Syria: Assad or opposition? Western reluctance to become militarily involved keeps the Syrian secular opposition powerless, leaving Syria one alternative for the Assad-regime: Radical Sunni groups. If these seize power, Syria as a multi-ethnic nation-state will cease to exist. Wietse van den Berge • December 17, 2013
The Arab uprisings The Arab uprisings' initial demand, or hope, for democracy in the Middle East by now seems replaced by a fierce struggle for power – sectarian in character – between the different actors in the region. Wietse van den Berge • November 20, 2013
