Thoughtful Blonde

✝️ Foreign policy/geo-political analysis - Syria 💚 especially. 🙏🕊️🌍. I like to write, research, and argue. My little kids still think they know more than me

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

A little paper packet of sugar.

This is what this video about press freedom in Syria brings to mind because it features female journalists. I have a memory of a female Syrian revolutionary journalist being interviewed about life under siege. This was after she had made it out alive. It might have been an American TV news program conducting the interview. Anyway, she had stayed in an area under siege to report what was going on. One of the questions must have been how she survived. She described being so happy to find just a packet of sugar in someone's home. That will always stay with me. I couldn't imagine it. Just a packet of sugar was enough to feel like she had won the lottery.

Thousands of journalists now reporting freely in the country will never have to experience being happy merely for a small packet of sugar - because so many journalists like her were brave enough to make their contribution to Syria's future freedom now realized.

[Omar Abu Layla @OALD24]

Here are a few moments from journalists who entered Syria for the first time after the fall of the Assad regime.

More than 3,000 journalists and researchers have entered Syria over the past 16 months. This is unprecedented in Syria’s history.

If it shows anything, it shows that the new Syria reflects the true image of the Syrian people and is changing the stereotype that the former Assad regime built over decades.
@HalaGorani

[Hiba Nasr @HibaNasr]

‼️ Lebanon Prime Minister @nawafsalam : Every hour that passes without implementation is an hour for which the South and its people pay the price.

Full remarks:

The negotiation path we have chosen is the fastest and least costly route for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, as well as for the South and its residents.

Negotiations were not the only option available to us, but they were the best option. We could have stood by helplessly in the face of a reality and a war we did not choose, which was never an option for even a moment. We could have turned to international courts, a process that takes years while we continue to suffer further losses. Or we could have relied solely on the United Nations Security Council, only to face political obstruction and vetoes while the destruction continued. Of course, choosing negotiations does not preclude us from pursuing any of these other options in parallel.

I would also like to commend what His Excellency the President of the Republic announced today. The negotiations have not been easy, and our delegation has faced Israeli intransigence throughout the process. What we are demanding in these talks is nothing new. It is what we have said from day one: a complete Israeli withdrawal from our territory, the return of our people to their homes and villages with dignity and security, supported by our rightful claim to our land, the backing of our Arab brothers, international support, and American understanding.

As for ensuring that the area south of the Litani River is free of armed personnel and weapons, this is not a condition imposed on us by anyone. It is a commitment Lebanon made to the world when it accepted UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in 2006. Regarding the principle that arms should be exclusively in the hands of the state throughout Lebanese territory, we have delayed far too long in implementing the provisions of the Taif Agreement, which the Lebanese themselves signed and which was also reaffirmed in our ministerial statement. We missed the opportunity in 2000 after the Israeli withdrawal, and again after the Syrian withdrawal in 2005. We must not miss this opportunity as well, because the consequences of doing so this time would be grave.

The next step is practical and tangible: the deployment of the Lebanese Army in designated pilot areas as an initial phase. This does not undermine our right to a full Israeli withdrawal; rather, it brings us closer to achieving it. Every hour that passes without implementation is an hour for which the South and its people pay the price. All parties are therefore required to place Lebanon and the interests of its people above any other interest, whether external or factional, and to assume their responsibilities. Those who refuse or delay bear sole responsibility for the consequences that may result, before history and, more importantly, before the Lebanese people who have suffered greatly and made enormous sacrifices.

Therefore, I address everyone clearly: let us work together under the authority of the state. Once again, I repeat that this path is not easy, nor will it be short. But it becomes shorter, and we become stronger, when all efforts are united within the institutions of the Lebanese state.

[Rena Netjes [email protected] @RenaNetjes]

This is interesting, because Algeria has at least dozens of fighters who helped Assad and who were transferred by Iran to Syria and trained there by Hezbollah in prisons here. In Idlib and near Damascus.

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

@HyaPublic Yeah, but not like that. 😄

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

I still find Syria's very serious exam process amusing because there is nothing like it in the US.

I wonder if, when they have free, national voting whether the process will have the same amount of security or less. 😅

[الإخبارية السورية @AlekhbariahSY]

مراسل الإخبارية: بدء عملية نقل الأسئلة الامتحانية إلى المراكز المعتمدة وسط إجراءات أمنية مشددة من قبل وزارة الداخلية وتحت إشراف وزارة التربية والتعليم

#الإخبارية_السورية

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

"For he has not despised or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help."
Psalm 22:24

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

@ori_goldberg This is the same incident? https://t.co/p9SmkicJK7

[Palestinian Girl @Palestinia12961]

Yesterday Jews attacked Jews in the West Bank north of here.
So what do we have this morning?
Soldiers marching the neighborhood.
No one enters, no one leaves.
😔

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

@EylonALevy Next, please find a way to do an expulsion of the invading force harrassing Syria so that Israel can have the peace it is fighting for. Or you could ask the Syrian government to do it.

