181 research outputs found
Preparing for a post-Assad Syria: What role for the European Union? CEPS Commentary, 2 August 2012
Get PDFIn this CEPS Commentary, Steven Blockmans notes that a prolonged period of instability lies ahead for Syria, with an on-going risk of spill-over effects affecting the entire region. The author argues that the EU’s plans for a post-Assad Syria should extend beyond the half-hearted responses to the monumental changes that have ripped through other parts of the Arab world. In recognition of the geostrategic shifts in the Middle East and the Gulf, and pursuant to the obligation imposed upon it by the Lisbon Treaty, the EU should plan for the creation of a regional space of shared security. Such a plan would fit well into the current efforts to revamp the European Security Strategy
Assad and the Peace Process: The Pivotal Role of Lebanon
Get PDFThe world is waiting for peace in the Middle East. At present the possibility of a settlement is delayed by differences between Israel and Syria. The two are far apart on how to solve one of the thornier problems of the negotiations--the eventual status of the Golan Heights. That Syria\u27s President Assad and Israel\u27s Prime Minister Rabin should find themselves in disagreement is not unusual--Israel and Syria have been enemies for years. But that Assad should be able to hold out against Israeli power is quite extraordinary. Assad has played an extremely astute game of diplomatic intrigue against the Israelis, with successes far beyond anything one might have imagined. This study shows how the Syrian was able to improve his originally weak position in the peace talks by exploiting crisis conditions in Lebanon. Assad\u27s major weapon against the Israelis has been the guerrilla group Hizbollah. The author claims that the fact that a small group of guerrillas could have such an enormous impact in this international drama reveals changed power relations in the strategic Middle East.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1245/thumbnail.jp
Unravelling Syria's Entho-Sectarian Politics
No full textGoaded by the regional repercussions of the Syrian crisis sectarian tensions are emerging as the key threat to Middle Eastern and Syrian stability. Sectarianism has had a big impact on politics in Syria, it is implicated in the maintenance of authoritarianism, and sectarian dynamics are escalating the intensity of the uprising against the Assad regime. Prior to the civil war communal bonds between regime members and minority sect insecurity were key to the survival of the regime. Political power and control was maintained through fear and this was not just fear of the powerful security forces but also fear of sectarian conflict with the regime highlighting the risk of sectarian conflict, minority persecution and instability should the regime fall. As a result many supported or tolerated the Assads out of fear of the alternative.
This thesis aims to analyse the extent and the manner in which political players in Syria have used religious narratives and manipulated sectarian identities in their pursuit of power. It concludes that sectarian tactics have been intensified within the Syrian uprising by both the regime and within the opposition. Religious narratives for mobilising support have become widespread and an emphasis on dangers from the ‘other’ is prevalent. Given Middle Eastern history of intolerance towards other religious and ethnic groups this emphasis on confessional narratives is intensifying the dangers of sectarian violence within the civil war and creating rifts that will be hard to heal.
The use of religious narratives for political goals is a feature of the religious and political landscape and this is analysed through the lens of Ethnic Conflict Theory. With radical Islam heavily featuring narratives that emphasise opposition to other, an entitlement to dominate and an admiration of religious warrior characteristics alongside the cultural importance of nested communal groups, Islam has served as a readymade construct for mobilising sectarian groups against political foes.
However although many sectarian narratives refer heavily to history the current confessional tensions relate specifically to the present. With Middle Eastern autocratic regimes under threat due to the Arab Spring many groups perceive that political power is up for grabs and are finding it expedient – and religiously justifiable - to mobilise through the established channels of confessional loyalties and networks particularly along Sunni versus Shia lines. Plus given the importance of religion to the region it is a clear front runner as justification for political and/or armed action.
Advances in communications technology, specifically social media, and the breakdown of regime authority has allowed for voices to be heard from within an autocratic state that had otherwise been silenced, thus providing an unprecedented opportunity to analyse sectarian politics within a civil war
“There are so many ways to tell a story”: An Interview with Carlos Martínez Assad
No full textIn this interview, Carlos Martínez Assad reflects on his transition from a long career as an academic and historian to an author of fiction, as well as what it means to be Lebanese in Mexico. Before delving into the creative world of novels, Martínez Assad taught as a professor of sociology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). As a scholar, he has published prolifically (over twenty books and essays) and received numerous prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Medal of Historic Merit, and the Mexican National Prize of Arts and Sciences. His fiction draws heavily from his academic research into Lebanese Mexican history, and he acknowledges that although fiction grants the author artistic license, his goal is to write fictionalized accounts that are still as accurate as possible. His creative process, he states, is one of imagining how history might be duplicated, allowing for a new encounter with Lebanon, lived again with the family left behind
DINAMIKA KONFLIK SURIAH PADA MASA PEMERINTAHAN BASHAR AL-ASSAD
Get PDFThis paper departs from the conflict that occurred in Syrian City, so it makes the author interested in trying to understand the basic problems that are the cause of the conflict. In addition, the author also tries to see who the actors who played a role in the conflict are, as well as the impact that the Syrian conflict has on the international world. The Syrian conflict has been going on for forty years to date, and the conflict has not yet seen its end. Since March 2011 the conflict in Syria has claimed so many lives, thousands of people have been displaced, and thousands of children orphaned. Many houses collapsed, infrastructure and public facilities were destroyed due to the conflict. Data on the Syrian conflict is collected from books, journals, and the web. These data are then categorized, systematized, and analyzed according to the purpose of writing. This paper concludes that the cause of the conflict in Syria is not due to differences in religious sects but rather the political and economic interests of the opposition opponents of Assad and opposition-supporting countries. There are three actors who play a role in the Syrian conflict: President Bashar al-Assad and his supporters, the Syrian opposition, and the Jihadist group. The resulting impact of the Syrian conflict is the large number of casualties that have fallen and the problem of refugees. From the time of the conflict in March 2011 to April 2013, The death toll was 150,000. Meanwhile, the displaced population is 2.4 million people, which is dominated by women and children. Meanwhile, 4 million Syrians are homeless. For the international community, the Syrian conflict has an impact on the handling of refugees
Use of Antihypertensive Drugs during Pregnancy and Lactation
Get PDFThe decision to treat elevated arterial pressure in pregnancy depends on the risk and benefits imposed on the mother and the fetus. Treatment for mildto-moderate hypertension during pregnancy may not reduce maternal or fetal risk. Severe hypertension, on the other hand, should be treated to decrease maternal risk. Methyldopa and β-adrenoceptor antagonists have been used most extensively. In acute severe hypertension, intravenous labetalol or oral nifedipine are reasonable choices
Gated Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Imaging: Current Status and Limitations
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Coronary Artery Calcium Scores: Current Thinking and Clinical Applications
No full textMost incident coronary disease occurs in previously asymptomatic individuals who were considered to be at a lower risk by traditional screening methods. There is a definite advantage if these individuals could be reclassified into a higher risk category, thereby impacting disease outcomes favorably. Coronary artery calcium scores have been recognized as an independent marker for adverse prognosis in coronary disease. Multiple population based studies have acknowledged the shortcomings of risk prediction models such as the Framingham risk score or the Procam score. The science behind coronary calcium is discussed briefly followed by a review of current thinking on calcium scores. An attempt has been made to summarize the appropriate indications and use of calcium scores. Originally published Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal, Vol. 2, Sep 200
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