[A joint piece with colleague Tony Gamal Gabriel, published here on October 4, 2018]
The clock is ticking to implement a Russian-Turkish deal for the Syrian rebel region of Idlib, but its terms remain hazy and little has changed on the ground.
Syria
Confusion among Syria rebels as Idlib deadline nears | AFP
[A joint piece with Beirut’s Deputy Bureau Chief Layal Abou Rahal, published here on October 1, 2018]
With a deadline for establishing a demilitarised zone around Syria’s Idlib inching closer, confusion and apprehension is rife among Turkish-backed rebels who fear it will cost them their last stronghold.
Live from Idlib, an American broadcasts from Syria’s last rebel zone | AFP
[Published here on September 23, 2018]
Beirut (AFP) – Pointing to a green screen as if presenting a weather forecast, Bilal Abdul Kareem analyses the Turkish-Russian deal over Syria’s Idlib, broadcasting in his native English from inside the war-torn country’s last rebel stronghold.
Foreign fighters in Syria’s Idlib face last stand | AFP
[Published here on September 10, 2018]
Hailing from far and wide, they flocked to Syria to wage “holy war”. Now foreign jihadists face a fight to the last to hold onto Idlib, their final bastion.
On the backfoot, IS uses old tactics to gain new strength | AFP
[Published here August 7, 2018]
The Islamic State group is looking to recapture lost power by reverting to the grisly tactics that first propelled it to global notoriety, analysts say, including executions and kidnapping minorities.
After painful search, Syrians learn detained relatives are long dead | AFP
[Published here on July 24, 2018]
“That’s it? You’re sure he’s dead?” Seven years had passed with no news, but Salwa could hardly believe her nephew, a Syrian activist arrested in 2011, had been dead the last five.
Paving the way: Syria highway traces winning regime strategy | ِAFP
[Published here on July 6, 2018]
From second city Aleppo all the way down to the border with Jordan, Syria’s longest highway cuts through fertile fields of green, buzzing industrial zones and four major cities.
In rebel Syria, a race to save precious property deeds | AFP
[Published here June 20, 2018]
Beirut (AFP) – The external hard drive had been smuggled from Syrian regime territory through jihadist-held towns and into Turkey. When Ghazwan Koronful finally got his hands on it, he sighed in relief.
War, displacement reshuffle Syria’s demographic map | AFP
[Published here May 25, 2018]
Seven years of war and massive displacement have redrawn Syria’s demographic map, erecting borders between the country’s ethnic, religious, and political communities that will be hard to erase.
Doctors ask Syria to lift 7-year ban on access to wounded | AFP
[Published here on May 23, 2018]
Beirut (AFP) – Doctors Without Borders on Wednesday called on Syria’s government to reverse its seven-year ban on the medical charity, issuing an urgent appeal for access to wounded people in regime-held territory.
MAYA GEBEILY 