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

@hamzadasavege Maybe some diversity in the application process would help...

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

@ori_goldberg Very sorry. Hope the minor procedure goes well.

[Elizabeth Tsurkov @LizHurra]

Chronicles of the Israeli occupation of southern Syria: randomly opening fire at agricultural land. Quneitra is a deeply impoverished area where many residents survive on agriculture and struggle to feed themselves enough.

[كريم صفي الدين - Karim Safieddine @safieddine00]

In that sense, the way the Lebanese govt sees it, it is doing the most it can do to build continuous momentum for certain geographic protections from Israeli strikes, thus easing economic & security pressures. Lebanon still has no other short-term choice but to pursue that track.

[Hiba Nasr @HibaNasr]

Scoop: The Joint Statement between US, Lebanon and Israel

The United States convened the fourth high-level trilateral meeting between Israeli and Lebanese representatives on June 2 and 3, 2026.
As a result of the U.S. led negotiations, Israel and Lebanon agreed to the implementation of a ceasefire. The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector.
The two sides agreed with the guidance of the United States to swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.
These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement.
All countries reaffirmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments. They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage.
Israel and Lebanon reaffirmed that they have no hostile intent toward one another and committed to continuing direct negotiations to build confidence, resolve all outstanding issues, and work toward a comprehensive agreement between the two countries.
The delegations discussed a security framework, building on discussions at the Pentagon on May 29, aimed at sustainably ensuring the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Lebanon and Israel. This includes the dismantlement of non-state armed groups, and the prevention of their re-emergence.
All parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region, and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression.
The United States reiterated its ongoing support for both governments to exercise their sovereignty. It reaffirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track. The United States underscored its intent to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, with the aim of improving their capacity and enabling the effective exercise of sovereignty throughout Lebanese territory. It emphasized Secretary Rubio’s June 2 statement that Hizbollah is not just an enemy of Israel and an enemy of America, but that it is an enemy of Lebanon.
Israel reaffirmed that its security and respect for its territorial integrity can only be achieved through the disarmament of Hizbollah and the dismantlement of its infrastructure throughout Lebanon. It emphasized the importance of direct negotiations under the leadership of the United States to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve durable peace and security.
Lebanon reaffirmed the necessity for mutual respect of internationally recognized borders, the urgent need for full implementation of the cessation of hostilities, underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty. Lebanon committed to enhancing the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces, with U.S. support, to assert effective control throughout the country.
The two parties agreed to reconvene the political and security tracks the week of June 22, with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement. The United States agreed to continue facilitating communication between the parties in the interim.

@AsharqNews

[Senator Chris Van Hollen @ChrisVanHollen]

Yesterday, the IDF seized 4 students from their homes in the West Bank, including 20-year-old American, Sama Safi.

The Israeli govt didn’t tell her family or the U.S. Embassy where or why she was being taken & is holding her without charges.

America must secure her release NOW.

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

@LADowd @ThePolemikOne @Orthodixie The Kingdom of Heaven and Earth were combined before the fall, just as they will be again after Jesus' return but in a greater way.

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

I only included the link to your post because it is the only place I have seen the government's report provided publicly. Each report is very different and worth reading. For instance the government committee's report explains that they seemed to provide information for arrests to the MOI or MOJ which indicates the MOI didn't seem to be doing their own forensic investigation, which is sad and should be known if the case. It also explains where they were hindered, explains they interviewed many Christians, which is unique to that report I think, and provides more nuance when government forces or tribal forces were at fault. IIRC, most of the arson happened after the government withdrew. That is important, because it was a consequence of Israeli policy to create a vacuum. It also explains Israeli strikes caused progressively more breakdown in discipline and law and order.

But Salman Al-Hijri purposefully trying to disrupt any reconciliation process before the Druze massacre began is also something I haven't seen reported elsewhere, and it is important because it provides context to events before and after the July massacres.

What I think Aymenn misses is that I believe many Sunni Arabs do not see Assadism as "the Baathist ideology and foreign policy as promoted by Assad," but as an ideology that believes in part that Sunni Arabs must not be given real power in government or allowed to rule.

When these Syrians write about Suwayda, the argument is not necessarily that Suwayda is full of criminals, but that it is being governed in a way that undermines the argument (as they perceive it from Hijri and Assad before him) that a Sunni Arab-led government is unworthy. So they seek to show how lawless things are happening without accountability, and they will cite Druze living peacefully elsewhere. That's why they will cite as heroes those Druze who were murdered in Suwayda since last year or those who have aligned with the government, because those Druze are validating their own personal worth and identity. I admit there are also just completely sectarian people who use the same rhetoric but just hate anyone different than them and will justify the massacres and there is some overlap in these arguments.

