Syria Comment » Landis in the News

Free Syrian Army lacks organization in fight against Bashar Assad – 2/27/12
Reuters

No clear successor to Assad’s ‘coup-proof’ rule in Syria – 2/27/12
Reuters

…”The Assads have been planning for this for 40 years, for a Sunni uprising against them. And that’s why they’ve poured family members and sectarian members into the top upper ranks. It’s all about loyalty to coup-proof this regime,” said Joshua Landis, a professor at the University of Oklahoma who writes a newsletter on Syrian politics…

Progressives Embrace Humanitarian Imperialism – Again – 2/25/12
AntiWar.com – by John V. Walsh

“Foreign Intervention in Syria? A Debate with Joshua Landis and Karam Nachar.” promised the headline on DemocracyNow! of 2/22. Eagerly I tuned in, hoping to hear a thorough exposé of the machinations of the US Empire in Syria on its march to Iran.

But this was neither exposé nor debate. Both sides, Landis and Nachar, were pro-intervention for “humanitarian” reasons. Nor did the host Amy Goodman or her co-host take these worthies to task for their retrograde views on imperial military action against a sovereign nation that had made no attack on the US. It was yet one more sign that the “progressive” movement in the West has largely abandoned its antiwar, anti-intervention stance…

Joshua Landis Interview – As It Happens
cbc.ca – Landis Interview starts @ 10 minutes

Joshua Landis on Syria – Assad will NOT fall (at least to 2013) – 2/23/12
blogging the casbah – Scribed By Jesse Aizenstat

“Middle East analyst and Syrian guru, Josh Landis, has a new article out in the Spring issue of Middle East Policy. Here is the link for it.

On Josh’s blog, he bullet points the four mains reasons to support is conclusion: Why Syrian president Assad will make it to 2013…”

‘Friends of Syria’ Seek Ways to End Assad ‘Terror’ Campaign – 2/23/12
Bloomberg – By Nicole Gaouette and Flavia Krause-Jackson

…With Syria’s large weapons stockpiles, and the potential for violence to keep getting worse and destabilize neighbors, the stakes are high for the meeting, analysts such as Joshua Landis said.

Risk of Failure

“These nations are coming together as a group, but they’re doing it in part out of fear,” said Landis, director of the Middle East Studies program at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. “The risk of getting nothing done is very high.”…

Foreign Intervention in Syria? A Debate With Joshua Landis and Karam Nachar. Part 1 of 2 – 2/22/12
Democracy Now!

Foreign Intervention in Syria? A Debate With Joshua Landis and Karam Nachar. Part 1 of 2 from Democracy Now! on Vimeo.

Foreign Intervention in Syria? A Debate With Joshua Landis and Karam Nachar. Part 2 of 2 – 2/22/12
Democray Now!

Foreign Intervention in Syria? A Debate With Joshua Landis and Karam Nachar. Part 2 of 2 from Democracy Now! on Vimeo.

BBC World Service News – 2/14/12

Center for Middle East Studies director discusses how he became involved with Syria – 2/14/12
The Oklahoma Daily – by Ajinur Setiwaldi

When Joshua Landis earned a European history and French bachelor’s degree in 1979, he never foresaw becoming a leading expert on a Middle Eastern country currently in turmoil.

He knew he wasn’t going to be a doctor, a lawyer or a banker like his father, so he waved goodbye to his upbringing and decided to pursue an adventure…

More sanctions expected on Syria – 2-14-12
Marketplace World, American Public Media – Interview by Kai Ryssdal

…Ryssdal: There is more talk everyday of what to do about Syria. Remind us what’s already been done — there are sanctions in place, right?

Landis: There are heavy sanctions in place. The United States had sanctions on Syria for three decades, but Europe joined in sanctions, and Europe provides almost 50 percent of trade with Syrians through the EU. And Europe stopped all energy imports and exports; companies like Shell withdrew; the commercial bank of Syria had been sanctioned — that means no letters of credit can be issued by the commercial banks that were honored in the international community. So there is a lot being done. The currency of Syria has collapsed by 50 percent. It went from 47 pounds to a dollar to 72, 73. So Syrians have lost half their purchasing power…

On Syria – 2/13/12
GordonCambell.scoop.co.nz

So far, the fighting in Syria has largely been limited to its smaller cities – Homs in particular. Aside from a few isolated incidents the revolt has not yet spread to major cities such as Aleppo and Damascus. All the same, as Syria expert Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma points out, Homs is a cautionary example of the dangerous fault lines that run through the entire society…

Syrian Instability: How Would Rest of World Respond? – 2/6/12
PBS Newshour

Watch Syrian Instability: How Would Rest of World Respond? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Crisis in Syria – 2/6/12
Charlie Rose, Bloomberg
Watch Here

U.S. shuts embassy in Syria as Obama tells Assad to go – 2/6/12
The Washington Times – By Guy Taylor

…With outside pressure having failed to stop the crackdown, the international community is faced with “the hard realization that it’s going to be a war and it’s going to be decided on the battlefield,” said Joshua Landis, who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

“That means it’s a long difficult battle,” said Mr. Landis, a Syria analyst. “Because the Syrian army is still quite strong, compared to the opposition.”

“The opposition has been growing stronger and stronger, but it is based on local militias that have been organizing on a very town-by-town basis,” he said. “They’re working on their own time schedules and under their own command, and there isn’t a lot of coordination.”…

With Syria Embassy Shut, What’s Next For The U.S.? – 2/6/12
NPR – by Alan Greenblatt

…”People have not wanted to come to the conclusion that this is going to be a long, drawn-out civil war, and [that] Assad is going to have to be overturned militarily,” says Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “But people are increasingly coming to that conclusion.”

Pursuing diplomatic solutions to the Syrian problem, ultimately through the U.N., has been the primary focus and concern of U.S. policymakers, Landis says. But that course has reached a dead end, he suggests — at least for now…

As Syrian Violence Worsens, U.S. Diplomats Leave – 2/6/12
KERA News for North Texas – By Alan Greenblatt

…”People have not wanted to come to the conclusion that this is going to be a long, drawn-out civil war, and [that] Assad is going to have to be overturned militarily,” says Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “But people are increasingly coming to that conclusion.”

Pursuing diplomatic solutions to the Syrian problem, ultimately through the U.N., has been the primary focus and concern of U.S. policymakers, Landis says. But that course has reached a dead end, he suggests — at least for now.

Instead, Assad may be further emboldened by the Security Council veto. Not that he’s hesitated to use force against his own people up to this point.

“It’s going to be a long and bloody struggle, because Assad still has a lot of supporters, and he has a professional army,” Landis says. “There is going to be no cavalry riding over the hill to save the Syrian opposition from a long struggle.”

