the right footing. The second thing is to take any available interim steps and use them to the extent possible.” Within this context, the work of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under International Law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 (IIIM), is vital. Its head, Catherine Marchi-Uhel, argues that a two-way communication with Syrian civil society actors is key for this UN entity that acts as a repository and conducts structural investigations into crimes. Ms. Marchi-Uhel interprets the mandate of this justice catalyst “as encompassing support to forms of justice broader than criminal justice. And the search for missing persons is an obvious component of that.” The rich and stimulating conversations we had through this podcast mini-series on justice efforts for Syria remind us that transitional justice concepts and initiatives cannot work without innovation and creativity. Justice Visions and Impunity Watch hope that these conversations will inspire justice actors in other contexts and encourage them to think outside of the so-called “toolbox”.

GUEST OVERVIEW: Eva Karene Bartlett is an independent Canadian-American writer, journalist and human rights activist from Ontario who covers the Middle East region, particularly Palestine and Syria. Bartlett documented the 2008-2009 and 2012 Israeli attacks on Gaza while riding in ambulances and reporting from hospitals. Since April 2014, Bartlett has visited, made videos and taken interviews in various areas of Syria following their liberation, including Aleppo, Homs, Madaya, and Damascus. Bartlett has also given talks on topics of Imperialism and North Korea. On 9 December 2016, Bartlett gave a press conference as part of the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations. A clip of the video went viral and was viewed over 3,000,000 times. In March 2017, Mexico City, Bartlett was granted the “International Journalism Award for International Reporting ”by the Mexican Press Club. Co-recipients included John Pilger and political analyst Thierry Meyssan, among others. Bartlett has been the victim of a smear campaign by various supporters of the White Helmets, which she thoroughly exposed and debunked in a YouTube interview.

Children leaving armed groups need our full support to heal. They need medical care, to be reunited with their families, and have opportunities to learn. Most importantly, communities need to be supported to welcome them. Children leaving armed groups are seen as a threat and more work needs to be done to help people understand their needs and what they have been through. In addition to this, there is a big gap in opportunities for children and young people leaving armed groups. They need to learn new skills and to put them to good use.UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, told the Security Council "due to the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies that remain unresolved, the Technical Secretariat continues to assess that, at this stage, the declaration submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.”Addressing the Security Council today (20 Jul) in New York, Nakamitsu said “full cooperation by the Syrian Arab Republic with the OPCW Technical Secretariat is essential to closing all outstanding issues.”

In the early 1970's, Syria was among the major shortwave broadcasters from the Middle East. The Broadcasting Service of the Syrian Arab Republic, as it was called back then, put in fairly strong signals on 15,165 khz in the 19 meter band, though not as powerful as other stations such as Radio Kuwait and Radio Cairo. In this recording from 1971, we hear a political commentary on the Palestinians, followed by station identification: “You are tuned to Damascus, the broadcasting service of the Syrian Arab Republic. The time is exactly 23 hours and 10 minutes.” While Damascus was still using shortwave, including its old 12,085 khz frequency and 9,330 khz in the first decade of the 2000s, the civil war in Syria along with decisions made to end shortwave, removed this once familiar Middle East voice from the shortwave bands.

