Stephen Starr

Stephen Starr is the founder and editor in chief of Near East Quarterly. Based in Damascus since 2007, his work has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Le Monde Diplomatique and the Guardian.

An excerpt from ‘Revolt in Syria: Eye-Witness to the Uprising’

In the closing pages of his book, Starr describes a social system constructed on a lack of law and order, which is designed to instil fear. In this current crisis which is also an identity crisis, the author ponders the fate of the Syrian silent majority and the role they have to play.

By Stephen Starr

/ 18 Sep 2012

Square one for the US and Syria?

Relations were knocked back when a seemingly innocuous statement snow-balled into a something of much greater consequence last spring. In April the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, set off alarm bells by claiming – without evidence – that Syria was shipping SCUD missiles to Hezbollah.

By Stephen Starr

/ 14 Dec 2010

Damascus: on the road to peace?

Momentum for a region-wide peace plan has been gaining ground since Barack Obama was sworn into office last January with Syria being singled-out as a central component to any successful

By Stephen Starr

/ 5 Aug 2009