How long can al-Assad remain in power? – 2/2/12
CNN

Russia Faces Onslaught at UN to Back Ouster of Assad in Syria – 2/2/12
Bloomberg BusinessWeek – By Flavia Krause-Jackson

…The Russians may still have time to re-think their position. Joshua Landis, director of the Middle East Studies program at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, said that while the regime is ultimately doomed, it may survive into 2013…

The Fall of the House of Assad? – 2/2/12
The American Prospect – by Gershom Gorenberg

…Wagering on when the regime will crumble or what will replace it is equally risky. Assad has already defied Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s December prediction that the Syrian regime had only “weeks” left. Assad and the Alawite minority’s rule could last into 2013 or beyond but are “doomed in the long run,” writes Joshua Landis, an American expert and editor of the Syria Comment blog— an evaluation made more damning by Landis’s pro-Assad reputation. Then again, a Lebanese expert suggested to me this week that the Alawite-led army might try to follow the Egyptian example, sacrificing the dictator so that it can remain the real power. A Sunni takeover, perhaps by the Muslim Brotherhood, is also possible—or a sectarian war of all against all…

Syria’s fractured opposition a long way from victory – 2/1/12
CNBC – By Kazi Stastna

…”There are a lot of different divisions,” said Joshua Landis, an associate professor and director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma who runs the website Syria Comment.

“There’s the Islamists versus the secularists; there’s the young versus the old; there’s the inside leaders who are on the streets versus the SNC [Syrian national Council] type leaders … who have been out of the country for a long time and who are very savvy at talking to the West.”

There are also, he points out, ethnic divisions between Kurds and Arabs as well as religious divisions between the minorities and Muslims…

Russia resists UN drive to halt Syria ‘killing machine’ – 2/1/12
Times of Malta.com

…”It is the beginning of an all-out armed conflict,” said Joshua Landis, head of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

“We are heading toward real chaos,” he added. “The Syrian public in general is beginning to (realise) that there isn’t a magic ending to this, there isn’t a regime collapse.

“People had hoped that by peaceful demonstrations they would cause Bashar al-Assad to resign or he would run away, or that there would be a Tahrir Square moment,” Landis said, referring to the epicentre of Egypt’s mass protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year.

“All that turned out to be wishful thinking.”…

Inside Syria: Escalating violence pushes country toward full-blown war – 1/31/12
Reuters TV

Landis Talks About Syria’s Assad Regime – 1/30/12
All Things Considered, NPR – Interview by Audie Cornish
Listen Here

For more on the situation in Syria, Audie Cornish talks with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He says the Assad regime is likely to hang on far longer than anyone could have predicted when the uprising began last March.

Syrian Opposition Council Backed by U.S. Hindered by Divisions – 1/30/12
Bloomberg – By Nicole Gaouette

…While the U.S. has lined up behind the main opposition coalition, the Syrian National Council, analysts such as Joshua Landis say the group faces high hurdles.

“There are divisions between old and young, urban rich and rural poor, secularists and Islamists, the opposition inside and outside the country,” Landis, director of the Middle East studies program at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, said in an interview. “It’s not promising.”…

Syria Troops Fight Rebels Outside Damascus Before UN Meeting – 1/30/12
San Francisco Chronicle – by Massoud A. Derhally and Glen Carey, ©2012 Bloomberg News

…”The momentum has stalled, Russia is still there blocking the way for a condemnation that could lead to intervention and the international community is disorganized on this and nobody wants to lead the way,” said Joshua Landis, a Syria specialist who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

“Syria sees this disorganization and they’re cracking down with greater force now to try and quell the demonstrations,” Landis added. “The situation is leading to greater conflict, Syria is deeply divided and the international community’s cavalry is not going to ride in there.”…

Syria Troops Fight Rebels Near Damascus Before UN Security Council Meeting – 1/30/12
Bloomberg – By Massoud A. Derhally and Glen Carey

…“The momentum has stalled, Russia is still there blocking the way for a condemnation that could lead to intervention and the international community is disorganized on this and nobody wants to lead the way,” said Joshua Landis, a Syria specialist who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

“Syria sees this disorganization and they’re cracking down with greater force now to try and quell the demonstrations,” Landis added. “The situation is leading to greater conflict, Syria is deeply divided and the international community’s cavalry is not going to ride in there.”

Syria Uprising: Religion overshadowing the Democratic push – 1/30/12
DayPress

…”The need for tremendous sacrifice and to shame Sunni supporters of the regime to defect is moving the opposition toward a sectarian logic similar to what we have witnessed elsewhere in the region,” says Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and director of the Middle East Center at the University of Oklahoma.

Syria, Egypt, Libya and Middle East unrest – Friday 27 January
the guardian

…The Assad regime is likely to last well into 2013–if not longer–despite Syria’s rapidly deteriorating economic and security conditions, according to Syrian watcher Joshua Landis, director of the Centre for Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Writing for Bitter Lemons, Landis says Assad is doomed but only in the long run.

So long as the Syrian military leadership remains united, the opposition remains fragmented, and foreign powers remain on the sidelines, the Assad regime is likely to survive, but all three of these elements are changing, even if gradually, in the favor of the opposition. The predominant role of minorities in the governments of the region, which was universal at the end of the colonial period, is being brought to a violent conclusion…

Syria’s Assad regime is doomed, but the battle will be long and bloody – 1/26/12
Bitter Lemons – By Joshua Landis

The Syrian regime headed by Bashar Assad is doomed in the long run, but is likely to last longer than most believe. In December, the leader of Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood stated that President Assad would fall “in the next few months”, the US State Department proclaimed Assad to be a “dead man walking”, and Israel’s defense minister insisted that Assad would fall in a matter of weeks. This has turned out to be wishful thinking…

Arab League to Present Syria Plan to UN Security Council – 1/26/12
Voice of America – Edward Yeranian

…Joshua Landis, who teaches at the University of Oklahoma and edits the website “Syria Comment,” says that rebel soldiers calling themselves the “Free Syrian Army” are disorganized and unable to match the much stronger government forces:

“It’s a bunch of little militias that have popped up in different towns and are taking no central orders. They call themselves the Free Syrian Army, but they’re not coordinating their military efforts. If they were coordinating, they’d all rise up and fight the Syrian Army at once,” Landis said…

Arab monitor mission to Syria limps on amid rifts – 1/25/12
Reuters

…”The Saudis don’t want a precedent of military intervention for democracy promotion,” said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at Oklahoma University…

Assad’s inner circle – 1/23/12
ALJAZEERA – by Cajsa Wikstrom

…Joshua Landis, director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, says rumours of internal conflicts, mostly stemming from the Lebanese press and the opposition, originate in a “tremendous amount of wishful thinking that the Assad family will collapse on its own”…

Interview on NPR – 1/23/12
The Takeaway – John Hockenberry

Interview on BBC – 1/22/12

Interview on France 24 TV – 1/20/12

Syria’s protesters are on their own – 1/9/12
The Guardian – Brian Whitaker

“What we are witnessing … is not the clash of two titanic and centralised bodies: the state and the opposition. Instead, we are seeing the steady erosion of state authority and national institutions, as the opposition, which remains largely organised on a local basis, undermines central authority at many points.”

“È guerra civile Ci ritroveremo in un nuovo Iraq” – 12/14/11
LA STAMPA – By Maurizio Molinari

Bashar Assad ha deciso di battersi fino alla fine, scorrerà molto sangue e dopo di lui avremo una Siria lacerata dalle lotte interne»: ad affermarlo è l’arabista Jo- shua Landis, direttore del Cen- tro di studi mediorientali al- l’Università dell’Oklahoma e autore della newsletter «Syria Comment», considerata una delle più accurate fonti su quanto avviene a Damasco.
Assad contesta le stime Onu sulle vittime, afferma che sono morti più militari che civili e nell’intervista alla Abc ha negato respon- sabilità nella repressione. A che cosa punta?

