Steven Heydemann
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Steven Heydemann
@stevenhyde.bsky.social
2.9K followers 750 following 1.7K 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

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Political science 66%
Sociology 25%
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Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7h
Yup.
Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7h
Is there any chance he’ll be replaced by someone sane?? Doubtful.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h
Nehls just announced he’s not seeking reelection
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 17
Nehls to Kash Patel: "I would say if Charlie Kirk lived in Biblical times, he'd have been the 13th disciple."

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Daniel W. Drezner

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h
Nehls just announced he’s not seeking reelection
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 17
Nehls to Kash Patel: "I would say if Charlie Kirk lived in Biblical times, he'd have been the 13th disciple."

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 14h
Corruption on an unprecedented scale.
bgrueskin.bsky.social Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 17h
Extraordinary WSJ reporting today that unveils the extent to which Trump, Witkoff, Kushner and US business executives are salivating over business deals with Russia while Putin’s forces kidnap Ukranian children and bomb civilians in their apartments.

🎁 www.wsj.com/world/russia...
WSJ Gentry Beach, a college friend of Donald Trump Jr. and campaign donor to his father, has been in talks to acquire a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project if it is released from sanctions. Another Trump donor, Stephen P. Lynch, paid $600,000 this year to a lobbyist close to Trump Jr. who is helping him seek a Treasury Department license to buy the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from a Russian state-owned company. One sign that he may be serious is that some of his most-trusted friends, sanctioned billionaires from his St. Petersburg hometown-Gennady Timchenko, Yuri Kovalchuk and the Rotenberg brothers, Boris and Arkady-have sent representatives to quietly meet American companies to explore rare-earth mining and energy deals, according to people familiar with the meetings and European security officials. That includes reviving the giant Nord Stream pipeline, sabotaged by Ukrainian tactical divers, and under European Union sanctions. Earlier this year, Exxon Mobil met with Russia's biggest state energy company, Rosneft, to discuss returning to the massive Sakhalin gas project if Moscow and Washington gave the green light.

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Steven Heydemann, Brendan Nyhan , and 8 more

bgrueskin.bsky.social
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 17h
Extraordinary WSJ reporting today that unveils the extent to which Trump, Witkoff, Kushner and US business executives are salivating over business deals with Russia while Putin’s forces kidnap Ukranian children and bomb civilians in their apartments.

🎁 www.wsj.com/world/russia...
WSJ Gentry Beach, a college friend of Donald Trump Jr. and campaign donor to his father, has been in talks to acquire a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project if it is released from sanctions. Another Trump donor, Stephen P. Lynch, paid $600,000 this year to a lobbyist close to Trump Jr. who is helping him seek a Treasury Department license to buy the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from a Russian state-owned company. One sign that he may be serious is that some of his most-trusted friends, sanctioned billionaires from his St. Petersburg hometown-Gennady Timchenko, Yuri Kovalchuk and the Rotenberg brothers, Boris and Arkady-have sent representatives to quietly meet American companies to explore rare-earth mining and energy deals, according to people familiar with the meetings and European security officials. That includes reviving the giant Nord Stream pipeline, sabotaged by Ukrainian tactical divers, and under European Union sanctions. Earlier this year, Exxon Mobil met with Russia's biggest state energy company, Rosneft, to discuss returning to the massive Sakhalin gas project if Moscow and Washington gave the green light.

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Evelyne de Leeuw, Alan Richardson , and 3 more

portlandken.bsky.social
Ambassador Ken Fairfax @portlandken.bsky.social · 23h
How low we have sunk as a country. The US Department of Defense is now run by a rabid war criminal.

Ordering the execution of helpless survivors of an attack is ALWAYS a war crime, whether they civilian or military.

Pure, mindless, barbarism.
www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pet...
Pentagon Pete in Legal Peril Over ‘Kill Them All’ Orders
A follow-up missile allegedly killed survivors of a U.S. strike on a drug boat.
www.thedailybeast.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

erinsnider.bsky.social
Erin A. Snider @erinsnider.bsky.social · 1d
"An Israeli military assault on this town in southern Syria early Friday killed at least 13 residents, including several children..The episode was one of the deadliest since Israel began occupying and carrying out regular military operations in parts of Syria last year."
Israeli raid on Syrian town kills 13, including children, residents say
Israel’s military said it conducted the raid in Beit Jinn in southern Syria to apprehend several people it accused of planning attacks.
wapo.st

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 2d
qantara.de/en/article/s...
War crimes in Syria: The starvation of Yarmouk on trial | Qantara.de
A new trial of Syrian suspects has opened in Koblenz, Germany — the first to begin since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and the first ever to charge starvation as a war crime.
qantara.de

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 2d
NYT previews its next April 1 headline.

Putin Defends Witkoff Against Accusations of Pro-Russia Bias www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/w...
Putin Defends Witkoff Against Accusations of Pro-Russia Bias
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

megatrends-afrika.de
Megatrends Afrika @megatrends-afrika.de · 2d
Power shift in #Africa: Since 2019, the US has withdrawn over half of its military support (training, logistics and equipment). Meanwhile, Turkey, the UAE, Russia and China have steadily expanded their #military ties across the continent.
More on foreign military support in Africa: t1p.de/vrprt
Visualization of Foreign Actor's Support to Parties in Africa's Conflicts, 2011-2025

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

yezidsayigh.bsky.social
Yezid Sayigh @yezidsayigh.bsky.social · 2d
“Unifil, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon that operates south of the Litani, says Israel has committed more than 10,000 air and ground violations during the ceasefire.”

