As the United States accuses Russia of bombing civilians in Syria, Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh spoke with Bassam Haddad, director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies program at George Mason University. In an article headlined “The Debate over Syria Has Reached a Dead End,” he argues, “There has been increasing gravitation toward two mutually exclusive narratives: (a) that of ‘pure and consistent revolution,’ and (b) that of ‘external conspiracy.’ Both narratives carry grains of truth, but both are encumbered by maximalist claims and fundamental blind spots that forfeit any common ground necessary for enduring cease-fires or potential transitions, as well as post-war reconciliation.” Haddad is co-founder of Jadaliyya and director of the Arab Studies Institute.

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