Radwan Ziadeh
In an unstable Middle East, beset by regional tensions and repercussions of the global war on terror, Syria is a key player. The bloodless coup by General Hafez al-Assad, in 1970, put in place a powerful autocratic machinery at the core of the state which continues till today under the control of his son Bashar. Here Radwan Ziadeh presents a fresh and penetrating analysis of Syriaâ€™s political structure -- a "despotic" state monopoly, a bureaucratic climate marked by fear, and the administrative structure through which centralized control is exercised. With a focus on Syriaâ€™s intelligence services which have significant influence in legal and policy decisions, and the conditions and patterns of foreign policy decision-making, particularly vis-Ã -vis the US, ,Power and Policy in Syria, is essential reading for all those interested in Syria, the modern Middle East, International Relations and Security Studies.
History
Power and Policy in Syria: Intelligence Services, Foreign Relations and Democracy in the Modern Middle East