Suicide Bombings Target Security Sites In Damascus, Dozens Dead – 12/23/11
Radio Free Europe

…Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said the day’s attacks do “play into the hands” of the Assad government.

“I think the Syrian government is probably guilty of trying to paint an Al-Qaeda picture of the opposition. It has been trying to accuse the opposition of being a bunch of Salafists and Al-Qaeda people from the beginning,” Landis said…

BBC World News – interview with Joshua Landis – 12/22/11

CBS News Radio – interview with Joshua Landis – 12/22/11

50 minute Radio interview with Lanids – 12/22/11
Focus, Illinois Public Radio – Host David Inge
Listen Here

Arab League Intervenes as Syrian Uprising on Verge of Civil War – 12/21/11
Between the Lines – Interview by Scott Harris
Listen Here

…Between the Lines’ Scott Harris spoke with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, who assesses the worsening violence in Syria and prospects for the Arab League intervention to prevent a civil war…

Assad: The Man Who Can Bring Down the Syrian Regime – 12/21/11
The Huffington Post – James Denselow

Meanwhile back in Syria the death toll is spiking at new levels with this week seeing hundreds being killed each day with reports that the regime is using sustained airpower for the first time. Syria expert Joshua Landis observed that “law and order are slowly collapsing in Syria, along with reliable supplies of basic goods and services. The opposition is becoming more capable, more numerous, and better armed; more Syrians are despairing of the Assad regime.”

Syria, Egypt and Middle East unrest – Wednesday 21 December – 12/21/11
Middle East Live, Blogging the Uprisings in the Middle East & North Africa – the guardian – Posted by
Matthew Weaver and Haroon Siddique

…10.48am: Syria watcher, Joshua Landis, accused by some of being too supportive of the Assad regime, claims the authority of the Syrian state is slowly crumbling.

In his latest blogpost he writes:

Law and order are slowly collapsing in Syria, along with reliable supplies of basic goods and services. The opposition is becoming more capable, more numerous, and better armed; more Syrians are despairing of the Assad regime and believe the president lives in a cocoon…

Arab League Intervenes as Syrian Uprising on Verge of Civil War – 12/21/11
Between the Lines – Scott Harris audio interview of Joshua Landis

Between the Lines’ Scott Harris spoke with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, who assesses the worsening violence in Syria and prospects for the Arab League intervention to prevent a civil war.

Syria unrest: a popular uprising or civil war? – 12/6/11
Los Angeles Times

…“What we’re seeing is growing sectarian killings in the region of Homs, and that is very troubling because it could be an indication of something more horrible to come,” said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “But to say it’s a civil war is a bit alarmist at this point.”

He termed it more of a “small-scale insurgency,” but one that could quickly grow…

The Regime – 11/8/11

Frontline - on PBS

‘Joshua Landis: “I don’t see light at the end of the tunnel.”‘

Part I

Watch The Regime on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

‘The director of the Center for Middle East Studies and an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, Joshua Landis writes an influential blog called Syria Comment. He warns there is a very high potential that Syria’s uprising “will turn into a very dark and tough ethnic sectarian fight, the way it did in Lebanon and Iraq.” Without Western military intervention, Landis says, the conflict could “could go on for a long time and ruin the lives of lots of Syrians.” This is the edited transcript of an interview conducted on Oct. 14, 2011.”

Part II

Watch The Regime on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

“Most people thought this regime would have crumbled and fallen by now. Everybody was saying that Ramadan’s going to do it, six months, this sort of thing. Now we’re in the seventh month, and the regime is confident.” – Landis

الخبير في الشؤون السورية جوشوا لانديس لـ «عكاظ»:

نظام الأسد يعيش عزلة عربية ومطحنة غربية – 11-1-2011

مقابلة مع جوشوا لانديس بقلم عبدالله الغضوي

أكد البروفسور الأمريكي جوشوا لانديس المتخصص في الشؤون السورية مدير مركز السلام في جامعة أوكلاهوما، أن سورية مقبلة على المزيد من التصعيد على المستوى الداخلي والخارجي. معتبرا أن المجلس الوطني السوري الذي يمثل المتظاهرين في الداخل ممزق ويعاني من بعض المشاكل الداخلية المتمثلة في إنتاج قيادات سياسية للمستقبل. وقال في تصريح لـ «عكاظ» إن نظام الرئيس الأسد بات معزولا عربيا ودوليا، ولم تبق إلا بعض الدول، مثل إيران ولبنان وبعض الأطراف في الحكومة العراقية

…وأشار إلى أن بعض الضغوطات الدولية على نظام الأسد تهدف إلى النيل من التوسع الإيراني في المنطقة، لافتا إلى الدعم الذي تتلقاه القيادة السورية في مواجهة الاحتجاجات

Thousands Protest in Support of Syrian Army Defectors – 10/14/2011
Voice of America – Edward Yeranian

…Syria expert Joshua Landis, who teaches at the University of Oklahoma, says Syrians may soon face additional hardship from growing international sanctions.

“The economy is going to face, obviously, deep hardship as [economic] sanctions begin to bite in November on energy. But sanctions are not the salvation for the Syrian opposition. Economic sanctions are a form of collective punishment. They will definitely help de-legitimize the government, but they’re going to weaken the people as well, because it’s the most vulnerable who get hit hardest by sanctions,” he said.

Landis says he expects the Syrian army is not likely to break up, as the opposition hopes, because Syria’s ruling elite belong to the minority Alawite sect, whose members form the backbone of the officer corps…

Assad’s Alawites: The guardians of the throne – 10/10/11
Aljazeera - Nir Rosen

…Joshua Landis, director of the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Middle East Studies, revealed that Alawites do not receive education about their own religion. Syrian school books on religion contain no mention of the word “Alawite”.

“Islamic education in Syrian schools is traditional, rigid, and Sunni,” he wrote. “The Ministry of Education makes no attempt to inculcate notions of tolerance or respect for religious traditions other than Sunni Islam.” Christianity, noted Landis, was an exception to this…

Enter the shabiha: Syrian regime’s civilian guards – 10/6/11
Business Recorder – by Agence France-Presse (AFP)

…”The regime was quite dexterous in the first months of this uprising,” said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma and author of the blog Syria Comment.

“The mindset in the regime has long been that you can only trust an Alawite … but these sorts of ‘reserve soldiers’ can come from anywhere,” Landis told AFP.

“The shabiha’s role is basically intimidation and restoring the fear that had held Syria together for the past 40 years, which seems to have broken with the Arab Spring.”…

Interview on NPR – “The Takeaway with John Hockenberry” – 10/5/11

Interview on BBC World News Radio – during 9/26-30/11

Interview on al-Jazeera English TV – during 9/26-30/11

Syrian Leader Digs In For A Long Battle – 9/29/11
NPR Morning Edition – by Deborah Amos

“The minority populations, 25 percent of Syria, and certainly the Alawites, 12 percent, are going to cling to this regime, and they are going to fight to the bitter end. And so it will have aspects of ethnic and religious war, as well as democracy-lovers against the tyrants.”

