Bente Scheller
@bentescheller.bsky.social
Specializes in Foreign & Security Policy, Middle East and particularly Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Iran, Afghanistan. Author of The Wisdom of Syria's Waiting Game. FP under the Assads. Posts my own.
Pinned
Bente Scheller
@bentescheller.bsky.social
· Mar 15
Nahost-Expertin über Syrien: Was will Ahmed al-Scharaa wirklich?
Syriens Interimsherrscher verspricht Frieden für alle, doch die Lage ist angespannt. Wie Al-Scharaa von sich überzeugen will, erklärt Nahostexpertin Bente Scheller.
www.zeit.de
Was will Ahmad al-#Sharaa und woher kommt die Gewalt in #Syrien? Darüber habe ich mit @zeitonline.bsky.social gesprochen www.zeit.de/politik/ausl...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
"Die Brutalität ist hier System": Beim Presseclub diskutiert unsere Referatsleiterin @bentescheller.bsky.social über den Aufstand in #Iran. Es gebe für das Mullah-Regime keine Grenze. Das werde den Zorn in der Bevölkerung aber wohl nur weiter schüren: www.ardmediathek.de/video/presse...
Presseclub: Aufstand gegen das Mullah-Regime - Letzte Hoffnung Trump? - hier anschauen
Susan Link diskutiert mit:
- Daniel-Dylan Böhmer (Die Welt, Welt am Sonntag)
- Matthew Karnitschinig (Euractiv)
- Isabel Schayani (WDR)
- Bente Scheller (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung)
www.ardmediathek.de
January 21, 2026 at 8:00 AM
"Die Brutalität ist hier System": Beim Presseclub diskutiert unsere Referatsleiterin @bentescheller.bsky.social über den Aufstand in #Iran. Es gebe für das Mullah-Regime keine Grenze. Das werde den Zorn in der Bevölkerung aber wohl nur weiter schüren: www.ardmediathek.de/video/presse...
Wie ist die Lage in #Syrien? Welche politischen und militärischen Entwicklungen gibt es zwischen #SDF und #Damaskus? Darüber habe ich heute morgen mit Radio 3 gesprochen. www.radiodrei.de/programm/sch...
Wie geht es weiter in und mit Syrien?
Ein Gespräch Bente Scheller, Leiterin des Referats Nahost bei der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
www.radiodrei.de
January 20, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Wie ist die Lage in #Syrien? Welche politischen und militärischen Entwicklungen gibt es zwischen #SDF und #Damaskus? Darüber habe ich heute morgen mit Radio 3 gesprochen. www.radiodrei.de/programm/sch...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
25-minute panel
Navigating between pro-Govt commentator and #Kurdish academic to set out military and political situation in north/northeast #Syria
Can Sunday's agreement avert further clashes?
Can Kurdish autonomy co-exist w Syrian Govt?
Can Kurdish SDF fighters be integrated into Syria Army?
Navigating between pro-Govt commentator and #Kurdish academic to set out military and political situation in north/northeast #Syria
Can Sunday's agreement avert further clashes?
Can Kurdish autonomy co-exist w Syrian Govt?
Can Kurdish SDF fighters be integrated into Syria Army?
EA on Al Jazeera’s Inside Story: A Government- #Kurdish Confrontation in #Syria? (Scott Lucas/Kamaran Palani/Omar Abu Layla)
#Kurdistan #Taqba #Raqqa #SDF
eaworldview.com/2026/01/syri...
#Kurdistan #Taqba #Raqqa #SDF
eaworldview.com/2026/01/syri...
EA on Al Jazeera's Inside Story: A Government-Kurdish Confrontation in Syria? - EA WorldView
Analyyzing clashes between Government troops and US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in north Syria: will an agreement stop them?
eaworldview.com
January 19, 2026 at 10:27 AM
Reposted by Bente Scheller
I really want ppl w/o Minneapolis connections to understand
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
January 13, 2026 at 6:06 PM
I really want ppl w/o Minneapolis connections to understand
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen
*Everyone has stories like this*
Reposted by Bente Scheller
32 people died in ICE custody last year — the agency’s deadliest year in over two decades.
Meanwhile, private prison corporations that are building and overseeing ICE detention centers are raking it in.
Cashing in on cruelty.
Meanwhile, private prison corporations that are building and overseeing ICE detention centers are raking it in.
Cashing in on cruelty.
