LightNews
Steven Heydemann
@stevenhyde.bsky.social
2.9K followers 730 following 1.6K 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

Videos
Political science 66%
Sociology 25%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 1d
Maybe. Let’s wait and see. Loads of ways this can fall apart. Hoping it won’t.

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 1d
www.newarab.com/news/interna...
International commission ends first visit to Syria’s Suweida
A commission looking into violations in Suweida after this year’s sectarian clashes has ended its first visit to the Druze-majority province
www.newarab.com

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 1d
When you elect hatemongers and racists, the results are not a surprise. The protest vote for Trump among Arab communities in MI was understandable, but tragically misguided.

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 2d
I thought menacing immigrants with a gun was required for membership in the AfD.
ruslantrad.bsky.social
Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 2d
The radical right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has fired its head of parliamentary security after it was discovered that he had been convicted of menacing two Syrian children with a gun.
AfD security head threatened Syrian children with gun
Philipp Roensch has been fired by the radical right-wing party’s parliamentary group — but he is still listed as a member of its co-leader’s local committee
www.thetimes.com
2

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

eliothiggins.bsky.social
Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 2d
Part of upcoming Bellingcat reporting, with Evident Media, Frontline PBS and The Washington Post -
After U.S. strikes, Iran increases work at mysterious underground site
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
After U.S. strikes, Iran increases work at mysterious underground site
Satellite imagery indicates Iran is increasing construction at a deeply buried site in Pickaxe Mountain, just south of the Natanz nuclear facility hit by Israeli and U.S. strikes in June.
www.washingtonpost.com
1 39 110

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

ruslantrad.bsky.social
Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 2d
The radical right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has fired its head of parliamentary security after it was discovered that he had been convicted of menacing two Syrian children with a gun.
AfD security head threatened Syrian children with gun
Philipp Roensch has been fired by the radical right-wing party’s parliamentary group — but he is still listed as a member of its co-leader’s local committee
www.thetimes.com
2 23 54

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Kimberly A. Prather, Leah Stokes , and 1 more

murray.senate.gov
Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 2d
The scenes out of Chicago should outrage us all. These federal agents are out of control, committing senseless acts of violence & putting everyone at risk.
 
American citizens are being detained & brutalized.
 
This kind of immigration "enforcement" shouldn't be acceptable to anyone.
Immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago
Activists, residents and elected leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest cit...
www.pbs.org
320 2.2K 5.5K

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 4d
Indeed. Fuck ICE.
malloy.rocks
Oliver Markus Malloy @malloy.rocks · 5d
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Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 4d
zeteo.com/p/ever-see-o...
Ever See Our Shocking Film on Online Extremism in Israel?
On the eve of the second anniversary of the Oct 7. attack, here's another opportunity to watch our acclaimed short film ‘Israel’s Reel Extremism’, featuring rare interviews with those Israeli troops.
zeteo.com

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

timothysnyder.bsky.social
Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 4d
"State Terror: A brief guide for Americans"
Revisiting a piece I wrote in April 2025
"In the history of state terror, the escape from law into coercion takes three forms... the leader principle; the state of exception; and the zone of statelessness."
snyder.substack.com/p/state-terror
State Terror
A brief guide for Americans
snyder.substack.com
23 480 1.1K

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Marc Lynch, James Q. Wilson , and 17 more

andrewjweinstein.com
Andrew Weinstein @andrewjweinstein.com · 4d
ICE admits that up to 50% of arrests in its Chicago raids are "collateral.” These aren't statistics. They are parents taken from their children, neighbors taken from our communities. When does a "collateral" U.S. citizen child's trauma matter? This isn't law enforcement; it's a campaign of terror.
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Reposted by Steven Heydemann

lucyjgaynor.bsky.social
Lucy Gaynor @lucyjgaynor.bsky.social · 5d
Anwar S. - a suspected former #Shabbiha militia leader in #Aleppo, #Syria - was arrested in #Germany last week on charges of Crimes Against Humanity: killing and torture.