- Josh Landis, scholar and Syria blogger

More violence feared under Assad in Syria – 9/28/11
United Press International

…”The minority populations, 25 percent of Syria, and certainly the Alawites, 12 percent, are going to cling to this regime, and they are going to fight to the bitter end,” said Josh Landis, an influential blogger on Syria who also teaches at the University of Oklahoma. “And so it will have aspects of ethnic and religious war, as well as democracy-lovers against the tyrants.”

In Syria, Landis said, “It’s not a simple matter of the good people against the bad dictator, which is the way we’ve tried to paint all of these stories.”…

Uphill Battle for Syria’s Dissident Army – 9/27/11
World Politics Review – By Guy Taylor

…Reports this week honed in on a group of recently defected Syrian military soldiers and officers calling themselves the Free Syrian Army. While the group has created a presence online, according to Joshua Landis, the author of Syria Comment, a leading English-language blog on Syria, it now faces a true test in attempting to grow beyond that during the weeks ahead.

“The problem they face is that the Syrian army is very strong,” Landis, who also teaches Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, told Trend Lines on Tuesday. “Sure,” he said, “there have been a number of defections of Sunni recruits and a number of officers up to the rank of colonel, but they face an extraordinarily difficult job of fielding a credible army because they have had to flee the country.”…

Pro-Assad ‘Army’ Wages Cyberwar In Syria – 9/27/11
NPR – by Deborah Amos
Listen Here – Landis Starts @ 2:30

…Josh Landis, an American academic who writes an influential blog on Syria, says that Iran has helped Syria “immensely” with these efforts.

He says that when the protests began, the government’s response was to try to close the country to outside information, to control the message inside Syria, banning almost all international media. The Iranians, says Landis, counseled Syria to mount a more sophisticated international response.

“You’ve got to train up a cadre of young, hep Syrians who can get on all these social media, and that’s what they’ve tried to do,” he says.

When asked whether an attack on, say, Winfrey’s site is effective or simply a nuisance, Landis characterizes it as “all 10 thumbs.”…

U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford: Syrian Protesters Struggling To Keep Opposition Peaceful – 9/21/11
The Huffington Post – By Joshua Hersh

…”The Alawis and Baathists aren’t going to give up,” said Joshua Landis, a professor at the University of Oklahoma and an expert on the Syrian government. “It is hard to imagine how they will collapse, as some suggest. More and more people are coming to the conclusion that if the regime is to be brought down, it will be a violent end.”…

“Bloggingheads: Will Assad go Peacefully? (Or at all?)” – 9/8/2011
Foreign Policy – Debate between Ausama Monajed & Joshua Landis

Syrian forces hit Hama after city’s legal chief resigns in protest – 9/2/11
The Irish Times – Michael Jansen

…In his authoritative blog, Syria Comment, Joshua Landis admitted that it was “hard to know what is true” in these video clips…

Syrian forces raid houses of anti-regime activists – 9/1/2011
The Irish Times – Michael Jansen

…According to Joshua Landis of the authoritative Syria Comment blog, opposition figures are also disputing whether the revolt should take up arms or accept help from foreign powers. Muslim Brothers want Islam to be seen as the mainspring of the revolt, while Kurds are demanding recognition of their national and cultural rights. Activists in Syria remain suspicious of western powers, but some exiles seek intervention…

Is Syria Next? – 8/30/2011
wbur’s here&NOW, National Public Radio – Hosted by Robin Young
Listen Here

Syria crackdown: foreign nations put pressure on Assad
8/30/2011
France 24 TV – presented by François Picard
Watch Here

Interview on Radio France Internationale during 6H30 GMT program
8/29/2011

Washington’s battle over Syria – 8/24/2011
CNN – By Joshua Landis

Two distinct camps are forming to battle over Syria policy in Washington. The first is made up of the neoconservatives, who are busy fitting the Arab Spring into U.S. strategic interests as they see them. John Bolton, Michael Doran, and Elliott Abrams have been leading the charge in articulating this argument.

The second group are the “realists,” with a liberal coating. Anthony Cordesman of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies has articulated a “don’t get involved” argument…

1978 Song Rights Changing, Startups For Social Good, And Is Syria Next?
08/23/2011
KUOW – Hosted By Ross Reynolds
Listen Here

“World Service” on BBC – 8/19/2011
Interview of Joshua Landis

“The Takeaway” on National Public Radio – 8/19/2011
Interview of Joshua Landis

5 Key Things to Know About Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
8/18/2011
ABC News – By Ben Forer

…Upon his return to Syria, he was put in charge of Lebanon policy, according to Joshua Landis, director of the Center of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

“The idea was that anybody who could learn to rule this unruly place of Lebanon … could deal with Syria,” said Landis…

Will U.S. sanctions really hurt al-Assad? – 8/18/2011
CNN – By Jill Dougherty

…But sanctions can run into problems, said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies and associate professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

“We’ve seen in places like Sudan where America has placed sanctions and China has come in and picked up the slack.”

“China is desperately in need of energy,” Landis told CNN, and it sees Western sanctions as an anti-China policy because the measures drive up oil prices.

Landis also questioned whether sanctions could end up hurting the Syrian people. He outlined a possible scenario in which subsidies are slashed to keep the Syrian poor fed. People will begin to starve, creating outflows of refugees, he said.

“The idea is that will undermine the regime and it will collapse,” he said, but if it doesn’t happen “we’ll be on the slippery slope toward military intervention.”…

Analysis – Iraq juggles interests over Syria crisis – 8/18/2011
Reuters – By Patrick Markey

“…Although Iraq’s leadership is not united on its Syria policy or its pro-Iranian outlook, Prime Minister Maliki has fallen into line with Iran’s desire to help bolster the Assad regime,” Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Oklahoma University…

Clinton calls for wider boycott of Syria’s oil – 8/13/2011
The Independent – By Khalid Ali

…Joshua Landis, who runs the Syria Comment news website, said the White House policy on Syria revolved around trying to “herd cats”, roping as many unwilling countries as possible into taking action. He said: “They don’t want to get in front on this. They are trying to get the Europeans and regional powers to make orchestrated statements to say: ‘It’s over.’”…

No Horse to Back in Syria – 8/11/2011
Epoch Times – By Aron Lamm

…“The Syrian opposition is a black box,” said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies and associate professor at the University of Oklahoma.

He says that no one really knows what the Syrian opposition looks like, due to the severe repression of the last 40 years. Landis identified the fragmented nature of the Syrian nation, which is made up of many different religions, denominations, and ethnicities, as a key factor as to why such a relatively small group as the al-Assad family, who belong to the minority Alawite sect, has been able to rule the country for decades…

Syria defies pressure from neighbour as death toll rises – 8/10/2011
The Independent – By Khalid Ali

…Joshua Landis, who runs the Syria Comment news website, said that by targeting oil exports – which account for around 50 per cent of government revenues – Europe’s leaders could bring down the regime. One third of Syrian oil is heavy crude which can only be refined in Europe, he said. “They could take the decision not to accept Syrian crude in their refineries, as Russian and China don’t have the capacity for it.”

