Steven Heydemann
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Steven Heydemann
@stevenhyde.bsky.social
3K followers 760 following 1.8K posts

Ketcham Chair in Middle East Studies, Prof. of Gov, Smith College; Nonresident Senior Fellow CMEP, Brookings. Former VP, Center for Applied Research on Conflict, USIP.
https://smith.academia.edu/StevenHeydemann

Videos
Political science 66%
Sociology 25%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 19h
www.middle-east-online.com/en/syria-exp...
www.middle-east-online.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 19h
www.mees.com/2026/1/2/geo...
Lebanon & Syria: A Tale Of Two Recoveries
The collapse of Syria’s Assad regime, Hezbollah’s decapitation and the election of a pro-Western government put Lebanon on track for a long-overdue economic recovery. But nearly one year on, Syria is ...
www.mees.com

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Steven Heydemann, Steve Peers , and 2 more

annabower.bsky.social
Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d
For those who prefer video: m.youtube.com/watch?v=lR-b...

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

gonultol.bsky.social
Gönül Tol @gonultol.bsky.social · 3d
2025 was a bleak year for democracy and freedoms in Turkey. With the arrest of Erdoğan’s top rival, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Ankara took a decisive step toward hollowing out the ballot box. Record numbers of arrests and detentions of Erdoğan’s critics pushed attacks on freedom of expression to new highs,++

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

sewella.bsky.social
Abby Sewell @sewella.bsky.social · 4d
List of aid groups working in Gaza that Israel is suspending.

They include some of the world’s most prominent and outspoken aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders:

apnews.com/article/gaza...
List of aid groups working in Gaza that Israel is suspending
Israel says it's suspending humanitarian organizations that have failed to meet its new rules to vet international groups working in Gaza.
apnews.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 4d
Saudi has been losing militarily in Yemen since about 1963.
Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 4d
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Syrians in Turkey consider return after fall of Assad
Syrians in Turkey are weighing up whether it is the right time to return to their homeland.
www.bbc.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 4d
moderndiplomacy.eu/2025/12/29/s...
Syria Opens Criminal Investigation Into Assad-Era Mass Grave
Syria’s new government has ordered troops to guard a remote desert military site east of Damascus after a Reuters investigation revealed it was used to conceal thousands of bodies under former preside...
moderndiplomacy.eu

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
www.instagram.com/p/DS3MGDBDiR...
‎Fared Al Mahlool - فريد المحلول‎ on Instagram: "The new Syria money"
The Syrian currency has undergone significant changes over the years, with the introduction of new denominations and a rebranding effort. In this video, we delve into the history of the Syrian pound, ...
www.instagram.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
Family members informed on one another, condemning those named to abuse, torture, death at the hands of the Assad regime.

www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Families, Neighbors Informed on Each Other in Assad’s Syria, With Deadly Consequences
Intelligence files found in a Damascus prison complex reveal cases that led to brutal detentions; a wife records a husband.
www.wsj.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
A true Chicago dog!!
Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
Appeasement.
theguardian.com The Guardian @theguardian.com · 5d
Germany’s far-right AfD invited to join Munich Security Conference 2026
Germany’s far-right AfD invited to join Munich Security Conference 2026
Move comes after party’s exclusion for last two years was lambasted by JD Vance at this year’s event The Munich Security Conference (MSC) has invited lawmakers from the Alternative für Deutschland to join its annual gathering of top international defence officials in February after shutting out the far-right party for the last two years. The reversal, which was confirmed by organisers, came after the US vice-president, JD Vance, lambasted the AfD’s exclusion in a blistering speech at this year’s event in which he accused Germany of stifling free speech by sidelining the anti-migrant, pro-Kremlin party. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Tom Griffin, Georg Weizsäcker

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 5d
Germany’s far-right AfD invited to join Munich Security Conference 2026
Germany’s far-right AfD invited to join Munich Security Conference 2026
Move comes after party’s exclusion for last two years was lambasted by JD Vance at this year’s event The Munich Security Conference (MSC) has invited lawmakers from the Alternative für Deutschland to join its annual gathering of top international defence officials in February after shutting out the far-right party for the last two years. The reversal, which was confirmed by organisers, came after the US vice-president, JD Vance, lambasted the AfD’s exclusion in a blistering speech at this year’s event in which he accused Germany of stifling free speech by sidelining the anti-migrant, pro-Kremlin party. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Michael A. Clemens

rimaanabtawi.bsky.social
Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 5d
December 29, 2025. Jomhouri Street. Tehran.
@rezahakbari.bsky.social
Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
New. A deeply researched report by @leendersreinoud.bsky.social and Ali Aljasem on targeted sanctions and transitional justice efforts in Syria.

Holding the Assad Regime and its Accomplices to Account: Targeted Sanctions and Transitional Justice in the New Syria

opensyr.com/en/pages/p-40
Observatory of Political and Economic Networks
opensyr.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 6d
Hard to think this blatantly unconstitutional move will hold
georgetakei.bsky.social George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 7d
Filming them committing terrorism is now itself an act of terrorism?
Screenshot of a news article with the headline, “Justice Department Says Filming Immigration Raids Is ‘Domestic Terrorism.’” The byline reads Autumn Billings with a date and time. Below the headline is a black-and-white photo of a heavily armed federal agent pointing toward the camera, with other officers blurred in the background.

