Cathrin Schaer
@cathrinschaer.bsky.social
Journalist, freelance, mostly @dw_arabic, ex-Handelsblatt, ex-SPIEGEL_English,. formerly, ed-in-chief @niqash. Now playing: https://open.spotify.com/track/5jeQ6qxfi7nrDIP7WeBonZ?si=efec5dfa900b46dc
Pinned
Cathrin Schaer
@cathrinschaer.bsky.social
· Aug 17
Starvation is a war crime, but will justice ever be done? – DW – 08/15/2025
Experts say that food is increasingly being used as a weapon in conflicts in places like Sudan, Syria and Gaza. But there's never been a war crimes case about it in an international court. That may so...
www.dw.com
So everybody - including international law - says starvation is a war crime. There's more of it about than ever too (well, since about 2011/15). But that's never been tested in an international court. Wrote about why and how that may soon change: www.dw.com/en/starvatio...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
🚨 "This year, Saudi Arabia will use drones with thermal imaging as well as artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to ensure that only those who have Hajj permits are allowed in..." @cathrinschaer.bsky.social l www.dw.com/en/hajj-isla...
Hajj: Will high-tech really boost Islamic pilgrimage safety? – DW – 06/03/2025
Saudi authorities will use drones, AI and other tech for safety at this year's Hajj pilgrimage. But this increases other risks — for data privacy, hackers and of turning a spiritual journey into a "cy...
www.dw.com
June 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
🚨 "This year, Saudi Arabia will use drones with thermal imaging as well as artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to ensure that only those who have Hajj permits are allowed in..." @cathrinschaer.bsky.social l www.dw.com/en/hajj-isla...
So everybody - including international law - says starvation is a war crime. There's more of it about than ever too (well, since about 2011/15). But that's never been tested in an international court. Wrote about why and how that may soon change: www.dw.com/en/starvatio...
Starvation is a war crime, but will justice ever be done? – DW – 08/15/2025
Experts say that food is increasingly being used as a weapon in conflicts in places like Sudan, Syria and Gaza. But there's never been a war crimes case about it in an international court. That may so...
www.dw.com
August 17, 2025 at 1:44 PM
So everybody - including international law - says starvation is a war crime. There's more of it about than ever too (well, since about 2011/15). But that's never been tested in an international court. Wrote about why and how that may soon change: www.dw.com/en/starvatio...
The more digital technology deployed during #Hajj2025 , the more attack surface in Saudi Arabia. Questions about pilgrims' digital privacy are also coming up, as is the impact of tech on the spiritual journey as a whole. Also interesting was... www.dw.com/en/high-tech...
High-tech Hajj: More safety but less privacy, spirituality? – DW – 06/03/2025
Saudi authorities will use drones, AI and other tech for safety at this year's Hajj pilgrimage. But this increases other risks — for data privacy, hackers and of turning a spiritual journey into a "cy...
www.dw.com
June 4, 2025 at 8:50 AM
The more digital technology deployed during #Hajj2025 , the more attack surface in Saudi Arabia. Questions about pilgrims' digital privacy are also coming up, as is the impact of tech on the spiritual journey as a whole. Also interesting was... www.dw.com/en/high-tech...
Must read.
🧵 I’ve talked a lot about disordered discourse, conspiracies, polarisation, denialism. But maybe the better question is: why does this keep happening? Why does our shared reality keep fracturing? What are the drivers I talk about as a dimension of disordered discourse?
I've just come back from the Cambridge Disinformation Summit where I gave the opening keynote, titled "Demanufacturing Consent - How Disordered Discourse is Destroying Democracy", featuring everything from Fake Hooves to Jackson Hinkle being the worst.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-FV...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-FV...
May 16, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Must read.
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
“Ein Staatsbesuch zeigt in diesem Kontext die völlige Gleichgültigkeit gegenüber der Tötung der Palästinenser:innen, der völkerrechtswidrigen israelischen Gewalt im Gazastreifen sowie im Westjordanland und Deutschlands eigener Verpflichtung unter der Genozid-Konvention.”
taz.de/Steinmeier-i...
taz.de/Steinmeier-i...