Mr Landis added that the Gulf countries could heap further pressure on Syria by targeting the regime’s business portfolios in the region. “If Dubai said ‘we’re going to take away your criminal enterprises’ then that would hammer the regime,” he explained…

As the World Protests, Syria’s Isolated Regime Sticks to Its Guns
8/10/2011
TIME – Posted by Ishaan Tharoor

[Joshua Landis says,] …A growing chorus of policy experts in Washington are calling for the United States to get serious about Syria. They want Washington to take charge of regime change, hastening the downfall of the Assad government. This is bad advice. The U.S. should not try to hit the fast-forward button on the process of revolutionary change overtaking Syria. It will end in tears, and Syria will end up a mess…

Syrians must win the revolution on their own – 8/9/2011
Foreign Policy – By Joshua Landis

A growing chorus of policy experts in Washington are calling for the United States to get serious about Syria. They want Washington to take charge of regime change, hastening the downfall of the Assad government. This is bad advice. The U.S. should not try to hit the fast-forward button on the process of revolutionary change overtaking Syria. It will end in tears, and Syria will end up a mess. The three greatest national leaders of the Middle East — Ataturk, Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, and David Ben-Gurion — emerged as successful leaders because they won their struggle on the battlefield and did so alone, without the help of an imperial power. Building national unity is a long a painful process. It cannot be given as a gift. Syrians must win their own revolution…

Despite outcry over Syria crackdown, few call for Assad to go – 8/9/2011
Kansas City Star – By Hannah Allam

…Joshua Landis, the director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma, argued in a column Tuesday on the website of Foreign Policy magazine, that outsiders must remain patient while the fractured Syrian opposition works through its divisions, identifies leaders and becomes capable of challenging the Assad regime.

Rushing the process invites the same result as happened in Iraq — tens of thousands of dead and a country wracked by violent sectarian conflict for years.

“By helping to ‘fast forward’ the Syrian revolution,” Landis wrote, “the U.S. could be creating a Frankenstein. If the opposition doesn’t have time to produce a leadership that emerges organically out of struggle, Syria may never unite. The U.S. may cause more destruction and death, not less. To be truly successful, the opposition must come together under one set of leaders who win the confidence of the people by their intelligence, canniness, and most importantly, by their success.”

“Syria’s fortress city of Hama historic heart of revolution”
8/6/2011
National Post – By Peter Goodspeed

…”The government felt it could not risk leaving the city
outside of government control,” said Joshua Landis, director of
the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of
Oklahoma.
“It could become the birthplace of a real ‘Free Syrian
Army’ – a sort of Benghazi [capital of Libya's rebel movement]
or it could become the incubator of an opposition Syrian
government.”…

Syrian opposition admits armed insurgents are operating on fringe of uprising against Assad regime – 8/6/11
The Telegraph – Adrian Blomfield

According to Joshua Landis, a prominent Syria analyst whose wife’s cousin was among the dead, the soldiers were killed after a carefully planned ambush by unknown gunmen on two of their lorries. Video footage that has emerged appears to bear this out.

U.S. Moves Closer to Call for Regime Change – 8/4/2011
Inter Press Service – By Jim Lobe

…”It sounds like Iraq redux,” said one Syria expert, Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma, who noted the scheme’s similarities to the economic sanctions imposed against Iraq and failed schemes by Ahmad Chalabi and his neo-conservative backers here to spark mass defections in the Iraqi Army in the decade before the U.S. invasion.

“The trouble is, the West has convinced itself the regime is on its last legs, and we don’t really know that,” Landis told IPS. “The regime is tough; it hasn’t ruled Syria for 40 years just to be blown away by peaceful demonstrations. And, while there have been defections at lower levels, there’s nothing so far that presents a real threat. This is going to be a long and brutal struggle.”

“And for America to step in the middle of this and believe it can short-circuit the process and organise and take control of the Syrian opposition, and pick the winners is the height of presumption,” he said. “We’ve been there in Iraq and Afghanistan.”…

“Syrian In California Takes Heat For Ties To Regime” – 8/2/2011
National Public Radio - “Morning Edition” – Interview of Landis by Amy Walters

Syrian Army Presses Assault on Hama as 140 Deaths Spark Wave of Protests – 8/1/11
Bloomberg – By Massoud A. Derhally

…The government “has been very frightened by Ramadan’s onset,” Joshua Landis, a Syria specialist who directs the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, said in a telephone interview. “The unfolding crackdown is going to fuel people’s anger.”…

Clinton calls Assad to account after mob attacks embassies – 12 July 2011
The Independent – By Khalid Ali

…Joshua Landis, an expert on the Baathist regime and editor of the Syria Comment news website, said the US and Syria were now locked in a “tit-for-tat situation”. He said: “The ambassadors clearly made a big statement with the trip to Hama which angered the Syrians. The Syrians are making a big statement back.”…

Сирийский гамбит Москвы – 28 июня 2011
VOANews.com – Алекс Григорьев

…Джошуа Лэндис (Joshua Landis), директор Центра ближневосточных исследований в Университете Оклахомы (Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma), поясняет: «Сирийская оппозиция фрагментирована. Многие из ее зарубежных лидеров весьма критически отнеслись к собранию в “Семирамиде”. Это подчеркивает растущий раскол между теми оппозиционерами, которые находятся в Сирии и за ее пределами»…

Syrian Opposition Demands Harden – 23 Jun 11
Institute for War & Peace Reporting – by Zoe Holman

“…There is not a person left in Washington who believes in the possibility of amnesty for Assad,” said Joshua Landis, director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, “but the Obama administration is in a very difficult position.

“The price of regime-change in Syria will be huge. There are very real fears about the possibility of a civil war, and committing to a situation like Iraq or Libya where we’ve already expended trillions of dollars…”

Interview: Dr. Joshua Landis – Syria’s uprising and the future of the Syrian state – June 22, 2011

Near East Quarterly

…There is clearly a lot of weekly planning but the larger strategy was to pray that the military would peel off from the government and turn on President Assad. That has not happened. Recently we saw an expression of that because all the activists were supposed to replace their Facebook profiles with a picture of Yusuf Asmeh who was a great hero of Syria’s resistance against France’s occupation of Syria in 1920. The opposition continues to try to convince the military to turn against the regime and to join the rebellion. So where do you go from here? That is the question…

Syrian president calls for national dialogue “in face of conspiracy” – June 20, 2011
RT

…If Europe introduces serious economic sanctions on Syria, the next step might be military intervention, believes Joshua Landis, a director with the Center for Middle East Studies…

Só ação militar estrangeira derruba Assad, diz analista – 20/06/2011
Folha – by Marcelo Ninio

…Embora os protestos contra o regime sírio continuem crescendo a cada semana, a realidade é que o país está rachado ao meio, diz Joshua Landis, diretor do Centro de Oriente Médio da Universidade de Oklahoma (EUA).