But for some in the first group, they see the government as basically trustworthy on justice and aren't going to regularly bring up justice for the July 2025 massacres in Suwayda when they are still waiting for justice for many massacres from 2012 for instance.

So the point is an emphasis on government rivalry and how Hijri is falling short. It bolsters the claim that Assadism was always wrong. This new post-conflict renewal of "Assadism" is lead by Hirji (now that the SDF is no longer the issue), that's why he is the "villain."

That's why quotes like this 👇 don't make sense to me. Former regime officers would literally have to be in the new government and military and be controlling it via minority rule for the idea that it's a "structural problem affecting Syria as a whole" to make sense to most Sunni Arabs in Syria, and well, me too.

"A more reasonable application of the “regime remnants” argument is that former regime figures have found a “safe haven” in Suwayda, allowing them to avoid accountability. That is a legitimate concern; but it is hardly unique to Suwayda. Former regime figures have found protection and reintegration across all of Syria, including within state institutions and military circles linked to the current authorities. Reducing the issue to Suwayda alone — and using a structural problem affecting Syria as a whole to demonise one side in a highly complex conflict — does little to advance any meaningful process of transitional justice."

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

🇸🇾:
⛽🚛 Land transport route ✅
✈️ Air transport route ✅
💵💵💵💵💵💵💵 ✅

https://t.co/X8R9hlWzSM

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

Look up "The Jihadist" on the Frontline (by PBS) channel in YouTube at 14:07. I don't think it has a share button because of the content. I also suspect he may hide rolling his eyes by taking a drink of water, but I'm not sure. 😂 But the next question is eyes are doing the darting thing because he thinks the question is hypocritical. He's thinking while also disagreeing with the premise, but I think that eye movement is involuntary.

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

I believe I have watched every video interview al-Sharaa has ever done since 2024 and the PBS ones prior to that, as long as they have had English translations.

I believe he has a tell. Whenever he thinks what the interviewer is saying is bullshit 🤷‍♀️, his eyes go back-and-forth and back-and-forth. Watch from 1:49

Awkward...since the Damascus governor is his relative and there is a controversy about this issue right now. 🤔

[الإخبارية السورية @AlekhbariahSY]

محافظ دمشق ماهر مروان إدلبي يتحدث بحضور السيد الرئيس أحمد الشرع عن المرسوم 66 الخاص بملف ماروتا وباسيليا ستي

#الإخبارية_السورية

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

@QUSAY_NOOR_ Ok, not sure what you mean about different account, but yeah Luke Damant had a bunch of videos about traveling Syria. That's cool he posted that on Instagram.

Rita, who is Syrian, traveled with him a lot of the time. She has her own Instagram account

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

The absurdity of transgenderism plus the church in America generally refusing to cave on principles (despite many Protestant church splits) led to this almost 20 point drop.

[Crémieux @cremieuxrecueil]

A few years ago, more than half of Republicans saw gay relationships as morally acceptable.

Now that number is about a third.

[Thoughtful Blonde @thoughtflblonde]

Integration of Syria still ongoing without major issues.

[همام عيسى @HamamIssa7]

أكد نائب محافظ الحسكة أحمد الهلالي، أن الحكومة السورية تعتزم ضم آلاف العناصر من قوى الأمن الداخلي "الأسايش" التابعة لـ"قوات سوريا الديمقراطية" (قسد) إلى صفوف قوات الأمن في وزارة الداخلية، في إطار مسار دمج المؤسسات الأمنية.

وقال الهلالي إن الحكومة ستبدأ إجراء مقابلات لدمج أكثر من تسعة آلاف عنصر من "الأسايش" ضمن مديرية الأمن الداخلي في محافظة الحسكة، مشيراً إلى أن خطة الدمج تشمل أيضاً نحو ألف امرأة للانضمام إلى قوى الأمن الداخلي.

وأوضح أن الحكومة السورية أفرجت عن أكثر من 1200 مقاتل من "قسد"، مؤكداً الالتزام بالإفراج عن جميع المقاتلين، فيما ترتبط أوضاع الموقوفين المتبقين بقضايا أخرى شخصية أو عامة، وفق شبكة "رووداو".

وفي ملف النازحين، أشار الهلالي إلى أن نحو 1650 عائلة من عفرين ما زالت بانتظار العودة، مرجحاً انطلاق القافلة الأخيرة خلال الأسبوع المقبل، لافتاً إلى أن عودة نازحي رأس العين ستبدأ بعد استكمال ملف عودة نازحي عفرين.

كما أكد أن محافظة الحسكة ستشهد خلال الأيام المقبلة، وللمرة الأولى منذ سنوات، إجراء امتحانات الشهادتين الإعدادية والثانوية في مختلف مناطق المحافظة.