Syrian President Assad’s brutality, which has driven refugees into Turkey, has ruined his relationship with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
Assad-Erdogan Bromance on the Rocks?
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Syria
Syria: Washington Just Watches
After a decade of policies aimed at marginalizing and ignoring the Syrian regime, U.S. policymakers have come to realize that they have very little leverage to pressure President Bashar Al-Assad. As the violence continues, Washington appears to be out of both carrots and sticks.
Don’t Count Bashar Out
Bashar’s crackdown on protesters has severely hurt the prospects of renewed U.S.-Syrian ties, at least in the near future. Therefore, the Obama administration is currently on the horns of a dilemma. It has condemned Assad’s crackdown on protestors. But the administration is not sure it should alienate him entirely.
U.S. Denies It Is Trying to Undermine Assad
As anti-government protests in Syria showed no sign of abating, the U.S. State Department Monday denied that it was seeking the regime’s ouster.
Neocon Call for Regime Change in Syria Doesn’t Do U.S. National Security Any Favors
Regime change in Syria is an appealing idea, but Islamists stand ready to fill the vacuum in power.
Hey, Syrians, What Are You Complaining About? At Least Deraa Is Not Hama
Though not iron-fisted like his father, the hand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad cracks down with is heavy.
The Case for Syria
Lebanon’s unraveling and the undiminished influence of the Syrian state clearly demonstrate that U.S. attempts to isolate Damascus have failed.
Iran-Turkey-Syria: An Alliance of Convenience
The Israel-Palestine conflict has been at the heart of regional affairs since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. This is the context wherein the “de facto” Iran-Turkey-Syria axis should be understood, although substantive normalization of relations in the last decade between Turkey and its neighbors Iran and Syria served as a pre-requisite for the supposed alliance.
Postcard From…Damascus
Engaging Syria: We’d Be Crazy Not To
Some world leaders are not exactly negotiating material. The recently deceased leader of Turkmenistan renamed the months and days of the week after himself and his family and tried to build a palace constructed entirely of ice. No one really tried to negotiate with him–he placed a ban on lip-syncing.