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'This is no life': Security and long-held views shattered in Lebanon amid Israeli strikes
A year on from a ceasefire in Lebanon, Israel is continuing attacks on what it says are Hezbollah's efforts to recover from their war.
www.bbc.co.uk

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 3d
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
UAE: Political Prisoner Dead After Alleged Ill-Treatment, Torture
A political prisoner died on November 19, 2025, in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) notorious al-Razeen Prison after more than a decade of unjust imprisonment and torture allegations.
www.hrw.org

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Tim Bale, Keith Head , and 6 more

anneapplebaum.bsky.social
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 3d
The war will end when Russia stops fighting. Therefore, pressure has to be put on Russia, so that they stop believing that they will win. Why is that so hard to understand?
Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 3d
www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-...
Restoring Security in Post-Assad Syria: Lessons from the Coast and Suweida | International Crisis Group
Two major crises – one in majority-Alawite areas and another in the largely Druze south – have tested Syria’s new government in 2025. Its heavy-handed response has alienated parts of society. To keep ...
www.crisisgroup.org

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

newlinesmag.bsky.social
New Lines Magazine @newlinesmag.bsky.social · 3d
“Behind every crime lie layered, often hidden motives — economic grievances, personal vendettas and the opportunism made possible by gaps in security.”

Kamal Shahin examines the sectarian killings in Syria’s Homs, for @newlinesmag.bsky.social
In Homs, Revenge Is the Only Law Left Standing
A political economy built on predation and vendettas is taking root in post-Assad Syria
newlinesmag.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

aljazeera.com
Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 3d
Syrian government security deployments helped avoid sectarian violence, unlike previous incidents this year.
Aftermath of Homs killings may mark turning point for Syria’s government
Syrian government security deployments helped avoid sectarian violence, unlike previous incidents this year.
bit.ly

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 3d
In Italy, the murders of women killed for misogynistic reasons will now be punishable by life in prison, after lawmakers ratified a law introducing the crime of femicide into the country’s criminal code. nyti.ms/3XXYMZn
Italy Passes a Femicide Law, Seeking to Prevent Violence Against Women
Murders of women killed for misogynistic reasons will now be classified as femicide. Campaigners say a broader cultural shift is still needed.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

timep.bsky.social
The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy @timep.bsky.social · 3d
"Bassem believed that young people across the Arab world deserved to own their power, tell their stories, and write their narratives."

Who was Bassem Sabry? Get to know the late Egyptian political commentator & writer through the words of his friend @dalezzat.bsky.social: youtu.be/Q72e6vd3H1Y?...
Who Was Bassem Sabry? In the Words of Dalia Ezzat
YouTube video by The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
youtu.be

Reposted by Shibley Telhami

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 3d
I’m shocked. Who’d have seen this coming?

azmirror.com/briefs/turni...
Turning Point leader, former GOP Rep pleads guilty to attempted election fraud | Arizona Mirror
Austin Smith election fraud guilty plea: Former GOP Rep admits forging 100+ signatures on ballot petitions in Arizona
azmirror.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 3d
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
www.reuters.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 3d
apnews.com/article/syri...
Thousands of Syria's Alawites protest against what they say is discrimination by the government
Thousands of Syria’s Alawite minority have protested against what they say is discrimination by the new government.
apnews.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 4d
Socialism!! Nationalizing private firms!! Government takeover!!

$10 Billion and Counting: Trump Administration Snaps Up Stakes in Private Firms www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
$10 Billion and Counting: Trump Administration Snaps Up Stakes in Private Firms
www.nytimes.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 4d
newlinesmag.com/reportage/in...
In Homs, Revenge Is the Only Law Left Standing
A political economy built on predation and vendettas is taking root in post-Assad Syria
newlinesmag.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
Syria extends Homs curfew as killings threaten to inflame sectarian tension
Syria’s Interior Ministry says the killers likely planted misleading slogans to inflame tensions.
www.aljazeera.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
From Ibrahim Hamidi in Almajalla, interview with Syrian FM. No to Israel’s land grabs.

en.majalla.com/node/328379/...
Asaad Shaibani: no deal with Israel without troop pullback
In the final part of a two-part interview with Al Majalla, Syria's foreign minister says the policy of having good relations with neighbours does not equate to acquiescence over land grabs
en.majalla.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 5d
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
ISIS Prisons and Camps Are Festering in a Fragile Syria as Aid Peters Out
U.S. military commanders warn the group is trying to free members and radicalize their families in detention.
www.wsj.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 6d
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...
‘Enough repression’: Thousands of Tunisians protest against Kais Saied
Protesters in Tunis denounce an escalating crackdown on dissent and demand the release of jailed dissidents.
www.aljazeera.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 6d
Every word in this headline beyond Trump hits out is superfluous.
financialtimes.com Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 6d
Good morning, Asia. While you were sleeping, this was our most-read story: on.ft.com/4oRlPB2

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 6d
www.syriahr.com/en/373822/
Dramatic escalation | Tens of civilians killed and wounded in retaliatory attack by Bani Khalid tribe in Homs city - The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights
Homs province: Tension has been growing in the predominantly-Alawite neighbourhood of Al-Mohajerin in Homs city following the retaliatory attack which was launched by Bani Khalid tribesmen earlier tod...
www.syriahr.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

dropsitenews.com
Drop Site @dropsitenews.com · 6d
Israel’s National Security Minister Ben-Gvir ordered that a performance by children in the Palestinian National Theatre be raided and closed down just before the children were due to perform.
Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده @RamAbdu “I don’t want to see anyone here in 5 minutes” 🚨Breaking: The Israeli intelligence forces stormed the Hakawati Theatre in occupied Jerusalem and shut down a Palestinian children’s performance — a brazen act of intimidation meant to silence even the smallest Palestinian voices.