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7d
These guys are immune to irony.
brenttoderian.bsky.social Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 7d
“The U.S. government just banned five people from entering the country because it doesn’t like their speech. This ban, according to the State Department, is necessary to protect free speech.

If that sounds insane to you, congratulations on your reading comprehension.”

Via @mmasnick.bsky.social
Opinion | Marco Rubio is using real censorship to fight fake censorship
Mike Masnick: In the name of protecting free speech, the U.S. government just banned five Europeans from entering the country because it doesn’t like their speech.
www.ms.now

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Olivier Mannoni

georgetakei.bsky.social
George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 7d
Filming them committing terrorism is now itself an act of terrorism?
Screenshot of a news article with the headline, “Justice Department Says Filming Immigration Raids Is ‘Domestic Terrorism.’” The byline reads Autumn Billings with a date and time. Below the headline is a black-and-white photo of a heavily armed federal agent pointing toward the camera, with other officers blurred in the background.

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Beatriz Gallardo Paúls, Olivier Mannoni

brenttoderian.bsky.social
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 7d
“The U.S. government just banned five people from entering the country because it doesn’t like their speech. This ban, according to the State Department, is necessary to protect free speech.

If that sounds insane to you, congratulations on your reading comprehension.”

Via @mmasnick.bsky.social
Opinion | Marco Rubio is using real censorship to fight fake censorship
Mike Masnick: In the name of protecting free speech, the U.S. government just banned five Europeans from entering the country because it doesn’t like their speech.
www.ms.now

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7d
"We have to show outrage to our European partners."

I gave a talk at DIIS some years back in which a Danish official described the country as "America's wingman." I confess I winced when I heard the comment. But outrage over comments from Trump, Vance, and others in this administration? Yes.
thomashansen.bsky.social Thomas Hansen @thomashansen.bsky.social · Mar 29
The former ambassador to Denmark for the United States, Rufus Gifford, posted this video on his Facebook account:

Ht: @hpsc24.bsky.social

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7d
Saudi-UAE tensions escalate.

www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Saudi Arabia Strikes Yemeni Militia Backed by Rival Gulf Power U.A.E.
Tensions between two U.S. allies heat up amid proxy conflicts in the region.
www.wsj.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 8d
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Syria to start currency swap on January 1, central bank governor says
Syria will start swapping old banknotes for new ones from January 1, 2026, Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh said on Thursday, under a plan to replace Assad-era notes to try to strengthen the c...
www.reuters.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Martin Tomko, Alessandro Nai , and 4 more

newrepublic.com
The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 8d
President Trump’s spiteful defamation suit against the Pulitzer Prize Board may backfire, as the latter is now demanding Trump’s psychological records, prescription medication records, and tax returns in the discovery process. trib.al/LUCScTR
Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 9d
Not exactly winning hearts and minds. Who do they imagine is the audience for this? The tone deafness is stunning.
Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 9d
Congratulations! Always nice when effort and care are recognized.

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

partners4israel.bsky.social
Partners for Progressive Israel @partners4israel.bsky.social · 10d
"Conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism does a disservice to combating actual Jew-hatred." Our joint letter w/@truahrabbis.bsky.social, Israelis for Peace, @newjewishnarrative.bsky.social is at truah.org/wp-content/u...
Additional criticism of ADL below www.commondreams.org/news/adl-mam...
Progressive Jews Decry ADL 'Mamdani Monitor' for Conflating Israel Criticism With Antisemitism | Common Dreams
The head of one group decried the ADL's "disproportionate attention on left-of-center activists’ views on Israel while failing to apply the same scrutiny to the Trump administration."
www.commondreams.org

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 10d
The message is ample evidence to the contrary. On condescension and arrogance scales, however, she's off the charts.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Steven Heydemann, Joe R. Feagin , and 15 more

adamrothman.bsky.social
Adam Rothman aced his cognitive test @adamrothman.bsky.social · 10d
“Like Prime, but with human beings.”
“We need to get better at treating this like a business,” ICE acting director Todd M. Lyons said at a border security conference in April, according to the Arizona Mirror. The administration’s goal, he said, was to deport immigrants as efficiently as Amazon moves packages: “Like Prime, but with human beings.”

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

dmsilverman.bsky.social
Dan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 10d
Good piece on Israel’s meddling and arming of the Druze in Syria
How Israeli covert activities in Syria seek to thwart its new government
Israel is suspicious of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a longtime Islamist militant, and has provided weapons, intelligence and cash to militiamen at odds with his rule.
wapo.st

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 11d
Detention practices of the al-Sharaa govt are troubling. But this is deeply distorted propaganda from a deeply biased source. 892 people have been detained over the past year (!) and Assad regime prisons are “filling up”? Filling up?

www.timesofisrael.com/a-year-post-...
A year post-Assad, Syrian jails are again filling up, with widespread accounts of abuse
Though the Sharaa regime vowed to shutter Assad's notorious jails, tallies show they are locking hundreds of people up without charges, overcrowding the same prisons they emptied
www.timesofisrael.com