Referência em estudos e coleta de dados sobre a Síria, Landis diz que o ditador Bashar Assad segue firme no poder graças à lealdade do Exército. Em entrevista à Folha, ele previu que só uma ação militar estrangeira poderá derrubar o regime sírio…

“Das Regime könnte viel länger durchhalten, als viele von uns glauben” – 19. Juni 2011
NZZ am Sonntag – von Christoph Plate

…NZZ am Sonntag: Was geht in den Köpfen in Syriens Regime vor?
Joshua Landis: Die sind sehr ner- vös. Rami Mahluf, der Cousin des Prä- sidenten und reichste Mann des Lan- des, hat erklärt, auf seine riesigen Ge- winne aus der Telefonfirma Syria-Tel und anderen Firmen zu verzichten. Das ist ein Wendepunkt. Der mag teil- weise auf den Druck der Türkei zu- rückzuführen sein…

“Gezocht: deserteurs” – 18 Juni 2011
Buitenland – Robbert de Witt

…Beide mogelijkheden duiden op een escalerende opstand, be- aamt de Amerikaanse Syrië-ken- ner Joshua Landis, verbonden aan de Universiteit van Okla- homa. ‘Het is weer een stap dich- ter bij een burgeroorlog.’…

Cracking the Syrian Regime (Joshua Landis & Ausama Monajed)

- June 18, 2011

Syrian tycoon’s fall from grace may herald new pledges of reform - June 17, 2011
CNN - by Tim Lister

…But Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, says there is little clarity about what Makhlouf is actually surrendering, and he suspects negotiations are continuing with the government.
So opaque is the ownership structure of Syriatel that it’s difficult to know how much Makhlouf’s gesture will be worth. The company is not even listed on the Damascus Stock Exchange. He also controls an array of other companies, some based in tax havens abroad.
Landis believes Turkey is likely pressurizing the Syrian regime to reform, and fast. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has built himself a role as regional leader and met a Syrian envoy earlier this week.
“Turkey can act as a shield for Syria against sanctions and other intervention,” Landis says, “but it’s demanding deep reform.”…

“Syrian military deploy for Friday protests” – 16 June 2011
Financial Times – by Abigail Fielding-Smith

…”The north-east has always been a scary place for the regime,” said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma. “It was the last area of Syria to really come under central rule.”…

Syria’s Assad Family Instills Legacy Of Fear – June 16, 2011
National Public Radio – interview with Joshua Landis by Renee Montagne
Listen Here

Syrian president’s envoy in talks with Turkish PM – June 16, 2011
The Irish Times – by Michael Jansen

…Anti-regime activists argue that 48 civilians and 60 police, including 20 deserters, died in fighting with troops. Neither claims have been verified by independent observers but Joshua Landis, writing on the authoritative Syria Comment blog, said the stories put forward by “both sides seem to have been filled with falsehoods and exaggeration.”

In spite of televised interviews with deserters, he observed there “is little evidence of wide-scale mutiny of Syrian soldiers” and “no solid evidence that they shot at each other”.

Prof Landis said the number of security personnel fatalities was lower than claimed by the authorities which, in his view, are seeking to justify the harsh crackdown in the northeastern Idlib province which is, for both Syrians and Turks, a highly sensitive area…

Joshua Landis discusses Syria with Al Jazeera – June 15, 2011
Al Jazeera

A new Hama on the Turkish border – June 15, 2011
Asia Times – by Victor Kotsev

…A prominent expert on Syria, Joshua Landis, in turn challenges the narrative of large-scale army defections.
“There is little evidence of wide-scale mutiny of Syrian soldiers. No solid evidence that they shot at each other, and some evidence that the young men of Jisr set a trap for Syrian soldiers with simple weapons and dynamite. Individual soldiers do seem to have deserted. Some turned up in Turkey. They seem to have been instructed to exaggerate the defections and to follow a common narrative of soldiers shooting each other in a large conflagration at Jisr. This story is hard to verify, making it seem dubious.”…

Deeply sectarian; Joshua Landis on the Syrian regime - Jun 14th 2011
The Economist

Syria, Libya and Middle East unrest – 14 June 2011
The Guardian

…Joshua Landis, director of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, agrees that reports of a widespread mutiny have been exaggerated. But Landis, who is more sympathetic to the regime than most Syria-watchers, doesn’t buy the government’s version of events either.

“The Syrian army has exaggerated the number of its dead in order to justify ever harsher repression of the inhabitants of Jisr and Idlib province. The government is thrashing about in a failed effort to stop the demonstrations from spreading.”…

Syrian Elite and Army Continue Support for Assad – June 14 2011
The Real News Network – Video Interview with Joshua Landis conducted by Paul Jay

Syriens Cyber-Partisan – 13.06.2011
Der Taz – Von Gabriela M. Keller

…”Es ist ein Kampf um die Köpfe und die Herzen der Menschen, und das Regime hat ihn mit fliegenden Fahnen verloren”, sagt Joshua Landis, Professor für Nahoststudien an der Universität Oklahoma und führender Syrienexperte. “Deswegen ist die Onlinebewegung von extremer Bedeutung für die Proteste.” Vor allem jetzt, da der Westen über neue Sanktionen verhandelt, entfalte der Einfluss der Cyberaktivisten sein volles Potenzial, meint Landis: “Diese Leute stellen die Informationen bereit und formen damit die Botschaft, die derzeit aus Syrien kommt.”…

Syria regime condemned by William Hague and Hillary Clinton – June 13, 2011

The Guardian – by Simon Tisdall

Joshua Landis, a leading Syria expert, said Damascus was pouring troops and armour into northern provinces such as Idlib, where Jisr al-Shughour is located, to ensure it retained territorial control. “Idlib province, which is only 45 minutes from [Syria's second city] Aleppo, is the eye of the hurricane,” Landis wrote on his Syria Comment blog.

Syria’s hostile border area Assad’s biggest threat - June 12, 2011
The San Francisco Chronicle – by Zeina Karam, Associated Press

…”Damascus will do everything it can to preclude the formation of a Benghazi, which would allow foreign intelligence agencies and governments to begin arming and training a rebel army, as happened in Libya,” Joshua Landis, director of the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Middle East Studies, wrote in his influential blog, Syria Comment. Benghazi is the de facto rebel capital in Libya…

Turkey condemns violence as Assad’s helicopters open fire – June 10, 2011
The Telegraph – by Piotr Zalewski in Antakya and Richard Spencer

…Joshua Landis, a well-connected Syria analyst at the University of Oklahoma, said the new development had “ended” the Iran, Syria and Turkey relationship.
“Erdogan is letting Syria know it doesn’t have a lot of time,” Professor Landis said…

ANALYSIS-Civil war fears grow in Syria – June 10, 2011
AlertNet (Reuters) – Editing by Alastair Macdonald

…”The country is sliding towards civil war. It is a step towards civil war,” said Syria expert Joshua Landis, associate professor of Middle East studies at Oklahoma University…”It’s got a history of anti-government agitations,” Landis said. “The Islamic currents are very strong there.”…

Syria’s deadly campaign gains momentum – June 10, 2011
thestar.com – by Olivia Ward

“It’s extremely difficult for western leaders to get their minds around regime change in Syria,” said Joshua Landis, a Middle East expert at University of Oklahoma. “It’s just too big an idea. They would have to make decisions, and none of them are good.”