Steinmeier in Israel: Zu Besuch bei einem Angeklagten
Der Handschlag des Bundespräsidenten mit Netanjahu stieß auf breite Kritik. Steinmeier hätte lieber Menschenrechtler*innen treffen sollen.
taz.de
May 14, 2025 at 2:38 PM
“Ein Staatsbesuch zeigt in diesem Kontext die völlige Gleichgültigkeit gegenüber der Tötung der Palästinenser:innen, der völkerrechtswidrigen israelischen Gewalt im Gazastreifen sowie im Westjordanland und Deutschlands eigener Verpflichtung unter der Genozid-Konvention.”
taz.de/Steinmeier-i...
taz.de/Steinmeier-i...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Walz: If you say you love freedom but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love is not freedom, it is privilege.
April 24, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Walz: If you say you love freedom but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love is not freedom, it is privilege.
Not everything is perfect (obvsly) but how Syrians are trying to rebuild their country continues to give hope in these pretty dark times. 👑 Latest story... www.dw.com/en/syrian-do...
Syrian doctors leave Germany to work for free at home – DW – 04/15/2025
Syrian doctors who'd been working in Germany are paying to go home, where they're doing free surgeries and helping rebuild Syria's shattered health system. Understaffed German hospitals worry they won...
www.dw.com
April 16, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Not everything is perfect (obvsly) but how Syrians are trying to rebuild their country continues to give hope in these pretty dark times. 👑 Latest story... www.dw.com/en/syrian-do...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
This is a popular thesis but a superficial one. It's not like Biden was a meaningful constraint on Netanyahu's judicial overhaul (it started when Biden was in office!). What stalled it was Israeli opposition and, ultimately, the October 7th massacre. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/w...
How Trump Is Inspiring Wannabe Authoritarians Everywhere
President Trump has turned a central precept of American diplomacy on its head, embracing fellow leaders who abandon democratic principles.
www.nytimes.com
March 29, 2025 at 6:48 AM
This is a popular thesis but a superficial one. It's not like Biden was a meaningful constraint on Netanyahu's judicial overhaul (it started when Biden was in office!). What stalled it was Israeli opposition and, ultimately, the October 7th massacre. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/w...
Last weekend, a huge and, in some cases, coordinated wave of disinfo/misinfo rolled over Syria. Spoke to the awesome folks @VeSyria (doing god's work on the "other site"), and asked an Iraqi user why they keep posting fake news about Syria (answer : $$ + Iran). www.dw.com/en/how-disin...
How disinformation intensified Syria's weekend of violence – DW – 03/11/2025
Over the weekend, Syria saw its worst violence since the end of the dictatorship — along with significant social media disinformation. AI fakes and manipulated historical images online inflamed the re...
www.dw.com
March 12, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Last weekend, a huge and, in some cases, coordinated wave of disinfo/misinfo rolled over Syria. Spoke to the awesome folks @VeSyria (doing god's work on the "other site"), and asked an Iraqi user why they keep posting fake news about Syria (answer : $$ + Iran). www.dw.com/en/how-disin...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Sectarian disinformation from Iraq
“DW messaged several users on social media who portrayed themselves as non-Syrian and posted information that was later debunked. Only one, whose profile said they were based in southern Iraq, responded…”
@cathrinschaer.bsky.social
www.dw.com/en/how-disin...
“DW messaged several users on social media who portrayed themselves as non-Syrian and posted information that was later debunked. Only one, whose profile said they were based in southern Iraq, responded…”
@cathrinschaer.bsky.social
www.dw.com/en/how-disin...
How disinformation intensified Syria's weekend of violence – DW – 03/11/2025
Over the weekend, Syria saw its worst violence since the end of the dictatorship — along with significant social media disinformation. AI fakes and manipulated historical images online inflamed the re...
www.dw.com
March 12, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Sectarian disinformation from Iraq
“DW messaged several users on social media who portrayed themselves as non-Syrian and posted information that was later debunked. Only one, whose profile said they were based in southern Iraq, responded…”
@cathrinschaer.bsky.social
www.dw.com/en/how-disin...
“DW messaged several users on social media who portrayed themselves as non-Syrian and posted information that was later debunked. Only one, whose profile said they were based in southern Iraq, responded…”
@cathrinschaer.bsky.social
www.dw.com/en/how-disin...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
New analysis by @isdglobal.bsky.social suggests that the alleged Magdeburg Christmas market attacker in Germany was deeply immersed in far-right and anti-Muslim circles online, writes Jakob Guhl.
http://prospectmagaz...
http://prospectmagaz...
