A humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepens, and Syrian refugees face a perilous choice: remain in a war-torn environment or return to Syria where they risk encountering significant dangers and discrimination. There are significant challenges and risks to their search for safety in Syria.
In Syria’s border regions, changes in demographics, economics, and security mean that an inter-Syrian peace process will require consensus among main regional powers that Syria must remain united, that no one side can be victorious, and that perennial instability threatens the region.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Assad regime has seen measured advances in its situation that fall well short of real success.
Join us for an in-depth discussion on Syria’s gradual normalization with countries in the Middle East and its reinstatement in the League of Arab States in May 2023, a significant step that signals a potential shift in Middle Eastern dynamics and regional security architecture. The normalization process began in 2018 when the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain reopened their embassies in Damascus, after Syria had been suspended from the Arab League in 2011 due to its brutal crackdown on protesters. Recently, Türkiye has also shown interest in normalizing relations with Syria, driven by concerns over Kurdish influence in northern Syria and the refugee crisis. The panel will evaluate the normalization process to date, examine the regime's willingness and capability to deliver on its promises, and assess whether the initial motivations of Arab states for normalization have been met. European and U.S. reactions have generally remained more cautious, emphasizing that normalization should be contingent on tangible political reforms by the Assad regime and adherence to human rights standards.
Against this backdrop of developments, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center is hosting a virtual panel discussion on August 8, at 5:00 PM Beirut Time/ 10:00 AM EDT. The event will feature Sinan Ulgen, Sawsan Abou Zainedin, Abdullah Baabood, and Maria Luisa Fantappiè, and will be moderated by Armenak Tokmajyan.
The discussion will be held in English. Viewers may submit their questions to the panelists using the live chat feature on Facebook and YouTube.
For more information, please contact Najwa Yassine at najwa.yassine@carnegie-mec.org.
Maha Yahya discusses the aftermath of the Golan Heights attack.
Bashar al-Assad’s regime has used the drug partly as a means of ensuring that Syria is reintegrated into the Arab world, allowing its leadership to reinforce its position after years of isolation and conflict.
Tehran’s strike against Israel last weekend doubtless reflected its strengths, but also may have included a strategic blunder.
