Government Wants Syrians to Holiday at Home
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
The Syrian government is hoping the domestic tourist industry will grow substantially in future years and help reinvigorate the sagging economy. But many people say domestic travel is too expensive and tourism needs to be better promoted. Syrian officials said recently that domestic tourism had significant potential for growth. They argued that it was a more stable area than foreign tourism, which slumped in 2005 in p... more
Views: 1195Opposition Looks Forward to End of Syrian Isolation
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
Members of the opposition have expressed hope that attempts to break Syria’s international isolation could give them an opportunity to push for reforms to government policy. Damascus has recently engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity that many see as a concerted effort to improve relations with the international community. President Bashar al-Assad visited the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait earlier this m... more
Views: 1216“Nothing to Hide” From Nuclear Inspectors
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
Analysts in Syria insist the reason Damascus is allowing the United Nation’s atomic watchdog in for an inspection is that it has nothing to hide. After several months’ delay, a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, is to inspect a site at al-Kibar in northeastern Syria on June 22-24. The Israeli air force bombed the al-Kibar site last September. In April, the United States said it ... more
Views: 1135Syria Defiant on Ties With Iran
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
A new Syrian defence pact with Iran is a direct challenge to Israel and the United States, but analysts say it will not ultimately jeopardise peace negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv. Syrian and Iranian officials provided few details of the cooperation agreement, announced by Tehran’s official IRNA news agency last week. However, citing security sources, the Israeli website DEBKAfile reported that Syri... more
Views: 878Bush Visit Won’t Affect Syria
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian analysts and activists say President George Bush’s recent visit to the Middle East will not have a significant impact on their country, arguing that the United States leader enjoys little credibility in the region. Bush made a few public comments on Syria during his five-day trip to the region, which ended on May 18. Maintaining his administration’s tough stance towards Damascus, Bu... more
Views: 903Executions Could Strain Syrian-Saudi Relations
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
The recent executions of three Syrians convicted of drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia may mark a downturn in the already frosty relationship between the two countries. Syrian national Ibrahim al-Jarkh was beheaded on April 25, eight days after the execution of two other men, Feras al-Aghbar and Feras al-Maktabi. All three were executed in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Dozens of people with relatives detained... more
Views: 2228Syria: Explosive Nuclear News
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
- by Yazan Badran Yesterday, the CIA released footage of an alleged Syrian North-Korean-built nuclear reactor. The footage “exploded” all over the news. The story started with an Israel air strike on an unknown target in the Syrian northern desert in September 2007. Speculations about a possible nuclear cooperation between Syria and North Korea has been floating since then.... more
Views: 1215Carter Visit to Syria Sparks Hope
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian analysts are hopeful that former United States president Jimmy Carter’s upcoming visit to Damascus may thaw the icy relationship between the two countries, and re-ignite the Middle East peace process. Carter is expected to meet exiled Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal in Damascus on April 18, and may also see high-level Syrian officials including Foreign Minister Walid Moallem and President Bashar al... more
Views: 1197More Aid Needed for Iraqi Refugees
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
- (Syria News Briefing, a weekly news analysis service, draws on information and opinion from a network of IWPR-trained Syrian journalists based in the country, whose identities cannot be revealed for security reasons.) Syria continues to receive a stream of Iraqi refugees despite the tighter visa regulations and the poor living conditions the incomers face, which are not expected to improve in the near fut... more
Views: 1122Syrians See Little Progress From Arab Summit
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
Critics of the Syrian government said they saw few positive developments from last week’s Arab League summit, noting that no progress was made on Lebanon and that certain key heads of state refused to attend. Syria hosted the Arab League’s annual summit on March 29 and 30, using it as a platform to push for Arab unity in a region that remains politically fractured. Damascus has been widely cr... more
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