The Missing Account of Syria's secret history
The Missing Account of Syria's secret history
For decades, Farouk al-Sharaa was one of Syria's most important figures, serving as foreign minister and vice president for decades. From 29 January, al-Araby al-Jadeed will present segments of his memoirs.
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Excerpts from Farouk al-Sharaa's memoirs will be published at al-Araby from January 30
From Friday, al-Araby al-Jadeed will present excerpts from the memoirs of Syria's former vice president, Farouk al-Sharaa – once one of the regime's most important figures.
The Missing Account gives the inside story of the Damascus powerbases of Syrian presidents Hafaz and Bashar al-Assad, backed by vivid and previously undisclosed accounts of Syria's most important historical events that helped shape the current climate in the country.
Having served as foreign minister for more than two decades, Sharaa's 448-page memoirs unveils the shadowy workings of Syria's diplomatic corps, such as including the top-secret negotiations between the Baathist regime and Israel during the end of Hafez al-Assad's rule.
Sharaa was one of the Syrian regime's most active representatives in the Geneva talks between Hafez al-Assad, Israeli diplomats and generals, and the US secretary of state Madeline Albright and ex-president Bill Clinton.
His insightful account of the events reveals the tensions and fraught conversations between the two rival states, along with the real reasons that the talks ended in failure.
Sharaa also reveals the relationship between Hafez and his brother Rifaat, who has been accused of orchtestrating the Hama massacre in 1980, along with the fraught relations between the Syria and Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
The Missing Account also helps explain the complex relationship between Damascus and Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat, along with Syria's intervention and occupation of Lebanon.
This is a vital account of Syrian political events for historians and political analysts of the Middle East and Cold War era.
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
The Missing Account gives the inside story of the Damascus powerbases of Syrian presidents Hafaz and Bashar al-Assad, backed by vivid and previously undisclosed accounts of Syria's most important historical events that helped shape the current climate in the country.
Having served as foreign minister for more than two decades, Sharaa's 448-page memoirs unveils the shadowy workings of Syria's diplomatic corps, such as including the top-secret negotiations between the Baathist regime and Israel during the end of Hafez al-Assad's rule.
Sharaa was one of the Syrian regime's most active representatives in the Geneva talks between Hafez al-Assad, Israeli diplomats and generals, and the US secretary of state Madeline Albright and ex-president Bill Clinton.
His insightful account of the events reveals the tensions and fraught conversations between the two rival states, along with the real reasons that the talks ended in failure.
Sharaa also reveals the relationship between Hafez and his brother Rifaat, who has been accused of orchtestrating the Hama massacre in 1980, along with the fraught relations between the Syria and Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
The Missing Account also helps explain the complex relationship between Damascus and Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat, along with Syria's intervention and occupation of Lebanon.
This is a vital account of Syrian political events for historians and political analysts of the Middle East and Cold War era.
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
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