The alleged Magdeburg Christmas market attacker was steeped in far-right ideology. Why did Germans resist saying so?
New analysis strongly suggests that the alleged Magdeburg Christmas market attacker was deeply immersed in an ideological online ecosystem promoting f...
prospectmagazine.co.uk
March 10, 2025 at 6:06 PM
New analysis by @isdglobal.bsky.social suggests that the alleged Magdeburg Christmas market attacker in Germany was deeply immersed in far-right and anti-Muslim circles online, writes Jakob Guhl.
http://prospectmagaz...
http://prospectmagaz...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Israel wants to “defend” minorities in Syria, has moved troops into Syria and is regularly bombing the country. That’s despite the fact that Syria’s new rulers have said they don’t pose a threat to Israel, @cathrinschaer.bsky.social reports.
www.dw.com/en/what-is-i...
www.dw.com/en/what-is-i...
What is Israel doing in Syria, and why? – DW – 03/04/2025
Israel wants to "defend" minorities in Syria, has moved troops into Syria and is regularly bombing the war-torn country. That's despite the fact that Syria's new rulers have said they don't pose a thr...
www.dw.com
March 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Israel wants to “defend” minorities in Syria, has moved troops into Syria and is regularly bombing the country. That’s despite the fact that Syria’s new rulers have said they don’t pose a threat to Israel, @cathrinschaer.bsky.social reports.
www.dw.com/en/what-is-i...
www.dw.com/en/what-is-i...
Wrote about why Israel is bombing/occupying Syria and why it's (surprise!) not helpful (for anybody, not the Syrians, not Israel): www.dw.com/en/what-is-i...
What is Israel doing in Syria, and why? – DW – 03/04/2025
Israel wants to "defend" minorities in Syria, has moved troops into Syria and is regularly bombing the war-torn country. That's despite the fact that Syria's new rulers have said they don't pose a thr...
www.dw.com
March 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Wrote about why Israel is bombing/occupying Syria and why it's (surprise!) not helpful (for anybody, not the Syrians, not Israel): www.dw.com/en/what-is-i...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Trump's plan for Gaza is delusional but the various Arab proposals circulating right now are hardly realistic. If you think Egyptian firms (or anyone) can rebuild the territory in three years, I have a bridge over the Nile to sell you nytimes.com/2025/02/21/w...
February 21, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Trump's plan for Gaza is delusional but the various Arab proposals circulating right now are hardly realistic. If you think Egyptian firms (or anyone) can rebuild the territory in three years, I have a bridge over the Nile to sell you nytimes.com/2025/02/21/w...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Simon Strick with an excellent postmortem on the "Brandmauer", here in English: thediasporist.de/no-wall-only... and here in German: thediasporist.de/de/keine-mau... @thediasporist.bsky.social
Keine Mauer, nur Brand – the Diasporist
Die „Brandmauer“ ist ein deutsches Bauwerk im politischen Feld. Sie hatte einmal eine einfache Bedeutung: Postfaschistische Politik ist anders als faschistische Politik.
thediasporist.de
February 21, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Simon Strick with an excellent postmortem on the "Brandmauer", here in English: thediasporist.de/no-wall-only... and here in German: thediasporist.de/de/keine-mau... @thediasporist.bsky.social
Many reports lately about Egyptian troop +tank build up near Israeli border. But as one interviewee told me, that's "total bullsh*t". www.dw.com/en/making-se...
Making sense of Egypt's alleged military buildup near Israel – DW – 02/18/2025
A war of words has broken out between Egypt and Israel. Israel accuses Egypt of threatening it by increasing troops near its border, Egypt says its soldiers are there to fight extremists. What's reall...
www.dw.com
February 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Many reports lately about Egyptian troop +tank build up near Israeli border. But as one interviewee told me, that's "total bullsh*t". www.dw.com/en/making-se...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Love this report from inside post-Assad Syria by @mazmhussain.bsky.social mazmhussain.substack.com/p/the-road-t...
The Road to Damascus
Personal reflections on a recent trip to Syria
mazmhussain.substack.com
February 7, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Love this report from inside post-Assad Syria by @mazmhussain.bsky.social mazmhussain.substack.com/p/the-road-t...
