Bouthaina Shaaban, Political and Media Advisor to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, in a talk hosted by the Centre for Policy Analysis, answers the questions of journalists and people eager to have a deep understanding of the factors responsible for the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Professor Aijaz Ahmad discusses with NewsClick on the unfolding events in Egypt. He feels President Morsi has overplayed his hand. The move at putting his decisions above the reach of judicial review smacks of dictatorship. Prof Ahmad apprehends that if the current events continue for long, there is a danger of military intervention, probably with the collusion of Muslim Brotherhood

Professor Aijaz Ahmad discusses with NewsClick on the unfolding events in Egypt. He feels President Morsi has overplayed his hand. The move at putting his decisions above the reach of judicial review smacks of dictatorship. Prof. Ahmad apprehends that if the current events continue for long, there is a danger of military intervention, probably with the collusion of Muslim Brotherhood

Muslims and Muslim governments are angry with Bashar al-Assad. They hold him responsible for the massacre of thousands of people, many of them innocent civilians, in Syria. They want him to go.

It is true that Bashar’s army has killed a lot of people. It has used excessive force ---as I have pointed out in a number of articles before this. Anyone with a conscience would condemn the mindless violence that has bloodied Syria in the last 17 months.

There are three components to the current crisis in Egypt. Right now, the most important, at least in public eye, is who will become the next president of Egypt?

Egypt's first round of Presidential polls has shown that the two institutions – Islamists and the military – still dominate the political landscape, even if their hold is weakening. The surprise in the elections has been the unexpectedly strong showing of Hamdeen Sabahi, the Nasserist left-secular candidate.

Seema Mustafa, who has just returned from Syria, reports on the increased presence of al Qaeda is Syria and its alliance on the ground with the armed opposition groups.