Bashar al-Assad

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 24th, 2012
Syrians in Jordan demonstrated against Assad in front of the Syrian embassy on Monday [Reuters]

Protests in Syria have escalated into what some are calling a burgeoning civil war, and the United Nations says more than 9,000 people have been killed since the uprising began in March last year. The government blames "terrorists" and "armed gangs" for the unrest and says more than 2,500 members of its security forces have been killed.

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For more news and in-depth coverage, visit our Syria Spotlight page and watch Al Jazeera's weekly programme Inside Syria.

By Zeina Awad in Middle East on April 19th, 2012
Syria's first lady is the target of a petition and a video started by the wives of two European ambassadors. [AFP]

"Asma al-Assad is glamorous, young, and very chic - the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies."

These were the opening  words of the now infamous Vogue magazine profile of Syria’s first lady which was published a little over a year ago.

Today, the freshest of first ladies is the target of a petition and a video started by the wives of two European ambassadors, demanding she use her political clout to stop her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, from killing his own people. It's been signed by close to 20,000 people so far.

By Jonah Hull in Europe on March 22nd, 2012
Photo by EPA

In resisting two previous United Nations resolutions on Syria, Russia's position was that the texts were unbalanced and aimed at regime change. It insisted both sides should cease fire and begin negotiations, without preconditions or ultimatums.

Western powers, demanding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down, lambasted Russia for this. It cost them a show of diplomatic unity against Assad, in the absence of will to take concrete steps on the ground.

Wednesday's presidential statement includes calls for both sides to cease fire and engage in negotiations. It includes the Russian position that these should occur with no preconditions, timelines or ultimatums.

By Anita McNaught in Middle East on March 12th, 2012
Image grab taken from a YouTube video, allegedly shows a house on fire after shelling by government forces in Idlib.

Winter still clings to the ancient cultivated hillsides of the northern Syrian province of Idlib. Nights are chillingly cold; mornings alternate between mist and feeble sun. Under the gnarled olive trees, the soil is naked and neatly raked.

Tens of thousands of trees in rows follow the contours of the hills to the horizon and beyond. Around here, the olives are usually harvested in November, but some local families have only just begun to try to take their crop. It’s anyone’s guess what will happen to the harvest this year.

All the old rhythms and routines have been disrupted. People don’t venture out, most shops are shuttered. Petrol for transport and heating is running short. Cell phones no longer work, there is no internet and locals warn the old landlines are monitored. Families listen carefully to traffic on the roads, alert to anything unusual, to anything that sounds "military".

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on February 9th, 2012

The following is the second of a series of excerpts that Al Jazeera will be publishing from The Invisible Arab: The promise and peril of the Arab revolutions. The excerpt from the preface can be found here.

By Marwan Bishara in Imperium on April 25th, 2011

A clever promo on Al Jazeera Arabic shows in the simplest and clearest way a pattern of failure on the part of Arab autocrats.

It juxtaposes the grand statements made by Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gaddafi, since the earliest days of the popular uprising.

All three started by underlining their legitimacy as servants of the state and its people. And when calls for reform intensified they underlined how they seek no glory or position and are more than happy to move on.

And in no time, regimes began to escalate the use of force as they repeated slogans about the greatness of their nations prompting protesters to call for regime change.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 22nd, 2011
[Photo by Reuters]

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 22nd, 2011
Photo from Baniyas, provided by activivists

 

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 21st, 2011
Photo by Reuters

 

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 20th, 2011

 

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

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