This is Father Jared Cramer from St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, Michigan, here with today's edition of Christian Mythbusters, a regular segment I offer to counter some common misconceptions about the Christian faith. In his Christmas Message, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, drew our attention to a campaign that  our church put out in the late 1930s. Refugees were fleeing tyranny, evil, injustice, bigotry, and hatred in Europe in the lead-up to World War II. Our church, alongside of other Christians and Jewish people in the United States, worked to save as many refugees as they could—though history is clear that we failed in doing as much as was needed.To generate support for the work, our church created a poster of the Holy Family. Mary is holding the baby Jesus in her arms while riding a donkey, with Joseph walking with them. The line at the bottom of the poster said, “In the name of these refugees, aid all refugees.”With that in mind, I thought this special Christmas Mythbusters would be a good time to try to break through some of the sentimentality of Christmas to get at the heart of the matter—particularly as it relates to refugees.After all, Christians often forget that the Holy Family was indeed a refugee family. They lived under an oppressive and violent regime and fled across borders to Egypt in the hope of finding safety from the murderous rage of King Herod. Our Lord told us, once he grew up, that what we do for the least of these we do for him, which means our faithfulness as disciples of Jesus rests, in part, in our ability to perceive Christ in the vulnerable, oppressed, and marginalized, and to do something about it.  The United Nations Refugee agency has tracked 82.4 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their home, with 26.5 million of them being identified as refugees. Of that number, about half are children under the age of 18. Eighty-six percent of all refugees are hosted in developing countries and sixty-eight percent of all refugees come from just five countries: the Syrian Arab Republic, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar.  Before the Trump Administration, our country was a leader in responding to refugees around the world, offering refuge to more people than all other nations combined. However, the previous administration drastically reduced those numbers and imposed new security vetting which leaves many refugees in dangerous situations for prolonged periods of time as they wait for their applications to be processed. President Biden increased the cap that President Trump had set, moving it from 15,000 refugees to 62,500 refugees. In September, he pledged to increase that cap to 125,000 refugees. However, President Biden has not yet reformed the policies and practices of our refugee system, nor has he dedicated significant resources and personnel to streamline the application process. For that reason, only 7,500 refugees have been resettled under his administration as of this past fall, far below his initial cap of 62,500. As we consider the celebration of our Lord's Nativity on Christmas, we would do well to reflect upon the point of the incarnation. In the Christ-child, God chose not only to take on human nature, but also to located himself among the vulnerable. And throughout his ministry, when Jesus encountered injustice and marginalization, he acted. He told an oppressed people that when somebody smacks you on the cheek, you stand up and offer the other cheek, claiming your own humanity and dignity against those who would demean you. He sent the religious away in shame when they tried to make him complicit in the stoning of a woman caught in adultery (notice, they didn't bother bringing the man). Jesus cleansed the temple when the Court of the Gentiles was turned into a marketplace, insisting it should be a house of prayer for all nations.As we celebrate a holy family who lived as refugees, I hope that Christians of all traditions will find themselves inspired to work anew for the plight of refugees in our world today. After all, Democrats do like to campaign on moral issues like these, but it will take the will of the people pushing them hard to get those in leadership to make substantive changes to the systems that contribute to the current refugee crisis. In the name of these refugees—Joseph, Mary, and Jesus—let us aid all refugees. And if you'd like to take some time right now to make a difference in the life of refugees you can go to episcopalmigrationministries.org and find a variety of ways that you can take action and make a difference. Thanks for being with me. To find out more about my parish, you can go to sjegh.com. Until next time, remember, protest like Jesus, love recklessly, and live your faith out in a community that accepts you but also challenges you to be better tomorrow than you are today. 

The UN Human Rights Council called for those behind massive scale enforced disappearances in Syria over the past decade of conflict to be held accountable.The resolution, presented by Britain and a number of European countries, along with the United States, Turkey and Qatar, decried that Syria's crisis had entered a second decade marked by consistent patterns of gross violations.Tuesday's resolution, adopted with 26 of the council's 47 members in favour, six opposed and 15 abstaining, voiced particular concern about the fate of tens of thousands of people who have vanished.The text strongly condemns the continued use of involuntary or enforced disappearances in the Syrian Arab Republic, and related human rights violations and abuses, which have been carried out with consistency, in particular by the Syrian regime.It also criticised enforced disappearances by other parties to the conflict, including the Islamic State group, but said the Syrian regime was the main perpetrator.