Sanctions in Syria: complex 🐔or🥚? situation. Sanction-setting Western nations want new Syrian govt. to achieve inclusive, democratic governance before they roll back sanctions. But the new Syrian govt. likely can't achieve that without sanctions being relaxed. www.dw.com/en/experts-w...
Assad is gone: Time to lift sanctions on Syria? – DW – 01/07/2025
Syria is one of the most sanctioned countries in the world. But now the focus of those sanctions, the Assad regime, has gone, experts say the inherited restrictions endanger a peaceful transition and ...
www.dw.com
January 8, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Sanctions in Syria: complex 🐔or🥚? situation. Sanction-setting Western nations want new Syrian govt. to achieve inclusive, democratic governance before they roll back sanctions. But the new Syrian govt. likely can't achieve that without sanctions being relaxed. www.dw.com/en/experts-w...
Lashings of disinfo/misinfo on Syria. No matter what you think of them, a wide variety of this 'fake news', being amplified by everyone from far left to far right, from MidEast to EU and US, aligns against Syria's new leadership... which is - to say the least - worrying. www.dw.com/en/disinform...
Disinformation campaigns could push Syria back to civil war – DW – 01/03/2025
A deluge of false or misleading information about Syria has flooded social media. Local and international actors are exploiting preexisting divisions to advance their own aims, experts say.
www.dw.com
January 4, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Lashings of disinfo/misinfo on Syria. No matter what you think of them, a wide variety of this 'fake news', being amplified by everyone from far left to far right, from MidEast to EU and US, aligns against Syria's new leadership... which is - to say the least - worrying. www.dw.com/en/disinform...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
On this special day, may all your wishes seem momentarily achievable x
December 25, 2024 at 9:10 AM
On this special day, may all your wishes seem momentarily achievable x
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
All the videos of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight showing the damage show holes in the wreckage have entry holes on the port side and exit holes on the starboard side, likely with a slight angle from below.
December 25, 2024 at 3:50 PM
All the videos of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight showing the damage show holes in the wreckage have entry holes on the port side and exit holes on the starboard side, likely with a slight angle from below.
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Shooting people for sport, ignoring any distinction between civilian and combatant ("no exceptions, no civilians, everyone's a terrorist"), calling in air strikes on unarmed families: this is what Israeli soldiers are doing in Gaza, in their own words. www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
IDF soldiers expose arbitrary killings and rampant lawlessness in Gaza's Netzarim corridor
***
www.haaretz.com
December 19, 2024 at 6:37 AM
Shooting people for sport, ignoring any distinction between civilian and combatant ("no exceptions, no civilians, everyone's a terrorist"), calling in air strikes on unarmed families: this is what Israeli soldiers are doing in Gaza, in their own words. www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
More knock-on effects of Assad's fall: Is Russia withdrawing military assets from Syria and heading for Libya? Nobody knows for sure quite yet but if they do, there's danger of another frozen conflict (in Libya) unfreezing🥶 www.dw.com/en/russian-m...
Russian military: Moving from Syria to Libya? – DW – 12/18/2024
Russian military bases in Syria appear to be being packed up and evacuated. If Russia relocates to Libya, experts worry the shift could impact security in the Mediterranean and unbalance the frozen co...
www.dw.com
December 18, 2024 at 5:56 PM
More knock-on effects of Assad's fall: Is Russia withdrawing military assets from Syria and heading for Libya? Nobody knows for sure quite yet but if they do, there's danger of another frozen conflict (in Libya) unfreezing🥶 www.dw.com/en/russian-m...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Russian Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of the military’s nuclear, chemical and biological defense forces, was killed by a bomb placed on a scooter in Moscow on Tuesday. He's the most prominent military officer to be assassinated of the war. w/ @maxseddon.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/ccb1...
December 17, 2024 at 7:01 AM
Russian Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of the military’s nuclear, chemical and biological defense forces, was killed by a bomb placed on a scooter in Moscow on Tuesday. He's the most prominent military officer to be assassinated of the war. w/ @maxseddon.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/ccb1...
Reposted by Cathrin Schaer
Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Al-Louh was killed in an Israeli strike, making him the third journalist killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours aje.io/a90xq1
December 15, 2024 at 7:45 PM
Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Al-Louh was killed in an Israeli strike, making him the third journalist killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours aje.io/a90xq1