Q: What are the Unity Brigades (UB) and how did way come into existence? The UB are composed of people and groups originated from the civil revolutionary movement organised in the Tasiqiat [pl. for Tansiqia organisation which are local committees]. Some are also defected soldiers of the regular army. We formed our one brigades to defend us and our movement against the extreme violence and systematic killings by the regime which follows a sectarian method. We think that we ought not to respond by employing sectarian patterns as well as some groups do. This results in a political help to the regime. The armed struggle needs a clear political agenda which many armed groups lack. Q: Are you part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA)? Formally the UB are part of the FSA. But until now there … [read more]

In his hubris the president assumed that the Tahrir would remain marginal. Actually the exclusion of the Tahrir from the constitutional process dates back to the time of the bloc between the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the military. Then came the clash between the MB on one side and the military junta with the judicial apparatus loyal to them on the other side. The idea behind Mursi’s operation looked as if he wanted to draw support and legitimacy by partially adopting the Tahrir’s demands against the judiciary thus taking the wind out of the Tahrir’s sails. The Islamists presumed to marginalise any opposition to their leadership by marking them as secularists and subsuming them under the old regime. They really seem to believe their own narrative of overwhelming popular support – … [read more]

We, the undersigned, who are part of an international civil society increasingly worried about the awful bloodshed of the Syrian people, are supporting a political initiative based on the results of a fact-finding mission which some of our colleagues undertook to Beirut and Damascus in September 2012. This initiative consists in calling for a delegation of high-ranking personalities and international public figures to go to Syria in order to discuss the current situation with the main political actors and to pave the way for a negotiated political solution of the armed conflict in Syria which seriously threatens world peace and the existence of Syria as an independent and sovereign nation. In this perspective we fully support the following declaration: All eyes are presently on the … [read more]

It is all about this apparently small alteration which is dealt with in this piece – the turn from the struggle to rescind a dictatorial ukase into an attempt to topple the entire regime. For it makes a tremendous difference if one wants to approach this problem in terms of Gramsci’s concept of hegemony. The line of the Tahrir leftists is crystal clear: Mursi is usurping their revolution. They were in the forefront of the mass uprising to topple Mubarak, while the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) only followed suit. Many Salafis even supported Mubarak. After Mubarak’s disposal the MB did everything possible to soften and decelerate the popular movement. They even entered into a block with the army against the Tahrir. While the Tahrir wanted to finish off with the junta, the MB went for … [read more]

1) As always the US firmly stood on the Israeli side. They, however, pressurized their main partner to accept the truce. Furthermore they made clear that they are strongly opposed to a ground offensive which would further inflame the region. But Hamas refused to accept the usual Israeli conditions. So the cease fire became possible only with significant concessions namely the partial lifting of the blockade. This success for the Palestinian side could be achieved thanks to the unabated resistance (which, whoever, has been a constant throughout the last decade) and the pressure of the regional and international public. 2) The decisive new factor has been the changed role of Egypt, the central Arab power. Until recently the Islamic president Mursi had had only few improvements to offer … [read more]

For the first time since the birth of the Italian Republic, less than half of the electorate has cast their ballots. The feelings and sentiments of the citizens have become alien from those pretending to represent them. We are faced with a divorce, which we think irreversible, between the civil society and the entire political and institutional system – a system that after this proof has been severely wounded and deprived of every semblance of democratic legitimacy. It’s not difficult to imagine how the political system will react to this strong blow: not doing a step backwards on the road they started some time ago and that has reduced democracy to a farce, but doing a step forward towards an oligarchic regime. Sicily will be the field where they will put the basis for a … [read more]

Following footage has been shot, processed and uploaded to youtube by Gerd Münzner, a filmmaker from Germany. We thank him very much for this great work which he provided for free.   Democratic revolution in Tunisia: political Islam, the left and the future of the democratic revolution  Ajmi Lourimi, member of the political leadership if the Islamic movement Enahda Chair: Daniela Di Marco, Secretary of the Anti-imperialist Voluntary Association “Sumud” (arabic for steadfastness), Italy   The left in crisis over Libya: the NATO attack and the civil war Hamza Piccardo, former leading member of the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy (UCOII), former spokesperson of the European Muslim Network Chair: Massimo De Santi, nuclear physicist, member of the national … [read more]