Amidst a decade-long war that has devastated the country, Syrians went to the polls last week in an election that gave another seven-year term to current leader Bashar al-Assad. With a turnout of over 78%, Assad achieved an overwhelming victory against his nearest opponent, Mahmoud Ahmad Marei.Supporters of the president took to the streets in the hundreds of thousands as the results were publicized, celebrating what they saw as a repudiation of violence and a step forward for the beleaguered nation.The results were endorsed by many nations friendly towards the government, such as China, Iran and Cuba. "A decisive victory was won by the incumbent head of state," wrote the foreign ministry of Russia in a statement. "We view the elections as a sovereign affair of the Syrian Arab Republic and an important step towards strengthening its internal stability," they added.However, opponents of the Assad administration described the contest as a sham and hopelessly rigged, claiming that his opponents were controlled stooges, that people inside Syria were forced to vote for him, while refugees were blocked from voting. “The Assad regime's so-called presidential election is neither free nor fair. The U.S. joins France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K. in calling for the rejection of the regime's attempts to regain legitimacy without respecting the Syrian people's human rights and freedoms,” said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Many of the countries Blinken mentioned, including the United States, blocked Syrians from voting at diplomatic missions in their countries.Despite the Western reaction, Assad, in power since 2000, looks set to govern for seven more years. His major task will be attempting to break armed opposition groups in Idlib and to repair a nation destroyed by 10 years of war and crippling sanctions. The United Nations Refugee Agency estimates that over 13 million Syrians, including 6.7 million internally displaced people, require humanitarian assistance. A further 6.6 million people have left the country since fighting began in 2011.Joining MintPress to discuss the elections, the humanitarian situation and the future of the Syrian Arab Republic is Dan Kovalik.Dan is a human rights lawyer and adjunct professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh. A prolific author, Dan's work and activism has taken him around the world, including to Colombia and Venezuela. He spent a week in Syria, where he observed the elections first-hand.Subscribe to MintCast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud.Also, be sure to check out the new Behind the Headlines channel on YouTubeSupport the show (https://www.mintpressnews.com/donations/)

We’d love to hear from you (feedback@breakingbadscience.com)Look us up on social media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/385282925919540Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakingbadsciencepodcast/Website: http://www.breakingbadscience.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakingbadscienceGhengis Khan had some pretty brutal war tactics, but did he once use biology as a weapon? How is Ted Kaczyinski tied to chemical warfare experimentation? Has a biological weapon ever been used intentionally? Are either of these even scientifically practical? When was the last time chemical weapons were employed? Is the fear of biological and chemical weapons just a great premise for video games and TV or are these as terrifying as they seem? Join hosts Shanti and Danny as we discuss the legitimacy of biological and chemical warfare and why the practice is virtually teeming with conspiracy theories and rumors.ReferencesKaminski, J., Et. al.; Evolution of Facial Muscle Anatomy in Dogs. PNAS. 16-Jul-2019. 116: 29 (14677-14681). Doi:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1820653116IHL. Rule 74. The Use of Chemical Weapons is Prohibited. IHL Database. 2: 24 (Section A) Doi: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule74IHL. Rule 73. The Use of Biological Weapons is Prohibited. IHL Database. 2: 23 Doi: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule73Wheelies, M. Biological Warfare at the 1346 Siege of Caffa. Emerging Infectious Diseases. Sep-2002 8:9 (971-975) Doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3201%2Feid0809.010536Kiger, P.; Did Colonists Give Infected Blankets to Native Americans as Biological Warfare?. History.com. 25-Nov-2019. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/news/colonists-native-americans-smallpox-blanketsCarlton, J.; Of Microbes and Mock Attacks: Years Ago, the Military Sprayed Germs on US Cities. Wall Street Journal. 22-Oct-2001. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1003703226697496080Nofil, B.; The CIAs Appalling Human Experiments with Mind Control. History.com. https://www.history.com/mkultra-operation-midnight-climax-cia-lsd-experimentsTechnical Secretariat; Report of the Fact-Finding Mission Regarding the Incident of Alleged Use of Toxic Chemicals as a Weapon in Duoma, Syrian Arab Republic on 7 April 2018. 01-Mar-2019. Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2019/03/s-1731-2019%28e%29.pdfSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/breakingbadscience?fan_landing=true)

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk. This episode is part of an ongoing series of conversations. You've seen the images, the headlines, and the reactions on social media as Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes in Gaza City. Last week, during the height of the latest Israeli-Palestinian fighting, we had a show to discuss the complicated history of the region. There's now been a ceasefire, but we want to revisit and expand the conversation. And we want to continue to find balance and to have dialogue -- to allow for more voices, perspectives and information to help you understand the conflict from both sides, in as much as we can reasonably do within an hour. So, today, it's “Discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A continuation.” How do we understand this conflict -- one of the longest in modern history -- and what is the future for resolution and stability in the region? Guest: Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian Director of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Former U.S. ambassador to Syrian Arab Republic Then, a historian answers your questions regarding the Middle East. Guest: Dr. Jeremi Suri Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues. Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.

