'I'm leaving and I'm not coming back'

A World Association of Newspapers Interview with Mohamad Ali Al-Abdallah, Blogger, Syria. Other interviews, editorials and photographs exposing the harassment, threats and censorship journalists face worldwide, can be seen on this page.

The lack of press freedom in Syria has defined the life of Mohamad Ali Al-Abdallah. He has been detained, his brother is serving a five-year sentence in a secret location, and his father is finishing a one-year prison term. He recently fled Syria and received refugee status in the United States. Al-Abdallah is an outspoken advocate for human rights through his widely followed blog, "I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back." Al-Abdallah is now exploiting the blogosphere to fight for change from across the world. He talks to the World Association of Newspapers. 

Read the rest of this post   |  Comments (3)

Assad does not want real peace with Israel

In the last two or three years, a number of old arguments regarding Syria have again become fashionable. One of them is that peace with Syria is not only "there to be had," but that it may lead to drastic changes in Syrian behavior, in turn altering regional dynamics for the better. However, in several recent interviews, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has made statements that paint a very different picture.

In his comments, Assad clarified exactly what he meant by "peace" with Israel, and it bore no resemblance to the rosy scenarios painted by the "peace processors." In fact, the president raised serious questions about the value of any such deal altogether.

In a recent interview with the Emirati newspaper Al-Khaleej, Assad made a remarkable - and indeed unprecedented - comment about what his concept of "peace" with Israel was. "A peace agreement," he said, "is a piece of paper you sign. This does not mean trade and normal relations, or borders, or otherwise."

Read the rest of this post   |  Comments (2)

Syria: Terror Inc.

The list of countries affected by Syrian terror sponsorship had (most recently) included states like Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the US, Germany (and US targets there), Spain, Israel and more. Now add Bahrain to the list (Arabic articles here and here).

The Bahraini (Shiites) who were arrested for plotting to carry out major terror attacks during Bahrain's national holiday on December 17, trained for their operation in Syria, adding further support to the charge that Syria is Terror Grand Central - - consciously using its territory as a safe haven, revolving door, and distribution/reorientation hub for terrorists of all stripes targeting Syria's enemies (which happen to be the US and its allies).