Dr. Bassam Haddad, George Mason UniversityCFIS News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― It’s been nearly five years since Syrian rebels took up arms against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and today more than 250,000 people are dead and millions more have fled the country as a result of the bloody conflict.
Dr. Bassam Haddad, director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Mason, will attempt to put the ongoing Syrian war in perspective for a New Mexico audience during a lecture at the UNM Continuing Education Auditorium. Haddad’s talk, which includes a question-and-answer session, is part of an Albuquerque International Association lecture series.
The talk is3-5 p.m., Sunday, May 1 at UNM Continuing Education Auditorium, 1634 University NE in Albuquerque.
“I will address the causes of the uprisings – not just the recent causes, but the historical causes as well; the ones that predated the emergence of the uprising and set the stage for it,” Haddad said. “Then, I will address the dynamics of the uprising itself, which is basically what we’ve been witnessing for the last five years, with an emphasis on the transformation of the uprising from an uprising that was initially pro-democracy and inclusive to a more violent, militaristic and somewhat sectarian affair in which regional and national players have intervened.”
Haddad will also discuss current events in the conflict, including continuous (but temporarily suspended) peace talks in Geneva and collaborative efforts between the U.S. and Russia to battle the ISIS terror group that has risen up in the midst of the territorial war. Haddad said the U.S. focus on ISIS is understandable, if somewhat short-sighted.
“Unfortunately, the violent extremist movement is important but the overemphasis on it has eclipsed some of the more enduring historical dimensions of this period in time and the region in general,” Haddad said. “I will also break down the players involved on the regime’s side and on the opposition side – locally, regionally and internationally ― so people can grasp why the uprising has been protracted and why it is so complicated. “
Haddad rejected criticism that the U.S., under President Obama’s leadership, hasn’t done enough to quell the conflict. Obama famously declared the U.S. would act militarily if al-Assad crossed a “red line” and used chemical weapons. The Assad regime did use chemical weapons and the U.S. still remained largely on the sidelines, except for providing some arms and other assistance to the rebel factions fighting Assad.
“One of the misconceptions when it comes to American involvement in Syria is that we have not done enough or been supportive enough,” Haddad said. “This misconception is rooted in the assumption that the United States, when it intervenes in the region, has usually been intervening on the side of the repressed and so on. This is a gross misconception given the fact that the U.S. has actually supported the most violent dictators and the most repressive and backward and misogynist political systems, like Saudi Arabia’s which we still support to this very day. It is beyond shameless.”
Haddad suggested the deeper American involvement in Syria would only exacerbate hostilities toward the U.S. in the Middle East.
“In fact one of the most significant shifts in American foreign policy in the region is the lack of intervention in Syria, which has actually been a positive,” he said. “We are giving support and arms and assistance here and there but nowhere near the level of intervention we have engaged in in the past.
“Obama’s decision has actually been a positive thing for the United States and for American citizens. It has not put us in the kind of horrible situation where our image is further tarnished by another intervention that goes badly.”
Lecture: $15/AIA Members, $20/Non-Members; Students (under 26) with ID – Free. Address checks to AIA and mail to AIA, PO Box 92995, Albuquerque, NM 87199 by April 29 or pay online with a credit card or at the door (cash or check only). See here for full calendar of events and updates.