Henry McKean put on his flak jacket and helmet and spent the day with the Irish Defence Forces as they get ready to deploy to the Golan Heights in April. It's been a busy year supporting the pandemic response. These same troops will now serve overseas. We document their Mission Readiness Exercise in the Glen of Imaal county Wicklow and witness them training before their deployment for 6 months.  The 63 Infantry Group under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Flannery contains 129 personnel of all ranks. There is live shooting from the beginning of this exclusive report. Henry McKean reports in Wicklow as the Irish Defence Forces get ready to deploy to the Golan Heights in April. You can watch a video by cameraman Rory Walsh of all the action on the Newstalk social media channels. We will be checking in with them in 3 months time to see how they are getting on. On 31st May 1974, the United Nations adopted Security Council Resolution 350 to establish the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). UNDOF’s mandate is to maintain a credible presence in the Golan and use its best efforts to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic and see to it that it is scrupulously observed. The resolution is updated every six months and the mission is currently operating under UN Secruity Council resolution 2555, until 30 June 2021.

Before Russia intervened in the Syrian Civil War in 2015, the Soviet Union was involved in Syria.  In the context of the Cold War, the USSR sent weapons, anti-air crews, and gave rhetorical support to the Syrian Arab Republic during its protracted conflict with American ally Israel.  Comparing this relationship to Soviet-Egyptian diplomacy, this podcast details why the Soviet Union supported non-communist, anti-colonialist Syria.  It also discusses Soviet naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea and gives an overall analysis of Syria's strategic importance to the communist superpower in its Cold War struggle against the American-led capitalist world. Music from https://filmmusic.io"Deliberate Thought" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Footnote jingle: "DrivingRockBeat 131BPM" by pbdlugoss of Freesound.org

Sources close to the government of the Syrian Arab Republic have managed to obtain information that Turkey, in cooperation with Azerbaijan, provided documents for the legal settlement of the first group of no less than 4,000 Turkmens (who came to Azerbaijan as terrorists and mercenaries) who will soon settle in towns and villages in southern Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). Source: https://fort-russ.com/2020/11/major-russia-could-soon-intervene-as-azeris-and-turks-start-settling-4000-terrorists-in-artsakh-karabakh/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dontspeak/support

Emerita Professor at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara and holder of international positions & HR mandates, Yakin Ertürk speaks on #HerStories of her experience as a member of commissions of inquiry on human rights violations in two major conflict zones, viz the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the Syrian Arab Republic; of being on the Peace Train to Beijing in 1995 and also on the need to carefully unpack the words mediation and negotiation.

The Syrian Arab Republic has long been a powder-keg of instability in the Middle East. The most recent conflict has overwhelmed the country since 2011. Under cover of conflict, perpetrators of sexual violence go unnoticed […] http://media.blubrry.com/world_wide_wave/p/joy.org.au/worldwidewave/wp-content/uploads/sites/246/2020/09/2020-09-01-WorldWideWave-SyriaTheyTreatedUsInMonstrousWays.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:33 — 27.2MB) Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS The post Syria: They Treated Us In Monstrous Ways appeared first on World Wide Wave.

