I haven’t posted any of my Syria media interviews on this blog – I figure most readers have heard these views from me in some form or other over the past eight months. It is worthwhile though to hear them in context of a broader discussion on Syria that includes other participants, with varying points of view.
Participants in the Voice of Russia (UK) radio discussion on Syria included Jonathan Steele, Guardian columnist, foreign correspondent and author; Nadim Shehadi, Associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa programme for Chatham House, London; Gumer Isaev, head of the St Petersburg Centre for Modern Middle East studies – and myself.
The discussion was broad, but focused largely on recent events inside the country: armed clashes in the major cities, Syria’s chemical weapons cache, foreign intervention, the militarization of the conflict, use of information warfare to create perceptions, regime change and even whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad still enjoys popularity.
Click here to hear the full debate.
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Mideast Shuffle 
super sharmine narwani! let’s push back these colonialist lies!
People need to know about this. Thanks, Sharmine
One mystery not much discussed is the motivation of the Turkish regime. More than any other foreign counrty, Turkey is the one that made the arming of the uprising possible.
This is a very sharp turn from the zero problems foreign policy of not too long ago.
But why? Only two years ago no one would have imagined Turkey turning so harshly against Syria. Not knowing much, I suspect this was an attempt to gain points as a regional power and a kick-the-door-and-the-whole-structure-will-fall gamble. Well, if so, it’s not a great success.
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Well, it was disgusting listening that guy from the colonial think-thank, legacy of Wellington House is still live and well. I wonder where do they find them? I am having strong sense and impression that he is lecturing everybody else – and lecturing/brainwashing with what?
I do think this kind of “debate” – let’s-hear-both-sides – is useless and has nothing to do with the facts; simply their only belief/ideology lie only in domain of violence. Whether it’s physical or violence in form of blatant lies. It is pretty much “true” internally, the violence imposed on own people, which is sort of hidden, and internationally.
Fortunate/unfortunate thing is that Russia’s neoliberal Gov. is playing significant role in all this. their five minutes of fame has come after staying on margin for couple decades.
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