The ensuing gun battle reportedly claimed several lives. The “Revolutionary Co-ordination Committee Qardaha”, whose mere existence is an important fact, wrote on October 1 that Mohamed al Assad died from his wounds in the hospital of Tartous. Different Syrian websites reported that the town was cordoned of and communication networks temporarily severed. Conflicts between family clans are not new. In the past years they were mainly revolving around mafia-type businesses as Qardaha is also known a centre of the Shabiha, the pro-governmental militias having emerged from the mafia. Although the illegal businesses have been under the tutelage of the regime conflicts could not always be suppressed. But this time we are faced with an explicitly political clash. Its occasion was the … [read more]

Is Georgia the «Beacon of Democracy» or an oasis of neoliberal dictatorship? The USA poses Georgia as a successful American experiment, an example for imitation, having proclaimed it the "Beacon of Democracy." So-called “neoliberal reforms” that were carried out in an uncompromising and a specially aggressive way in Georgia, came to their logical end. Privatization of all spheres of economy and social infrastructure is complete. All plants and factories, which functioned at the very least, have found themselves in private hands. All power supply systems, the hydroelectric power stations, almost all city services including systems of electricity transmissions, natural gas and water supply, are privatized. Natural resources, the woods, seaports are privatized. The process of … [read more]

It was the first public meeting of opposition forces since June 27, 2011, when they held the famous conference in the Samiramis hotel. From the side of the authorities the meeting was not only tolerated but they also provided security. Official signals, however, were quite equivocal. Only three days ahead of the conference senior leader of the NCB have been kidnapped. The NCB blames the air force intelligence while the authorities refuse any responsibility and point at “terrorist groups”. This can be read both as a double game or as differences within the apparatus. The great interest of Russia, Iran and China in such an event, who were present with high-ranging representatives, were certainly a factor which contributed to make such a gathering possible. In a statement of … [read more]

A way out for Syria The main debate in Assisi as well as in the anti-imperialist movement at large has been over Syria. We encountered an overwhelming common spirit that a way must be found to fulfil the legitimate democratic rights of the popular masses while the support to the resistances against imperialism and Zionism can be continued. The only possibility to end the repression against the democratic popular movement, to avert a sectarian civil war, to stop foreign involvement and to prevent foreign military intervention is a political solution by negotiations. This tendency was epitomized by the presence of two outstanding personalities, namely Haitham Manna from the “National Co-ordination Body for Democratic Change” (NCB), the main anti-imperialist opposition coalition … [read more]

According to Haitham Manna, the international spokesman of the NCB, the arrests took place by the hands of the Air Force Intelligence. They are held incommunicado in the prison of the Al Mazzeh military airport near Damascus. The regime, however, denies any involvement and accuses “terrorist groups”. This happens against the backdrop of an opposition conference scheduled for Sunday 23rd. Organised by the NCB, the conference calls for a political solution in order to stop the violence. Despite the kidnapping of important leaders the organisers nevertheless will attempt to hold the event. The conference has fallen victim to character assassination from both sides, the regime as well as mainly foreign opposition groups. Formally they speak of their readiness for negotiations but … [read more]

The NCB released a statement: We at the NCB decided to postpone the publicity for the following news, hoping to find out what has happened. We have called several Embassies, numerous national and Arabic personalities – inside and outside the country: Any infringement of the freedom and safety of Iyas Ayash, Abdelaziz Alkhayyer and Maher Tahan is an infringement of the concept of citizenship, and of moral and political commitment to the Syrian citizen and their natural right to security, freedom and dignity. We demand that whoever can put an end to the disappearance of these three civilians should act immediately in accordance with their national responsibility in respecting other citizens and ensuring their freedom and safety. Any harm inflicted upon our partners, regardless … [read more]

