Dear Deeply Readers,

Welcome to the archives of Syria Deeply. While we paused regular publication of the site on May 15, 2018, and transitioned some of our coverage to Peacebuilding Deeply, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on the Syrian conflict. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors contributors.

We continue to produce events and special projects while we explore where the on-site journalism goes next. If you’d like to reach us with feedback or ideas for collaboration you can do so at [email protected].

Executive Summary for December 2nd

To give you an overview of the latest news, we’ve organized the latest Syrian developments in a curated summary. .

Published on Dec. 2, 2013 Read time Approx. 3 minutes

Dozens Killed by Syrian ‘Barrel’ Bombs Dropped From the Sky.

Al Jazeera reports that “scores” have been killed by a two-day army assault on the town of al-Bab, near Aleppo, climaxing with the dropping of “barrel” bombs on the town’s busy market district.

“A barrel bomb, explosives-filled cylinders or oil barrels, was rolled out of the back off a helicopter and exploded in a residential area, a video uploaded to YouTube on Sunday appeared to show,” the network says.

“A voice in the video describes the object as an “explosive barrel” and it sends plumes of gray smoke rising up over the skyline. Other videos uploaded to the Internet appeared to show piles of rubble from crushed buildings, blazing fires and a dusty-haired child carrying a baby and walking away from what appeared to be a blast site.”

Israeli Army Fires on Syria.

Israel said it fired into Syria today after its troops were shot at while patrolling in the Golan Heights.

Ha’aretz reports on a military statement that says “gunfire was opened from Syria toward IDF soldiers in the central Golan Heights. The force retaliated towards the threat and a hit was confirmed.”

Hours before, “a Syrian mortar shell landed in the Druze village of Majdal Shams on the Golan, near Israel’s security fence. No casualties were reported.”

U.N. Sees Mounting Evidence of War Crimes by Assad, Regime Officials.

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, says there’s mounting evidence that President Bashar al-Assad and other government officials are responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The AP reports that a U.N. panel investigating abuses in Syria’s civil war has produced “massive evidence” of crimes that “indicates responsibility at the highest level of government, including the head of state,” citing Pillay’s statements at a press conference on Monday.

She added, “the scale and viciousness of the abuses being perpetrated by elements on both sides [of Syria’s conflict] almost defies belief.”

Civilians Being Trained to Clear Chemical Weapons. 

The BBC’s Anna Holligan reports inside a training session for new chemical weapons inspectors: civilians who have never worked inside an active war zone. They’re being readied for the task at a U.S. military base in Germany. The inspectors are set to begin their work in Syria on Monday.

See the full clip here.

Syria on Agenda at Iraq PM’s Iran Visit

The AFP reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will visit Iran this week to discuss “bilateral relations between the two Shiite-majority countries, as well as the Syria conflict.

“Iran is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, while Iraq has suffered from a surge in attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an al-Qaida affiliate that has exploited Syria’s chaos and carried out attacks on both sides of its border with Iraq.

“Iraq and Iran are at odds over the next secretary general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), with both countries fiercely backing their respective candidates in a vote due in Vienna later this month.”

Americans Join the Fight in Syria, Posing a Risk at Home.

The AP reports that American citizens are joining war in Syria, “raising the chances they could become radicalized by al-Qaida-linked militant groups and return to the U.S. as battle-hardened security risks,” according to U.S. officials.

The State Department says it has no estimates of how many Americans have taken up weapons to fight military units loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad … other estimates — from an arm of the British defense consultant IHS Jane’s and from experts at a nonprofit think tank in London — put the number of Americans at a couple dozen.”

The article also says that three Americans have been charged with planning to fight alongside Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida-linked group that’s officially listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team: 

Washington Post: Syrian Aircraft Kills 50 in Northern Rebel Town

Al Jazeera: Syria War Stokes Unrest in Lebanon’s Tripoli

Al Arabiya: U.S. Ship Readies for Syria Arms Destruction

Washington Post: A Slowly Unfolding Disaster

Suggest your story or issue.

Send

Share Your Story.

Have a story idea? Interested in adding your voice to our growing community?

Learn more