Is Syria on verge of civil war? – June 10, 2011
ynetnews.com – by Reuters & AP

…”The country is sliding toward civil war.” said Syria expert Joshua Landis, associate professor of Middle East studies at Oklahoma University, while addressing recent developments and growing violence in Israel’s northern neighbor…

UN silent in protecting Syrians from government – June 9, 2011
National Post – by Peter Goodspeed

…“Intervention will only raise the body count,” Mr. Landis warned. “There is no leadership to the opposition so, if things fall apart, there won’t be any order. If you intervene, you’ll most likely get chaos and civil war…

Hama massacre reignites Syria – June 9, 2011
Asia Times – by Victor Kotsev

…According to Joshua Landis:
The economic situation continues to deteriorate in Syria. Almost all hotels in Aleppo are closed, according to one informant. The government is not allowing the owners to officially close them before proving that they are in financial distress. But that is surely a technicality that can only delay the firing of hundreds of hotel employees. Owners can simply not afford to keep them on without paying guests … Public Sector banks are asking people to pay the principle payments of their loans. People are not paying at all. It would seem that people are testing the government systems…

Assad Brother Plays Big Role in Syria - June 8, 2011
Ya Libnan – by Katherine Zoepf and Anthony Shadid

…According to several Syrians who know Maher al-Assad, he is highly intelligent, well organized, and cruel — and he has tried to make over Syria’s army and intelligence services in his own image. According to Joshua Landis, an historian of Syria who teaches at the University of Oklahoma, the Assad brothers were carefully groomed by their father for their respective roles: Bashar, the dignified leader, and Maher, the enforcer.

Hafez al-Assad had relied heavily on his own family to consolidate power, Mr. Landis said. “It takes a village to rule Syria — that was Hafez’s great discovery,” he said.

“It’s a family business, and there’s a division of labor,” Mr. Landis said. “And Maher is the kneecapper. That’s his role, and he’s played it well.”…

In Syria, death of tourism most visible sign of major economic damage
June 8, 2011
The Washington Post

…Joshua Landis, an associate professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oklahoma, said it is “hard to imagine that serious economic difficulties will not appear — cracks in the foundations of this very poor state.”…

Syrians Flee to Turkey, Telling of Gunmen Attacking Protesters – June 8, 2011
The New York Times

Joshua Landis, a scholar of Syria and the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said the government’s version of events was possible. All Syrian men, he said, must perform military service, and even those who were no longer in the reserves might still have their old uniforms.

Turkey playing expanded role in Mideast – June 6, 2011
The Edmond Sun – by William F. O’Brien

…OU Professor Joshua Landis, who is an authority on the Middle East and attended a Turkish University for a time, believes that many in the Arab world are now looking to Turkey as a model of a moderate Islamist democracy that has improved the standard of living for its citizenry. Iran is also seeking to expand its role in the Middle East, and Landis believes that Turkey embodies an alternative to the radical Islamic fundamentalism that is offered by the ruling mullahs in Tehran…

Arab Spring Update – June 6, 2011
National Public Radio – KQED – Forum with Michael Kransy

Listen Here [8:29 - 51:59]

Unrest continues across the Middle East, with fears of a civil war escalating in Yemen and repercussions from the brutal killing of 13-year-old Hamza al-Khatib continuing to rock Syria. As the death toll continues to climb, what are the political and social consequences for Arab regimes, and how do these protests affect U.S.-Arab relations?

Rifts Appear as Syrian Opposition Struggles to Maintain Momentum
June 3, 2011
truthout – by: Samer Araabi, Inter Press Service

…Joshua Landis, an expert on Syria and the proprietor of the blog Syria Comment, claims that “the opposition is divided over the proper role foreign governments should play in bringing down the Syrian regime. Many Syrians abroad believe that only foreign action – primarily sanctions as presently articulated – will destroy the Syrian government” while others favour an internal domestic solution instead…

Survival trumps all for Assad – June 3, 2011
Asia Times - by Victor Kotsev

…The protest movement arguably has some potential, but how much exactly is uncertain. According to early accounts from the conference, “logistics were very poor”, even though the delegates managed to unite behind the agenda of toppling Assad. “While one can accuse the attendees of being politically immature, it would be a huge mistake to underestimate them,” writes Syria expert Joshua Landis, citing a source…

New Syria protest center sees unrelenting attacks - June 2, 2011
chron: The Associated Press – by Zeina Karam

…But the call issued by participants consisting mostly of Syrian exiles is unlikely to resonate soon beyond the conference. It also highlighted internal divisions that have long been exploited by the government: Several prominent figures stayed away following disputes about the agenda and timing.
“This is about trying to fix up the opposition for the outside world,” said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma…

Syrian Update – June 2, 2011
WNYC – The Brian Lehrer Show

Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies, Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma, and author of the Syria Comment newsletter, discusses the latest news from Syria, a meeting in Turkey of the opposition groups, and the Syrian government’s response.

Background Briefing with Ian Masters – June 1, 2011
Pacifica Radio Los Angeles – KPFK
Listen Here [18:29 - 38:19]

Opposition Tries To Define Syria’s Political Future - June 1, 2011
National Public Radio – Morning Edition – by Deb Amos
Listen Here [3 min 58 sec]

Iran Sees Threat to Its Clout Amid Arab Spring – 5-31-2011
Christian Science Monitor - by Scott Peterson

…”Having weathered a social-networking revolution of its own, the Iranians have developed techniques and insights into combating Facebook-assisted uprisings,” says Joshua Landis, director of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma and author of the influential Syria Comment blog. “The clearest sign of Iranian assistance is Syria’s development of cadres of pro-regime youth who can spread regime friendly voices on the Internet, [on] websites, and blogs.” Some Iranian newspapers have raised questions about Tehran’s “failure” to take advantage of the Arab Spring. …

Syrian Leader Bids for Calm With Amnesty - May 31, 2011
New York Times - by Katherine Zoepf and Liam Stack

…. Joshua M. Landis, a professor of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, said the amnesty was a gesture of appeasement by a government unlikely to be capable of changing quickly enough to satisfy its citizens. “Almost everyone believes reform is impossible,” Dr. Landis said. “But what they can do is let people out of the prisons. It’s an immediate concession that has an immediate effect on the opposition, but it’s not a structural change at all.”…

Syrian President Issues Amnesty - 5/31/11
New York – Daily Intel – by Julie Gerstein

…University of Oklahoma Middle Eastern studies professor Joshua M. Landis believes the amnesty is a desperate attempt to mollify an angry public in an untenable situation. “Almost everyone believes reform is impossible,” said Landis. “But what they can do is let people out of the prisons. It’s an immediate concession that has an immediate effect on the opposition, but it’s not a structural change at all.”…

Syria: Close to Civil War as Violent Protests Continue – May 30, 2011
WNYC - The Take-Away
Listen Here – [3:56]

Security forces in Syrian tanks opened fire on civilians and killed at least 9 people Sunday, fueling speculation that the country is engaging in even more brazen efforts to quell the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad. Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, analyzes the events in Syria. “This revolt has settled into a stalemate,” says Landis, while the government maintains the upperhand as it continues to shoot at protesters.

