As Bashar al-Asad rescinds emergency rule in the face of demonstrations and protests, Syria finds itself in a key position in a Middle East beset by regional tensions, the repercussions of the global 'war on terror' and popular uprisings. The bloodless coup by General Hafez al-Assad, in 1970, put in place a powerful autocratic machinery at the core of the state which continues till today under the control of his son Bashar. Here Radwan Ziadeh presents a fresh and penetrating analysis of Syria's political structure - a 'despotic' state monopoly, a bureaucratic climate marked by fear, and the administrative structure through which centralized control is exercised. With a focus on Syria's intelligence services which have significant influence in legal and policy decisions, and the conditions and patterns of foreign policy decision-making, particularly vis-a-vis the US, 'Power and Policy in Syria' is essential reading for all those interested in Syria, the modern Middle East, International Relations and Security Studies.

As Bashar al-Asad rescinds emergency rule in the face of demonstrations and protests, Syria finds itself in a key position in a Middle East beset by regional tensions, the repercussions of the global 'war on terror' and popular uprisings. The bloodless coup by General Hafez al-Assad, in 1970, put in place a powerful autocratic machinery at the core of the state which continues till today under the control of his son Bashar. Here Radwan Ziadeh presents a fresh and penetrating analysis of Syria's political structure - a 'despotic' state monopoly, a bureaucratic climate marked by fear, and the administrative structure through which centralized control is exercised. With a focus on Syria's intelligence services which have significant influence in legal and policy decisions, and the conditions and patterns of foreign policy decision-making, particularly vis-a-vis the US, 'Power and Policy in Syria' is essential reading for all those interested in Syria, the modern Middle East, International Relations and Security Studies.

Gross violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Laws have been committed in Syria. After a full cessation of violence, launching transitional justice processes will signal to the victims that those responsible for committing these crimes will be brought to reparation and that the time of impunity is over. This book discusses the available options of justice and how accountability will be achieved through international systems and a new hybrid court system.

In the wake of the Arab spring of 2011, the struggle for leadership of the Arab world has taken on a new significance, and with this comes the ever-present issue of the Arab-Israeli Peace Process. The 1990s was a decade of US-led peace-making in the Middle East, and the Syrian-Israeli talks teetered on a deal more than once. The framework for a potential peace agreement was established through these bilateral negotiations, but after the collapse of the Asad-Clinton summit of 2000, the 'Syrian track' stalled as positions hardened and regional and domestic political realities shifted. Here, Radwan Ziadeh tracks these negotiations, from the Madrid conference of 1991, to the Asad-Clinton summit, and beyond, examining how Syria's foreign policy has changed with the rise to power of Bashar al-Asad and, in Iran, of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri in Lebanon and the Iraq war. This book provides a valuable and thorough historical analysis of this period of Middle Eastern politics and international diplomacy as well as examining the potential impact of a peace deal on Syrian society, politics and economy.

As Bashar al-Asad rescinds emergency rule in the face of demonstrations and protests, Syria finds itself in a key position in a Middle East beset by regional tensions, the repercussions of the global 'war on terror' and popular uprisings. The bloodless coup by General Hafez al-Assad, in 1970, put in place a powerful autocratic machinery at the core of the state which continues till today under the control of his son Bashar. Here Radwan Ziadeh presents a fresh and penetrating analysis of Syria's political structure - a 'despotic' state monopoly, a bureaucratic climate marked by fear, and the administrative structure through which centralized control is exercised. With a focus on Syria's intelligence services which have significant influence in legal and policy decisions, and the conditions and patterns of foreign policy decision-making, particularly vis-a-vis the US, 'Power and Policy in Syria' is essential reading for all those interested in Syria, the modern Middle East, International Relations and Security Studies.

As Bashar al-Asad rescinds emergency rule in the face of demonstrations and protests, Syria finds itself in a key position in a Middle East beset by regional tensions, the repercussions of the global 'war on terror' and popular uprisings. The bloodless coup by General Hafez al-Assad, in 1970, put in place a powerful autocratic machinery at the core of the state which continues till today under the control of his son Bashar. Here Radwan Ziadeh presents a fresh and penetrating analysis of Syria's political structure - a 'despotic' state monopoly, a bureaucratic climate marked by fear, and the administrative structure through which centralized control is exercised. With a focus on Syria's intelligence services which have significant influence in legal and policy decisions, and the conditions and patterns of foreign policy decision-making, particularly vis-a-vis the US, 'Power and Policy in Syria' is essential reading for all those interested in Syria, the modern Middle East, International Relations and Security Studies.

Gross violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Laws have been committed in Syria. After a full cessation of violence, launching transitional justice processes will signal to the victims that those responsible for committing these crimes will be brought to reparation and that the time of impunity is over. This book discusses the available options of justice and how accountability will be achieved through international systems and a new hybrid court system.

In the wake of the Arab spring of 2011, the struggle for leadership of the Arab world has taken on a new significance, and with this comes the ever-present issue of the Arab-Israeli Peace Process. The 1990s was a decade of US-led peace-making in the Middle East, and the Syrian-Israeli talks teetered on a deal more than once. The framework for a potential peace agreement was established through these bilateral negotiations, but after the collapse of the Asad-Clinton summit of 2000, the 'Syrian track' stalled as positions hardened and regional and domestic political realities shifted. Here, Radwan Ziadeh tracks these negotiations, from the Madrid conference of 1991, to the Asad-Clinton summit, and beyond, examining how Syria's foreign policy has changed with the rise to power of Bashar al-Asad and, in Iran, of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri in Lebanon and the Iraq war. This book provides a valuable and thorough historical analysis of this period of Middle Eastern politics and international diplomacy as well as examining the potential impact of a peace deal on Syrian society, politics and economy.