January 13, 2026 at 8:15 PM
32 people died in ICE custody last year — the agency’s deadliest year in over two decades.
Meanwhile, private prison corporations that are building and overseeing ICE detention centers are raking it in.
Cashing in on cruelty.
Meanwhile, private prison corporations that are building and overseeing ICE detention centers are raking it in.
Cashing in on cruelty.
Reposted by Bente Scheller
These are absolutely monstrous people
"Mr. Thompson’s resignation came after senior DOJ officials pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of the widow of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent"
"Mr. Thompson’s resignation came after senior DOJ officials pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of the widow of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent"
3 Prosecutors Quit After Push to Investigate ICE Shooting Victim’s Widow
www.nytimes.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:04 PM
These are absolutely monstrous people
"Mr. Thompson’s resignation came after senior DOJ officials pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of the widow of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent"
"Mr. Thompson’s resignation came after senior DOJ officials pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of the widow of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent"
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Thrilled about early blurbs for my forthcoming Russia book
WE SHALL OUTLAST THEM:
"A masterclass in modern statecraft" (Jake Sullivan)
"Timely" & "compelling" (Fiona Hill)
"Well researched & beautifully written" (Serhii Plokhy)
See the full endorsements: wwnorton.com/books/978132...
WE SHALL OUTLAST THEM:
"A masterclass in modern statecraft" (Jake Sullivan)
"Timely" & "compelling" (Fiona Hill)
"Well researched & beautifully written" (Serhii Plokhy)
See the full endorsements: wwnorton.com/books/978132...
We Shall Outlast Them
The chilling and revelatory story of how Russia’s confrontation with the West went global., We Shall Outlast Them, Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West, Hanna Notte, 9781324117018
wwnorton.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:22 AM
Thrilled about early blurbs for my forthcoming Russia book
WE SHALL OUTLAST THEM:
"A masterclass in modern statecraft" (Jake Sullivan)
"Timely" & "compelling" (Fiona Hill)
"Well researched & beautifully written" (Serhii Plokhy)
See the full endorsements: wwnorton.com/books/978132...
WE SHALL OUTLAST THEM:
"A masterclass in modern statecraft" (Jake Sullivan)
"Timely" & "compelling" (Fiona Hill)
"Well researched & beautifully written" (Serhii Plokhy)
See the full endorsements: wwnorton.com/books/978132...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
January 13, 2026 at 7:25 AM
Reposted by Bente Scheller
The New York Times says US allegedly painted its military aircraft like a civilian plane to conduct a September strike.
US faces war crime allegation for ‘disguising' aircraft in drug boat attack
The New York Times says US allegedly painted its military aircraft like a civilian plane to conduct a September strike.
www.aljazeera.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:30 AM
The New York Times says US allegedly painted its military aircraft like a civilian plane to conduct a September strike.
Internetsperre in #Iran: So kann man Menschen Netzzugang ermöglichen: #Snowflake www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/...
Landesweite Internetsperre im Iran: Mit "Snowflake" kann man Menschen Netzzugang ermöglichen
Irans Führung blockiert das Internet. Unabhängige Informationen sind unerwünscht. Doch es gibt Maßnahmen gegen Zensur.
www1.wdr.de
January 13, 2026 at 7:34 AM
Internetsperre in #Iran: So kann man Menschen Netzzugang ermöglichen: #Snowflake www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Vulkangruppe - RAF: Es ist abenteuerlich, was man bei Springer ohne irgendwelche Indizien oder Belege herbeikonstruiert. Und das in einem Land, in dem allein von 1990 bis 2021 laut Amadeu Antonio Stiftung mind. 219 Menschen von Rechtsextremen getötet wurden.
January 12, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Vulkangruppe - RAF: Es ist abenteuerlich, was man bei Springer ohne irgendwelche Indizien oder Belege herbeikonstruiert. Und das in einem Land, in dem allein von 1990 bis 2021 laut Amadeu Antonio Stiftung mind. 219 Menschen von Rechtsextremen getötet wurden.
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Nun sollen also künftig strafunmündige Kinder vor Gericht gestellt werden. Es ist atemberaubend, wie die Union die Grundpfeiler unseres Gemeinwesens zerstört: Zivilisiertheit, Humanität und Recht.
