Lives of Syrian Civilians Ravaged as both Sides Continue Relentless Attacks

At least 33 people are dead as a result of attacks by both the Syrian government and the rebels in Damascus on Tuesday. Targeting a rebel held suburb northeast of Damascus, the Syrian government conducted airstrikes killing 24 people. In retaliation, the Syrian rebels fired rockets into the heart of Damascus, targeting a popular evening garden, killing at least nine.

Continuing their offensive push, Syrian rebels have moved against government forces in the Quneitra province, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Southern Front spokesman Isaam al-Rayes stated that these activities are the start of the operation to “liberate remaining regime targets in Quneitra”.

Unity Government of Palestine to be dissolved over Insecurity in Gaza

President Mahmoud Abbas has stated that the Palestinian Authority’s unity government will resign over the contentions in Gaza. On Wednesday night, President Abbas told members of the Fatah’s Revolutionary Council that the unity government would have to be dissolved in no more than 24 hours “because Hamas didn’t let it work in Gaza”. Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri of Hamas rejects any unilateral dissolution of the government and stated that “Fatah acted on its own in all regards” to the decision.

Headlines

-The Islamic State killed five policemen near the Baiji refinery in northern Iraq during an operation aimed to ease pressure on its fighters.

–Suleyman Demirel, who served as Turkey’s former prime minister seven times, died in Ankara on Wednesday.

-Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam launches a series of meetings with top officials by meeting with Egyptian President al-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday.

-The husbands of the three Dawood sisters, who are suspected to have joined the Islamic State, made an emotional appeal for their return home from Syria, with their nine children.

-Ambassador Samantha Power stated that the decision to roll back sanctions on Iran would be a unilateral decision.

Arguments and Analysis

“Kurds will be the Agent of Change in Turkish Politics” (Omer Taspinar, Markaz, the Brookings Institute)

“Turkish nationalism needs to reconcile itself to the fact that the Kurdish genie is out of the bottle. The good old days of assimilating the Kurds are over. The Kurds want autonomy. They will probably get it, hopefully in a bloodless way.”

“Old Political Habits in Tunisia” (Fadil Aliriza, Sada Journal, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

“While Tunisia achieved a relatively peaceful transition through free and fair elections form an Islamist government to one led by old-regime figures, for which it has received near unanimous praise, the democratic credentials of the new system remain tenuous. Although contentious, multi-party politics have appeared to take hold in a newly legitimate and reinvigorated parliament, this situation is far from secure.”

-Kyra Murphy

Image Credit (SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP/Getty Images)