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302. Virtual Briefing Series | End of an era: the fall of the Assad regime
- Author:
- Ryan Crocker and Charles Lister
- Publication Date:
- 12-2024
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Following more than a year of turmoil and transformative changes reshaping the Middle East, the region witnessed another shock with the downfall of the Assad family’s 54-year rule over Syria last weekend. The rapid collapse was triggered by a lightning rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda. This on-the-record briefing featured Amb. (ret.) Ryan Crocker, career diplomat with the US Foreign Service. His previous appointments included US Ambassador to Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Lebanon; as well as Charles Lister, Senior Fellow and Director of MEI’s Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs. Our experts discussed what the fall of Bashar al-Assad means for Syria and the region, the international community’s assessment of the Syrian conflict, what this development portends for Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” in the Levant, the influence of regional powers in Syria, and the future of US policy toward the region.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Syrian War, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and Bashar al-Assad
- Political Geography:
- Middle East
303. The Fall of Assad, the Future of Syria, and a Region Redrawn
- Author:
- Brian Katulis, Gonul Tol, Charles Lister, Wael Alzayat, Paul Salem, and Nimrod Goren
- Publication Date:
- 12-2024
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- A lightning offensive by Syrian rebel groups toppled the Assad regime in less than two weeks, marking the end of a decades-long brutal and oppressive dictatorship. Though many across the country welcome the departure of President Bashar al-Assad, there remains a strong sense of uncertainty about the future. While the leading faction within the victorious opposition forces, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is moving quickly to consolidate power, outside actors are jockeying to influence the outcome and build relations with the embryonic new government or taking steps to degrade its potential to pose a security threat. To discuss where developments in Syria and the broader region are headed as well as how the incoming US administration may tackle the associated challenges and opportunities starting next year, the Middle East Institute will be hosting an expert panel discussion. The panelists will explore the following questions and more: How were the rebel groups able to make such rapid battlefield gains amidst a perceived “stalemate” in the civil war? Can the international community still halt HTS’s consolidation of power or influence its approach to governance; or could its unilateral takeover of state institutions and policies trigger domestic opposition or even renewed internecine conflict? Will ISIS and other terrorist organizations exploit the present turmoil to regroup or make gains? How do these developments impact the surrounding region, including Turkey’s stance, Iraq’s and Lebanon’s stability, Russia’s military presence, and the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance? And finally, can the United States “stay out” of Syria; and if not, what leverage will it have to shape the fast-moving geostrategic developments?
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Security, Syrian War, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and Bashar al-Assad
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Syria
304. The government’s AI technology dilemma: Developing technology and safeguarding against the negative effects of proliferating technology
- Author:
- İbrahim Semih Akçomak
- Publication Date:
- 10-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- In this policy brief, the intervention methods of governments in the rapidly developing artificial intelligence market will be analyzed and the possible actions in Türkiye for the development of artificial intelligence technologies will be discussed. The brief will be concluded with policy recommendations.
- Topic:
- Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Research and Development
- Political Geography:
- Turkey and Middle East
305. The Israel Hamas Conflict: An Analysis on Threats and Security Implications Posed by Iran in the Middle East
- Author:
- Rahat Anwar and Tajmmal Abbas
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- South Asian Studies
- Institution:
- Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
- Abstract:
- In the history of world one can trace a series of wars fought between Arabs and Jews on the land of Palestine, which is sacred land for Muslims, Jews and Christians. A country ―Palestine‖ which is inheritance of Arab Muslims is now mostly occupied by Jews and converting into Israel, a state whose idea of existence came into being after Balfour declaration in 1917, and officially came into existence in May 14, 1948. This research has been conducted by consulting many secondary sources including different research articles, international journals and several books regarding Palestinian conflict. Due to the reason of non-recognition of Israel, it had to go through a series of deadly wars in the past but contemporary war is one of deadliest war in the history of this conflict. This study aims to find out Iranian involvement in the war as Iran is vocal supporter of Hamas attack. Objective of this study is to identify the threats to regional security particularly Iran. Iranian involvement is visible, no doubt China has brokered the peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia but long-standing rivalry cannot be overcome overnight. Iran is anti-American since 1979; it has rivalry with both Saudi Arabia and USA. To destroy U.S. brokered Abraham Accords between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran allegedly urged Hamas to attack on Israel. This study suggests that Iran often sacrifice its interests over the lives of hundreds of thousands of people’s securities in the region. This study recommended that to stop terrorist financing and by not proving them safe sanctuaries is the only way to de-escalate war and make this region prosperous.