Minderjährige Straftäter - CSU-Papier fordert: "Auch kriminelle Kinder unter 14 vor Gericht stellen"
Die CSU im Bundestag plädiert dafür, dass sich auch strafunmündige Kinder nach Straftaten vor Gericht verantworten müssen.
www.deutschlandfunk.de
January 5, 2026 at 7:06 AM
Nun sollen also künftig strafunmündige Kinder vor Gericht gestellt werden. Es ist atemberaubend, wie die Union die Grundpfeiler unseres Gemeinwesens zerstört: Zivilisiertheit, Humanität und Recht.
#Trump's plan foresaw a significant surge in humanitarian aid to #Gaza that has remained way below needs. Not only is #Israel slowing down aid by continued restriction of access: It denies most of the top professional international aid organizations registration.
List of aid groups working in Gaza that Israel is suspending.
They include some of the world’s most prominent and outspoken aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders:
apnews.com/article/gaza...
They include some of the world’s most prominent and outspoken aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders:
apnews.com/article/gaza...
List of aid groups working in Gaza that Israel is suspending
Israel says it's suspending humanitarian organizations that have failed to meet its new rules to vet international groups working in Gaza.
apnews.com
December 30, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Heartbreaking news.
Tatiana Schlossberg’s family has announced that she has died.
Read her powerful New Yorker essay which was published in November.
Tatiana Schlossberg’s family has announced that she has died.
Read her powerful New Yorker essay which was published in November.
A Battle with My Blood
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
bit.ly
December 30, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Heartbreaking news.
Tatiana Schlossberg’s family has announced that she has died.
Read her powerful New Yorker essay which was published in November.
Tatiana Schlossberg’s family has announced that she has died.
Read her powerful New Yorker essay which was published in November.
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Allein schon für sowas ekelhaftes müsste die Partei verboten werden
December 30, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Allein schon für sowas ekelhaftes müsste die Partei verboten werden
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Danke an alle, die hinter uns stehen. Das gibt uns Kraft für das, was noch kommt. Unsere Mail-Accounts könnten z. B. schon morgen gesperrt werden. Wir sorgen jetzt vor, damit Menschen, die online angefeindet werden, uns weiter erreichen. Unterstützt uns dabei: hateaid.org/spenden/?don...
December 30, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Danke an alle, die hinter uns stehen. Das gibt uns Kraft für das, was noch kommt. Unsere Mail-Accounts könnten z. B. schon morgen gesperrt werden. Wir sorgen jetzt vor, damit Menschen, die online angefeindet werden, uns weiter erreichen. Unterstützt uns dabei: hateaid.org/spenden/?don...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Gaza se enfrenta a una tragedia inimaginable. Nada justifica que las personas de Gaza paguen un precio tan alto e injusto. En medio de la devastación, Richard Gere se une a UNRWA. Apoyar a UNRWA es proteger vidas y defender la humanidad. Por favor https://bit.ly/3L8XqIu
December 28, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Gaza se enfrenta a una tragedia inimaginable. Nada justifica que las personas de Gaza paguen un precio tan alto e injusto. En medio de la devastación, Richard Gere se une a UNRWA. Apoyar a UNRWA es proteger vidas y defender la humanidad. Por favor https://bit.ly/3L8XqIu
This ist outrageous. #Israel's newly passed bill is devastating for humanitarian assistance, education and health services for Palestinians. But not only that: it deals another heavy blow to multilateralism, respect for international law and a dangerous precedent. #UNRWA
“Failing to push back against attempts to intimidate and undermine the UN in the occupied Palestinian territory will eventually compromise humanitarian and human rights work worldwide.”
— UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini
Full statement: www.unrwa.org/newsroom/off...
— UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini
Full statement: www.unrwa.org/newsroom/off...
December 30, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Reposted by Bente Scheller
My latest @financialtimes.com on the perils of believing a Russian war with Europe is becoming inevitable
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Europe risks a self-fulfilling prophecy over the threat from Russia
Leaders on the continent should be wary of beating the drums of war too loudly
giftarticle.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:25 PM
My latest @financialtimes.com on the perils of believing a Russian war with Europe is becoming inevitable
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
What is life like for people in #Syria's second largest city and industrial capital a year after the fall of the #Assad regime? I went to ask #Aleppo's residents.