Join us for our 2nd episode of JUST PLANET where Host Sukanya Pillay interviews award-winning journalist, author and expert on Syria Sam Dagher.In the 1st few minutes: Sukanya sets up the discussion bringing us up to speed on the July 7th, 2020 Russia-China veto of extending UN Security Council Resolution 2503, ending ability to provide humanitarian assistance including food supplies to IDLIB, the beleaugered northwest province in Syria.  Sukanya also tells us a bit about the July 7th, 2020 report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the Syrian Arab Republic, finding 52 attacks by all factions against civilians and civilian infrastructure.  The report finds possible war crimes and crimes against humanity and will be presented to the UN General Assembly on July 14th – you can access an advanced copy HERE. And the Heart of  interview with Sam Dagher:  In this episode, award-winning author, journalist and expert on Syria, Sam Dagher takes us:-- behind the scenes into the Assad regime in Syria--  the current conflict--  the role of States in the region and internationally-- how the Arab Spring affected Syria-- how the regime leveraged its intelligence on terrorists, and-- how a groundbreaking new trial that began in April exemplifies hope and the resilience and courage of the Syrian people who fought against all odds to bring torturers to justice. Sam Dagher is an American-Lebanese journalist and author who has worked in the Middle East for more than 16 years. He was the only reporter for a major Western media outlet based fulltime in Damascus in 2012-2014. He was briefly detained by Assad’s henchmen in an underground prison and later expelled for reporting deemed unfavorable to the regime. Dagher contributes to The Atlantic and before that was senior correspondent at TheWall Street Journal and previously reported for The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Agence France Presse. He has covered some of the biggest stories since 9/11 including the conflict in Iraq and Arab Spring uprisings. The Wall Street Journal submitted Dagher’s work from Syria for the Pulitzer Prize and other journalism awards. His book “Assad or We Burn the Country: How One Family’s Lust for Power Destroyed Syria” was picked as one of the best of 2019 by The Economist, The Guardian and Kirkus Reviews. Dagher is fluent in Arabic, French and Spanish and conversant in Russian. Write to me at JustPlanetPODCAST@gmail.com. © 2020 Sukanya Pillay | Produced by Sukanya Pillay & SUKIMEDIA. Sound edited by OMS Entertainment.Initial funding support - University of Windsor Faculty of Law. 

Guest Mike Whitney joins host Pedro Gatos to discuss how Washington's rationale and justification for occupying the Syrian Arab Republic have shifted and changed drastically multiple times over.

Guest Mike Whitney joins host Pedro Gatos to discuss how Washington's rationale and justification for occupying the Syrian Arab Republic have shifted and changed drastically multiple times over.

Dr. Tim Anderson's new book is as much about Empire as it is about Resistance. "The Axis of Resistance" details how U.S.-led imperialism uses sanctions, "humanitarian intervention" and juvenile propaganda in order to undermine the rights and protections of Global South states. It's also, naturally, a treatment of the elements that constitute resistance to U.S. power in West Asia (the "Middle East"). Anderson discusses why regional integration is essential to resisting an external hegemon, and his book explores the origins and connections between Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic, and the Syrian Arab Republic. "Axis of Resistance" is a must-read for those seeking to understand the past 20+ years of U.S. war on the "Middle East," and why it is falling apart.

Dr. Tim Anderson's new book is as much about Empire as it is about Resistance. "The Axis of Resistance" details how U.S.-led imperialism uses sanctions, "humanitarian intervention" and juvenile propaganda in order to undermine the rights and protections of Global South states. It's also, naturally, a treatment of the elements that constitute resistance to U.S. power in West Asia (the "Middle East"). Anderson discusses why regional integration is essential to resisting an external hegemon, and his book explores the origins and connections between Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic, and the Syrian Arab Republic. "Axis of Resistance" is a must-read for those seeking to understand the past 20+ years of U.S. war on the "Middle East," and why it is falling apart.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss President Trump's briefing yesterday. Trump claimed Iran is standing down, the US does not want war, and more sanctions will be imposed.Guests:Niko House - Political Activist and Broadcast Journalist, Founder and CEO of the 'MCSC Network' | Political Divide on the Iran/Iraq WarAnnette Bosworth - Internal Medicine Physician and former South Dakota senatorial candidate | Dr. Boz On Disease Epidemic About to Hit MillennialsScott Ritter - Former U.N. weapons inspector | They Lied To Us About WMDs. @RealScottRitter Exposed It. What are the Lies About Iran?Eva Bartlett - Independent Writer & Journalist | Twitter Still Busy Banning the Left, Right... and Your News AlternativesGOP Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul criticized President Trump and the administration over a closed-door briefing on Iran. They announced they will support a resolution limiting Trump's military powers. Political activist Niko House comes on the show to outline the political divide on the Iran war. Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter exposed the lies of the US regarding weapons of mass destruction and he suspects there are quite a few lies about Iran.Diets in America can be either extremely healthy or destructive. There are countless weight loss programs and fast-food restaurants. Internal medicine physician Dr. Annette Bosworth shares her prediction that millennials will soon be plagued with diabetes.Syrian Presidency is the official Twitter account for the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic. The account was taken down by Twitter many days multiple times for no reason. Eva Bartlett, an independent writer, addresses the battle between news alternatives and social media censorship.