Avec la poursuite de la révolte, l’armée syrienne risque l’effondrement -30/05/2011
L’Orient-Le Jour, Par Rania Massoud |

« L’opposition a enfin compris qu’elle ne peut pas gagner son bras de fer avec le régime tant qu’elle n’a pas réussi à convaincre les militaires de changer de camp », souligne Joshua Landis, professeur à l’Université d’Oklahoma et spécialiste de la Syrie.
Mais plusieurs conditions doivent encore être réunies pour que les militaires acceptent de lâcher Bachar el-Assad. « Dans l’état actuel des choses, tout soldat qui fait défection en Syrie risque d’être condamné à mort, indique M. Landis. Il faut donc, premièrement, que l’opposition parvienne à prendre le contrôle d’une partie du territoire syrien, comme ce fut le cas pour les rebelles libyens à Benghazi. Dans ce cas-là, les soldats seraient encouragés à déserter pour rejoindre la zone “libérée”. » Selon lui, il faut appréhender le siège de Deraa à travers cette grille de lecture. Le régime était déterminé à empêcher Deraa de devenir la Benghazi syrienne et donc à empêcher les rebelles de s’emparer totalement de la ville d’où est née la contestation.
« Le deuxième facteur qui pourrait changer la donne en Syrie, poursuit M. Landis, est l’effondrement de l’économie nationale. Le gouvernement ne peut pas survivre éternellement dans une situation de révolte parce qu’il perd énormément d’argent, sans investissements étrangers et sans tourisme. Il arrivera un moment où le gouvernement ne pourra plus payer ses fonctionnaires, et c’est à ce moment-là qu’on pourrait s’attendre à un grand nombre de défections…… »

叙利亚 :僵局中的变量 - 2011年5月30号
三联生活周刊 - 记者◎俞力莎

美国俄克拉荷马大学中东研究中心主任约书亚·兰蒂斯(Joshua
Landis)教授告诉本刊记者 :“叙反对派将于5月30日至6月2日在土耳其举行会议, 法国学界的领军人物博汉·加里翁已经对此大加批判,认为会议将被那些客居国外的叙利亚反对派组织操控,而他们并没有聆听国内的呼声。”

Daily News Brief – 29 May 2011
Syria Today

Hundreds of Syrians look set to lose their jobs as the EU decided to cut all bilateral aid to Syria, Josh Landis writes on his influential blog Syria Comment. “The object,” Landis wrote, “seems to be to bring Syrian economy to a standstill in the hope of bringing down the government.”…..

American sanctions against Syria 25.05.2011

Raikhlina Sasha	25.05.2011, 14:01
	Interview with Joshua Landis, Director of the Centre for Middle East Studies and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Reports mention financial sanctions, and, as far as I understand, these would come in the form of asset freezes and travel bans on the government figures, am I correct? Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Why is Washington and Brussels are trying to increase pressure on Damascus, and against Russia?
AP – Alex Grigor’ev, Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said that sanctions the EU and U.S. can not seriously weaken the regime. “In recent decades, Syria has turned towards the East. If you look at economic statistics, the past, Europe was a major trading partner of Damascus, and now it accounts for less than 50 per cent of turnover. Syria has established stronger trading ties with China, Russia, India and Turkey in an attempt to develop a real alternative,”- emphasizes Landis…..

Questions Over Syria: ‘Who’s Leading Revolution… Are We Going To Have Stability?’ – Tuesday, May 24, 2011
National Public Radio – “Here and Now” hosted by Robin Young

A leader of Syria’s online opposition says the government is going to have a hard time quelling the pro-democracy protests there, while onlookers question what’s next for the country.

London-based activist Ausama Monajed, is leading Syria’s online opposition and says that the Syrian government won’t be able to stop change simply by shutting down telephone lines or by closely monitoring Internet-based protest, as they have for years.

But Syria expert Josh Landis of the University of Oklahoma, describes deep divisions in Syria, where many residents are fearful of change. Landis said, “You know the anxiety for many Assyrians is…. who is leading this revolution, what do they want, who’s going to take over, are we going to have stability?” We look at what’s next for Syria with Landis and Monajed.

Getting Real About Funding Mideast Reform May 21, 2011
National Public Radio – All Things Considered -GUY RAZ, host:

Professor JOSHUA LANDIS (Director, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma): This struck me how different this was from 2009. 2009, he came out and said: Democracy promotion Bush had stressed so much is not going to be the number-one item.

In this speech, he reversed that. He came out and said: Democracy is number one for America. We’re going to support the people against the tyrants. And he said this Arab Spring has changed everything.

RAZ: He said that, Joshua Landis, it is the policy of the United States to support reform in this region. Is – was that – I mean, that didn’t sound like it was a new policy.

Prof. LANDIS: Well, he’s always maintained it, but he hasn’t pushed it. He was trying to withdraw America from the Middle East and get out of Afghanistan and Iraq. And this, in many ways – I mean, this is the second thing that struck me, is that this is the beginning, in some ways, of a slippery slope. Clearly, the United States is thinking about a post-Assad Syria. They can deal with a post-Assad Syria.

RAZ: The president said that President Assad in Syria has a choice now. He can either lead a transition to reform and presumably democracy, or get out of the way.

Prof. LANDIS: Or get out of the way. The get-out-of-the-way is going to be the operative phrase, here. And every Republican is going to remind President Obama of this, every day. Assad is not a reformer. He’s not going to bring democracy. He’s not going to leave power. And that’s doing to corner America.

RAZ: How important, though, are those words? How meaningful are they to people in the region?

Prof. LANDIS: They’re very important. Americans don’t appreciate the extent to which Syria – the average Syrian believes that somehow, the United States has helped Basil Assad and Bashar al-Assad into power, sanctions them. And that’s why bin Laden believed that al-Qaida had to attack America, the far enemy, because America was the puppet master pulling the strings of all these Arab dictators.

The Arab Spring has reversed that logic and shown that people can lead in overthrowing their own governments, and that the United States is willing to follow them.

RAZ: Overall, this is billed as a major address by the president on the Middle East. Reading between the lines, you can see the argument that’s made by the White House. But it seemed, as he was giving it, to be a pretty measured speech. Do you think it was as significant as the White House suggested?

Prof. LANDIS: It’s important for Obama in the campaign. Is it that important for the United States in the Middle East? This was high on atmospherics, low on specifics. This is not going to change the Middle East. The basic structures of American foreign policy are there. They’re not going to change.

RAZ: That’s Joshua Landis. He’s the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He spoke to me from member station KGOU in Norman, Oklahoma.

Joshua Landis, thank you. Prof. LANDIS: Well, it’s been my pleasure.

Religious and Class Divisions Stoke Popular Uprising in Syria May 16, 2011 (25:30)
Interview with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, conducted by Scott Harris

The popular uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa which succeeded in ousting the governments in Tunisia and Egypt have for the past two months also unexpectedly taken hold in Syria. Although western journalists have not been permitted into Syria to report on police attacks on demonstrations, more than 850 civilians are estimated to have been killed, with at least 8,000 arrested. …

Deadlocks and Violence 12 May 2011
NPR By The Brian Lerner Show, WNYC

The Syrian military’s crackdown on protestors has left thousands in detention and hundreds dead. Anthony Shadid of The New York Times and Joshua Landis of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma report on the violence. Plus: Democrats in the Senate are seeking to reframe the debt debate by proposing an end to tax cuts for the largest oil companies; the details on the insider trading conviction of Raj Rajaratnam, hedge fund boss; and Jill Lepore, staff writer at The New Yorker, on how past events have influenced the present political and social climate in the U.S.

Impact on Arab uprising 2 May 2011
By PRI’s The World

Listen Here
Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma talks to anchor Lisa Mullins about the impact Bin Laden’s death may have on what some are calling the “Arab Spring.”

Protesters Want Changes To Syria’s Power Structure 27 April 2011
NPR – Morning Edition