Thanks for the invitation. Unfortunately I am occupied today August 23 by a pastoral visit in the most distant area of the Dioceses until late night. I hope that your meeting will bring information and sensibilisation which will help the martyred country [Syria] to move in the direction of peace and democracy without the need of foreign armed intervention. Sincerely Domenico … [read more]

Sooner or later, therefore, Israel will need war for the sake of its credibility, to maintain its influence in the U.S., and to reinforce the siege mentality of its own population. We may also expect that Iran will be engaged in such a war either directly or through proxies, or both. Neither Israel nor the U.S. accepts defiance. A strategy for peace is necessarily a strategy for the end of Zionism and a Jewish state. However, military strategies are unlikely to succeed, because these confront Israel’s strength. Non-military civil resistance strategies, such as those used in South Africa, Tunisia and Egypt, are likely to be more effective, because they target Israel’s weakness, as Israel itself admits. However, in order to succeed, these strategies need to learn from the … [read more]

Following is a response to Yoav Bar’s criticism “How to support the Syrian Revolution?” on the article “Democratic revolution against Assad AND the Gulf-backed forces”. 1) Popular democratic aspect dominant Starting point of any position-taking on Syria is to refuse the purely geo-political thinking which is ravaging the left. They are employing a method ranging between imperial statecraft and reading history as a permanent conspiracy. The popular masses are per se excluded from playing a role. Actually we are faced with two sides of the same medal. The ruling elites always tend to exclude the masses while the pessimist subaltern intellectuals denounce these elites ruling out any historic intervention form below as well. The Syrian rebellion has been a genuine … [read more]

First of all, everything is in flux. Nothing is secure: nor the political preferences of society, neither the relationship of forces between the people and the special regime imposed by the troika despite the relieve they got from the electoral outcome. Then there is the acceleration of the political schedules. One event precipitates the next. The privatisation of the Agricultural Bank – which mortgaged 50% of the arable land – within only one day bears witness of this pace. Furthermore there is the total insufficiency of the new government and the entire political system in administering the crisis. To survive Samaras concentrates on attacking Syriza. Within this frame we have to put also the manifold increase of deadly attacks on migrants by the Nazi-fascists of Hrisi Avgi … [read more]

We strongly condemn this act of banning and criminalisation of our organisation and demand the immediate withdrawal of this authoritarian ban. The Government Order brands RDF as “unlawful” and bans it “with immediate effect”. The GO links RDF with the banned CPI(Maoist) by calling it a “frontal organisation” of the Maoist party. Falsely implicating RDF as “part of Tactical United Front”, it dubiously enlists the following as “unlawful activities” of the organisation: (1) Sub serving the interest and objectives of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) whose avowed objective is to overthrow the lawfully established Government by means of force and violence through terrorist activities involving the use of firearms and explosives; (2) Urging people to fight … [read more]

The government parties contested the elections under the slogan of "renegotiation of the memorandum". After the elections the prime minister - leader of Nea Dimokratia - stated that Greece will abide by its signature and they stopped speaking about renegotiation. Now they spend their efforts to collect 11.5 billions more from the people according to the troika instructions. In the left, SYRIZA failed to win but gained about 26%, the highest score for a left party since 1958. But its program was very conservative: they reject the idea of an independent development outside of the EU and the eurozone. They avoid to clear what and how they want to change. The communist party and the coalition of the extreme left lost in the 17/6 elections more than the half of the votes they gained at … [read more]

Acute crisis of capital flight The current stage of the crisis of the EU/Euro is marked by capital fleeing the European south. The symbol for this are the increasing interest spreads over German bonds. But also banks and the corporate sector are in acute shortage of capital while private consumption is plunging. Together with the severe austerity imposed by the EU centre the European south is suffering deep recession of which the worst is still to come. Large sections of the population including the middle classes are being impoverished to an extent and in a pace unprecedented since decades. For any peripheral country this would mean immediate default and devastating social crisis as countries like Mexico, Indonesia, Argentina and many other countries did suffer from. Only being … [read more]