NIMEP: Syria 2008

NIMEP SYRIA TRIP 2008 from Institute For Global Leadership on Vimeo. In January of 2008 the New Initiative for Middle East Peace a student think tank at Tufts University had the opportunity to travel to Syria in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the political climate, societal makeup, and challenges facing the regime. This slideshow takes excerpts from just two of the multiple interviews conducted in Syria with insights from Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and Secretary General of Hamas Khaled Meshal. Deputy Foreign Minister Mekdad's interviews describe Syria's future foreign policy and reveals the realist calculating elements of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The excerpts from Khaled Meshal focus on the relationship between Hamas and the Syrian government that currently houses the political leadership of the group in Damascus. We hope you enjoy the valuable insights of the speakers as well as the photos taken by students David Mou, Elien Becque, and Monica Camacho while in Syria.