The Wisdom of Syria's Waiting Game

'A much needed breath of fresh air. Finally, we find a well thought through, well researched and beautifully written book on the nearly three-year Syrian Revolt. Bente Scheller, an A-class Syria expert, has written a volume that is intended to last long after the curtain falls on the Syrian Revolt. In foreign policy she has chosen the most unconventional topic for a country at war, analysing how and why Syria has reached its current state of affairs. Scheller delves deep into domestic factors, too, brilliantly interweaving them with the aspirations, fears, and ambitions of the Damascus government - how they influence foreign policy and are influenced by it. This book is a must for the Middle East library, making Bente Scheller Europe's finest Syria expert.' - Sami Moubayed, Syrian historian and visting scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center (Beirut) 'An excellent analysis of Syrian foreign policy under Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, and how Assad senior succeeded in making Syria's foreign policy a bargaining chip in stabilising his rule domestically. Bente Scheller's book also give us a comprehensive understanding of how the personal character of Syria's leaders have been reflected in their foreign policy decisions.' - Radwan Ziadeh, co-founder and executive director of the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C. and author of Power and Policy in Syria 'An excellent and groundbreaking study, filling an important gap in Syria studies. Scheller's work provides essential insights into what one can expect of the present Syrian Ba'th regime with regard to its suppression of the Syrian Revolution. It is a very timely account of how the Syrian regime, despite periods of deep crisis and heavy foreign pressures, has managed, for decades, to stay in power. Scheller eloquently explains the complex and shifting relations between Syria, its regional neighbours and the world. This book is a must-read for those seriously interested in Syria.' - Nikolaos van Dam, author of The Struggle for Power in Syria: Politics and Society under Asad and the Ba'th Party