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
Aleppo rises from ruins – but waits to feel richer for it | The National
Historic citadel reopens as thousands return to Syria's second city, where people are yet to see a 'single cent' of higher salaries
www.thenationalnews.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:46 PM
What is life like for people in #Syria's second largest city and industrial capital a year after the fall of the #Assad regime? I went to ask #Aleppo's residents.
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Ein Jahr nach dem Sturz des Assad-Regime wird die Debatte über eine potenzielle Rückkehr von Syrer*innen unempathisch geführt, kritisiert @bentescheller.bsky.social im WDR-Podcast. Warum sie denkt, dass die Syrer*innen uns fehlen würden: www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/poli...
Politikum – Der Meinungspodcast von WDR 5
Politikum ist der Podcast für alle, die Lust auf echte Diskussionen haben, auf Argumente statt Lagerdenken. Wir bieten Orientierung, Impulse und verschiedene Perspektiven auf Politik und Gesellschaft ...
www.ardaudiothek.de
December 9, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Ein Jahr nach dem Sturz des Assad-Regime wird die Debatte über eine potenzielle Rückkehr von Syrer*innen unempathisch geführt, kritisiert @bentescheller.bsky.social im WDR-Podcast. Warum sie denkt, dass die Syrer*innen uns fehlen würden: www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/poli...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
They're using the confinement box, one of the most horrific methods of CIA torture in the post-9/11 black sites, against migrants now. This is the direct result of the lack of consequences for the architects of the torture program. Either there will be criminal penalties for this or it will expand.
Torture Techniques from CIA Black Sites Were Used at Alligator Alcatraz
Amnesty International, interviewing migrant detainees, identifies use of the confinement box. There can be no denying it is a torture prison
www.forever-wars.com
December 8, 2025 at 9:40 PM
They're using the confinement box, one of the most horrific methods of CIA torture in the post-9/11 black sites, against migrants now. This is the direct result of the lack of consequences for the architects of the torture program. Either there will be criminal penalties for this or it will expand.
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Software von #Palantir hat verheerende Risiken. Das ist das Ergebnis einer Risikoprüfung in der Schweiz. Aber für deutsche Polizeien soll die Palantir-Software gut genug sein. Nimmt #Dobrindt diese Risiken in Kauf? netzpolitik.org/2025/schweiz...
Schweiz: Palantir-Software hat verheerende Risiken
Nach Risikoprüfung des Einsatzes von Palantir-Software in der Schweiz bekam der US-Konzern eine Absage, trotz jahrelanger Hofierung von Behörden und Armee. Den Eidgenossen sind die Risiken zu groß. Da...
netzpolitik.org
December 8, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Software von #Palantir hat verheerende Risiken. Das ist das Ergebnis einer Risikoprüfung in der Schweiz. Aber für deutsche Polizeien soll die Palantir-Software gut genug sein. Nimmt #Dobrindt diese Risiken in Kauf? netzpolitik.org/2025/schweiz...
Der wundersame Frieden von #Homs: eine Analyse der Gewalt in #Syrien, seit #Assad vor einem Jahr stürzte. Christoph Reuter
www.spiegel.de/ausland/syri...
www.spiegel.de/ausland/syri...
(S+) Syrien ein Jahr nach dem Sturz von Baschar al-Assad: Der wundersame Frieden von Homs
Angehörige verschiedener Konfessionen, Mitglieder der alten wie der neuen Regierung und ein Jesuitenpater aus den Niederlanden: Eine ungewöhnliche Allianz sichert in der einst umkämpftesten Stadt Syri...
www.spiegel.de
December 8, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Der wundersame Frieden von #Homs: eine Analyse der Gewalt in #Syrien, seit #Assad vor einem Jahr stürzte. Christoph Reuter
www.spiegel.de/ausland/syri...
www.spiegel.de/ausland/syri...
Reposted by Bente Scheller
Nach Friedenspreis: FIFA vergibt Physik-, Chemie-, Literatur- und Medizinpreis www.der-postillon.com/2025/12/fifa...
Nach Friedenspreis: FIFA vergibt Physik-, Chemie-, Literatur- und Medizinpreis
Zürich (dpo) - Die Vergabe des eigens für ihn gestifteten Friedenspreises an Donald Trump war nur der Anfang: Die FIFA hat heute angekündigt, auch Pre
www.der-postillon.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Nach Friedenspreis: FIFA vergibt Physik-, Chemie-, Literatur- und Medizinpreis www.der-postillon.com/2025/12/fifa...