- Topic:
- Security, Military Intervention, Conflict, Peace, and Regional Security
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, Gaza, and United States of America
306. The Role of International Organizations in Promoting Peace and Security in the Middle East
- Author:
- Mohammad Al-Rawashdeh
- Publication Date:
- 12-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Journal of Political Studies
- Institution:
- Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
- Abstract:
- This study aims to enhance the effectiveness of international organizations in promoting peace and security in the Middle East. It examines current international cooperation and the growing hesitance of states towards these organizations. The research evaluates how international governmental organizations contribute to world peace, the validity of their claims, and the theories explaining their actions. It also explores the role of these organizations in regional security and recommends ways to improve their effectiveness. Using the "shorthand to absurd" method, the study highlights that international actors often face complex situations without clear solutions and cannot rely on force. Instead, it advocates for a peaceful approach by simplifying these complexities. Ultimately, the article emphasizes the need to address peace, security, development, and human rights in the Middle East. The article asserts that the international community must intensify its efforts to secure lasting peace in the region. The United Nations Security Council, along with the League of Nations, the General Assembly, and various international organizations, has been essential in establishing the critical norms that uphold global peace and security, especially in the Middle East.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Security, NATO, Diplomacy, International Organization, United Nations, Peacekeeping, Peace, and Economic Development
- Political Geography:
- Middle East
307. Revisiting Gaza Ghetto
- Author:
- Shifaa Alsairafi
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS)
- Abstract:
- Gathering for Alarba’een, a day of remembrance when mourners come together on the 40th day after the death of a loved one or prominent figure, is a common practice in much of the Arab world. The 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking film Gaza Ghetto: Portrait of a Palestinian Family, 1948-84, which was co-directed by CCAS Professor Joan Mandell and was the first documentary produced about Gaza, was accompanied by a similarly solemn tone—not only because the neighborhoods depicted in the film have been destroyed since the documentary was released in 1984 but also because the situation in Gaza has grown exponentially worse in recent decades. Gaza Ghetto is set in Jabalia, which—along with the entire Gaza Strip—came under Israeli occupation following the 1967 war, and by the 1980s had become home to the largest refugee camp in the occupied Palestinian territories. Mandell and her co-directors chose Jabalia as the primary site for the documentary not only because of its size and historical importance, but also because of her familiarity with many intellectuals and artists living there who could narrate their story. “Jabalia had a vibrant life of arts and activism, and many people who wanted to share it,” recalls Mandell. Although the film includes interviews with many Jabalia residents, its producers decided to center the story around an individual family so that they could document daily life under occupation. They ultimately selected the family of Abu el-Adel because of the family’s openness and ability to articulate their own experiences as part of a collective story. Indeed, the personal stories narrated by Abu el-Adel, his daughter Itidhal and son-in-law Mustafa, were representative of the tragedies facing thousands of Palestinians and the mass dispossession forced upon them by the Israeli state. Mandell recalls that Itidhal and her daughter Ra’ida—both strong female figures—were a major reason she was drawn to portray this family. The film opens with Itidhal confronting the Israeli settlers who live in a town that displaced her father’s village and includes scenes of Itidhal caring for her six children while husband Mustafa works the nightshift, as well as sharing the story of how her mother died in childbirth when Israeli soldiers would not allow an ambulance to reach her during a camp lockdown.
- Topic:
- Human Rights, History, Film, Atrocities, and Documentary
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, Gaza, and Jabalia
308. Minds in Exile: On Palestinian Thought After 1948
- Author:
- Vicki Valosik
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS)
- Abstract:
- An interview with CCAS Qatar Postdoctoral Fellow Adey Almohsen on his research historicizing Palestinian thought in the years between the Nakba and the Six Day War
- Topic:
- History, Research, Interview, Nakba, and Six Day War
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, and Palestine
309. Scholasticide in Gaza
- Author:
- Samar Saeed
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS)
- Abstract:
- As a PhD candidate researching the Palestinian Revolution during the 1960s and 1970s, my discussions with former revolutionaries, known as the fidayeen, are always marked by their enthusiastic recollections of the books that profoundly transformed their being, thoughts, and imaginations. These books have transported them to other anti-colonial struggles, solidifying their commitment to revolutionary ethos and the liberation of Palestine. Take Suhayla Bahlwan, an avid reader whose cozy apartment in Amman was filled with old and rare books, periodicals, and novels. As a young woman, she used to return home from her work as a teacher and pour into the works of Socrates, Descartes, Kant, Sartre, deBeauvoir, Camus, Hegel, Marx, and Lenin. Then, after witnessing the devastation and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1967, Suhayla began voraciously reading Palestinian history. She says that hearing first-hand accounts from Palestinian refugees who arrived in Jordan transformed her life’s trajectory and prompted her to join the Palestinian revolution. Khadijeh Habashneh, a clinical psychologist and a revolutionary, also underscored the pivotal role of reading in fueling her own commitment to revolutionary struggles. For Khadijeh, liberating the land was tied to liberating one’s mind and soul through the accumulation of knowledge. She loved theater, literature, and history and read everything from Arabic, Russian, and French poetry to political books on the Algerian, Vietnamese, and Cuban Revolutions. Besides her political engagement, Khadijeh authored a book highlighting Palestinian women’s contribution to the revolution, produced two films in Lebanon, and helped establish and document the journey of the Palestinian Cinema Unit, which, in turn, played a major role in documenting the Palestinian revolution. The experiences of Suhayla and Khadijeh echo a common narrative among the fidayeen I interviewed—that reading had been, for them, an emancipatory practice. Reading expanded their horizons and connected them with other revolutionaries, thinkers, and philosophers, while also arming them with historical facts and theories that informed their revolutionary work and strengthened their commitment to returning to Palestine.
- Topic:
- Atrocities, 2023 Gaza War, and Scholasticide
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and Gaza
310. Black Power and Palestine
- Author:
- Michael R. Fischbach
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS)
- Abstract:
- MAAS alum Dr. Michael R. Fischbach discusses his groundbreaking research on divisions within the 1960s Black Freedom Struggle in America over the Israel-Palestine conflict and how Black Power activists supported the Palestinian struggle for liberation—planting the seeds for transcontinental solidarity that continues today.
- Topic:
- History, Solidarity, Activism, and Black Power
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Palestine, North America, and United States of America