The black letter law and articles in this episode are: Judgement in Colvin v. Syrian Arab Republic https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2016cv1423-59 “U.S. Court Orders Syria To Pay $300 Million For Killing Of Journalist Marie Colvin” on NPR, featuring a picture of Colvin and her distinctive eyepatch https://www.npr.org/2019/01/31/690325322/u-s-court-orders-syria-to-pay-300-million-for-killing-of-journalist-marie-colvin Letelier v. Republic of Chile, 488 F. Supp. 655 (D.D.C 1980) https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/488/665/1400196/ Von Dardel v. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 623 F. Supp. 246 (D.D.C. 1985), brought on behalf of Raoul Wallenburg https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/623/246/1514345/ Von Dardel v. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 736 F. Supp. 1 (D.D.C. 1990), default judgement vacated https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/736/1/1884255/ 28 USC 1605A (a) 1, the Terrorism Exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1605A Settlement with the PLO in the Leon Klinghoffer case https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/01/19/plo-agrees-to-settlement-of-lawsuit-over-achille-lauro-slaying/a3d42bb7-8b48-43a1-a081-1aae3b055318/ State Sponsors of Terrorism List https://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm Flatow v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 999 F. Supp. 1 (D.D.C. 1999) https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/999/1/2267352/ Algiers Accords of 1981 http://www.parstimes.com/history/algiers_accords.pdf Mark Zaid is the managing partner of The Law Offices of Mark Zaid https://markzaid.com/zaid/

America under President Donald Trump continues to alienate itself around the world after marshaling a successful vote against the DPRK with their "Jerusalem Declaration" ; brings props to the UN. The United States uses attack-dog Nikki Haley to defend 'Israel & America-first policy'; attacking Islamic Republic of Iran, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Syrian Arab Republic, Russian Federation, Hizbullah, and even Hamas in the Trump era

The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs in collaboration with the World Bank Group Held a panel discussion The Toll of War: The Syrian Conflict Six Years On with Nasser Yassin, Director of Research, Issam Fares Institute, AUB Saroj Kumar Jha, Mashreq Regional Director, World Bank Harun Onder, Senior Economist, World Bank Maha Yahya, Director, Carnegie Middle East Center Following the launch of the World Bank report “The Toll of War”, this panel will assess the economic and social consequences of the Syrian conflict as of early 2017. The conflict has inflicted significant damage to the Syrian Arab Republic’s physical capital stock (7 percent housing stock destroyed and 20 percent partially damaged), led to large numbers of casualties and forced displacement (between 400,000 and 470,000 estimated deaths and more than half of Syria’s 2010 population forcibly displaced), while depressing and disrupting economic activity. From 2011 until the end of 2016, the cumulative losses in GDP have been estimated at $226 billion, about four times the Syrian GDP in 2010.

04-13-2017 - President Assad Latest Interview audio English On 13 April 2017, President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Dr Bashar Al Assad gave this far reaching, logical and coherent interview with a (provocative!) western Journalist of Agence France-Presse (AFP). In particular, President Assad responds to the accusations that the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical attack against the Syrian People last week in Khan Shaikhoun. The alleged chemial attack was used, within hours, as a pretext for Tommahawk Cruise missile strikes by the US against a government airbase at Shayrat, located outside Homs. The US cruise missile strikes on Syria themselves, in international law, were unprovoked acts of terror, carried out by the US government against the government, army and people of a sovereign nation - Syria. Dr Assad demonstrates clearly that this was a totally fabricated story, stressing that Syria does not possess a chemical arsenal and that even when it had such an arsenal, it would not and did not use it. He made it clear that Syria can only allow any investigation in the Khan Sheikhoun incident when it’s impartial, pointing out that the United States and its proxies are not serious about achieving any political solution. The memory of such investigations (IAEA in Iraq!) being used to disarm victims of US invasion and attack are vivid and familiar. Wisely, the Syrian government does not intend to freely concede and give away such a false 'causus belli' - an excuse for the US to further escalate its propaganda and military war. Moreover, the US attack, in which cruise missiles rained on an airforce base in Syria, while illegal, was ineffectual, and did not diminish the Syrian Arab Army's ability to attack the IS and Al Queda terrorists - who from the beginning of the so called 'civil' war in Syria, have been agents and proxies of outside forces, principally the USA itself.

