Bashar al-Assad
Chemical Warfare in the Middle East: A Brief HistoryThursday, December 13, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
At this time of Hanukkah’s memories of Syrian tyrants past, the Syrian tyrant present, Bashar al-Assad, has reportedly assembled chemical weapons for use against the rebellion.
Editors' Picks
How Rational Is Iran? Steven David, American Interest. Saddam Hussein torched Kuwait's oil fields. Bashar al-Assad has killed 70,000 of his own people. Why assume that Iran's autocracy will act rationally?
Hizballah Reeling? Phillip Smyth, Foreign Policy. Based on casualty reports from its own media, Hizballah is losing both young fighters and seasoned commanders in the Syrian civil war.
Israel's Interests in Syria Efraim Inbar, Begin-Sadat Center. "Israel would be better served by having a failed state next door than by having a strong, Iranian-backed entity there."
Next Year in Brooklyn Adam Blitz, Aeon. "Should Damascus fall, as many of us believe it will, there remains the very real possibility that there will soon be no trace of a Jewish past in Syria at all."
Israel's New Rules Eyal Zisser, Israel Hayom. For 20 years, Israel has avoided attacking Hizballah's Syrian supply line for fear of retaliation from Damascus. Last weekend's strikes show that the rules of the game have changed.
Israel on Syria Ehud Eilam, National Interest. If Assad falls, the risk of a high-intensity war between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights will recede—but the likelihood of low-intensity conflict will increase.
Rebels without a Cause Michael J. Totten, World Affairs Journal. Since Israeli forces left southern Lebanon in 2000, Hizballah has lost its raison d'être and its Lebanese support base. Can it survive if Assad falls?
Out of the Frying Pan Jonathan Spyer, Fathom. With Sunni Islamists increasingly dominating the Free Syrian Army, Israel may soon face a new Syrian regime allied with Hamas and Egypt—and no less hostile than Assad.
The Use and Misuse of American Influence Shoshana Bryen, Gatestone Institute. "It is a specifically American conceit that people in other countries and other societies want our social and governmental blueprint as well as our money, medicine, and weapons."
The Rocket Racket Continues Lee Smith, Weekly Standard. With Israel in control of maritime routes and the Assad regime in chaos, Hizballah's weapons stockpile has been systematically degraded. But Hamas is having no such trouble.