From the Paper "This research paper defines and analyzes salient and inter related political, economic and social developments in contemporary Syria. Syria stands today at a critical crossroads. Such progress as has been made toward political unity has been achieved at a high price, the suppression of "normal" political activity under the authoritarian regime of Hafez Assad.His successors will face a daunting task in holding together the country after he departs the scene. Some economic progress has been achieved, especially under the more liberalized economic climate for private investment of the 1990s. However, Syria still has very serious economic problems. An incomplete social revolution has taken place, but serious religious divisions and disparities of wealth and influence threaten Syria's continued viability as..."
From the Paper "SYRIAN INDEPENDENCE AND ITS AFTERMATH
Introduction and Theses
This research paper discusses the internal political leadership and alignment of political forces during Syria's struggle to achieve national independence and its painful forty nine year aftermath (1946.1995). This paper has two main theses: (1) the activities of indigenous Syrian leaders and parties played a relatively minor role in the attainment of Syrian independence; and (2) Syria was ill.prepared for national independence and has largely been misruled since 1946. Politics during the latter period featured unstable governing elites and institutions, faction.ridden power struggles, sectarian strife, repression, especially after 1970, of important elements of Syrian society, and until the 1990s, relative economic ..."
Abstract This paper examines the history of the conflict between Israel and Syria over the Golan Heights. Syria remains the one Arab neighbor that has never entered into formal negotiations with Israel. It looks at how Gaza and the West Bank have become subjects not only of negotiation but also of active peacemaking and how the Golan Heights alone has never been brought to the peace table, much less placed on it. It provides a brief description of the history and the geography of the Heights and the current situation and analyzes the prospects of any form of local peace in the near future.
From the Paper "Yet for all these similarities, there is one profound difference: Assad has always been a "player" in Middle Eastern politics, while Saddam Hussein has never been. To some degree this can be explained by geography: Syria has a border with Israel and therefore must be integral to any overall Arab-Israeli settlement, whereas Iraq does not. However, that cannot be the only explanation; Iraq is an important regional power, and the Arab-Israeli issue is not the only game in the Middle East; there is also (among others) the Persian Gulf. The more fundamental reason is the nature and skills of the two men themselves. Both have a gift for staying in power, but Assad also has shown great talent at making himself an indispensable man: without his support no general Arab-Israeli peace can be established, but also without him no anti-Israeli front was viable."