The Syrian war has left an estimated 470,000 dead, with 4.8 million international refugees and 6.6 million people internally displaced. As peace efforts falter, the world cries out for the respect of human rights and international humanitarian law, seeking accountability for their infringement. Recent attention has focused on the siege of Aleppo, where intense aerial bombardment by Syrian and Russian forces destroyed all medical care infrastructure, wiped out marketplaces and bakeries and led to thousands of civilian deaths. Unlawful killings remain a hallmark of this blood-soaked conflict. Humanitarian access is blocked. What can be done? This panel discussion will examine the findings of the the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic special report examining the violations that took place in Aleppo city since late 2015, and debate its impact on any future accountability for victims of the conflict's many crimes. This event is co-organized by World Affairs and the Center for Justice and Accountability SPEAKERS Sareta Ashraph former Chief Analyst, UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Scott Gilmore Staff Attorney, Center for Justice and Accountability Stephen Rapp Former Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, U.S. Department of State MODERATOR: Beth Van Schaack Leah Kaplan Visiting Professor in Human Rights, Stanford Law School For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1685

Iman Dakakin – Syria Aussie Deco A qualified interior and fashion designer, Iman Dakakni was born in the Syrian Arab Republic, moving to Australia with her daughter and husband from an arranged marriage in 2011. Making one of the bravest decisions you could face, and without support of family, friends or church, Iman moved interstate with her daughter. Although she had limited English, Imam knew she couldn’t allow her daughter to learn it was OK to accept living in an environment of abuse and fear. In this podcast Iman shares how a belief that we all have a right to happiness encouraged her to take that empowering leap of faith. Believing she was chosen to make a difference in the world, she now works with other women who suffer from domestic violence in her new community. Returning to her design roots, Iman has created a business that helps women create a home work environment that is pleasurable, practical and stylish. She shares tips you can apply. #podcast, #design, #domesticviolence, #happiness, #pleasure, #interiordesign, #officedesign, #dv,

Iman Dakakin – Syria Aussie Deco A qualified interior and fashion designer, Iman Dakakni was born in the Syrian Arab Republic, moving to Australia with her daughter and husband from an arranged marriage in 2011. Making one of the bravest decisions you could face, and without support of family, friends or church, Iman moved interstate with her daughter. Although she had limited English, Imam knew she couldn’t allow her daughter to learn it was OK to accept living in an environment of abuse and fear. In this podcast Iman shares how a belief that we all have a right to happiness encouraged her to take that empowering leap of faith. Believing she was chosen to make a difference in the world, she now works with other women who suffer from domestic violence in her new community. Returning to her design roots, Iman has created a business that helps women create a home work environment that is pleasurable, practical and stylish. She shares tips you can apply. #podcast, #design, #domesticviolence, #happiness, #pleasure, #interiordesign, #officedesign, #dv,

“Welcome to the official Instagram account for the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic” står det på instagramkontoen Syrian Presidency. Daglig deles tilsynelatende fredfulle bilder fra hverdagslivet til den syriske presidenten og førstedamen. Lignende kontoer finner vi på Facebook og Twitter. En grell kontronstrast til det vi vet om krigen i Syria, og åpenbart ikke et sannferdig bilde på hverdan i det krigsherjede landet. Samtidig deles mye viktig informasjon til omverden om krigshandlingene i Syria på sosiale medier. Hvordan kan vi følge krige på sosiale medier? Vi snakket med Kai Kverme, Midtøsten-ekspert og teamkoordinator for flyktningavdelingen ved Skedsmo kommune.

Ms. Martha Kessler, Former intelligence officer, Central Intelligence Agency working on the Middle East and South Asia; H.E. Dr. Imad Moustapha, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United States; Dr. Laurie E. King, Former Managing Editor, Journal of Palestine Studies; Adjunct Professor, Arab Studies Program, Georgetown University; and Dr. Graeme Bannerman, International Elections Observer for Lebanon (once) and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (three times); Founder, Bannerman Associates; at NCUSAR's 2009 Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference. Visit www.ncusar.org to learn more.