Assad used Shabbiha both for the commission of violence, and the evasion of responsibility.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...
German police arrest Syrian man suspected of crimes against humanity
German police arrested on Tuesday a Syrian man suspected of committing crimes against humanity, including killing and torturing, as a militia leader in 2011 in Aleppo, prosecutors said.
www.reuters.com
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Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Diane Ravitch, Juan Cole

iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social
Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 5d
Gestapo posting about their work.
460 1.3K 2K

Reposted by Steven Heydemann

wlacher.bsky.social
Wolfram Lacher @wlacher.bsky.social · 5d
"The global consensus against the starvation weapon took decades to achieve. Now, international apathy risks letting it collapse at the moment it is most needed." - Alex de Waal in @foreignaffairs.com
The Return of the Starvation Weapon
The collapse of global norms fueling the catastrophes in Gaza and Sudan.
www.foreignaffairs.com
16 24

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 6d
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Syria to establish first post-Assad parliament amid political inclusivity concerns
Syria will hold an indirect vote on Sunday to establish its first parliament since Bashar al-Assad was ousted, a key step in the transition from his rule but one that has stirred concerns about political inclusivity under the country's new leaders.
www.reuters.com
2

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 6d
Trump’s advisor?! On child sexual abuse?! What? Trump didn’t get enough practice with Epstein? Fucking republicans.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Megachurch pastor and ex-Trump adviser pleads guilty to child sexual abuse
Robert Morris to serve only six months in county jail after charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with child
www.theguardian.com
1 2

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Gerald Friedman, Stacy D. VanDeveer , and 1 more

ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 6d
This is fascism.
2.4K 4.9K 16K

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Steven Heydemann

aricaschuett.bsky.social
Arica Schuett @aricaschuett.bsky.social · 6d
🚨The Graduate Student Support Grant is now open 🚨 If you are a graduate student in political science with an urgent financial need-please apply today! Awards are given to applicants on a lottery basis. It doesn't hurt to apply. connect.apsanet.org/graduate/gra...
Graduate Student Member Support Grant FAQ
connect.apsanet.org
10 5

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Steven Heydemann , and 6 more

kyledcheney.bsky.social
Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 6d
BREAKING: A federal judge says there is a realistic likelihood that the prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was driven by vindictive motives — reflected in the public statements of Bondi, Blanche, Noem et al.

He has ordered discovery on the question.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
230 2.5K 8.9K

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Steven Heydemann, Alan Richardson , and 7 more

kyledcheney.bsky.social
Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 6d
BREAKING: The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 100-page opinion -- says it is unequivocally, lopsidedly easy to determine that the Trump administration's view of birthright citizenship is wrong.

www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
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Reposted by Steven Heydemann

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7d
The Trump administration is again stealing children from their families to coerce detainees, including those requesting asylum or in the US legally, to cooperate by "self deporting." What kind of regime would do this? See below.

www.lighthousereports.com/investigatio...
Syria’s Stolen Children
Under the Assad regime, hundreds of Syrian children were hidden in orphanages to extort their parents. Families still have few answers from the new government or the international charity that kept it...
www.lighthousereports.com
1

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7d
The Trump administration has publicly declared its support for a "one Syria" policy. Israel doesn't seem to have gotten the message.
stelhami.bsky.social
Shibley Telhami @stelhami.bsky.social · 7d
'Druze groups set up a de facto military and governmental body in Sweida, Syria, similar to the Kurdish-led authorities in the country’s northeast, seeking Sweida autonomy and turning toward Israel' apnews.com/article/syri...
Druze seek Sweida autonomy and turn toward Israel, adding new twist to Syria's tensions
When Syrian government forces entered the minority Druze enclave of Sweida this summer, it backfired.
apnews.com
1 1 1

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 7d
Between 2021-2024 China accounted for half of US soybean exports.

Now? Nothing.
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Reposted by Steven Heydemann

stelhami.bsky.social
Shibley Telhami @stelhami.bsky.social · 7d
'Druze groups set up a de facto military and governmental body in Sweida, Syria, similar to the Kurdish-led authorities in the country’s northeast, seeking Sweida autonomy and turning toward Israel' apnews.com/article/syri...
Druze seek Sweida autonomy and turn toward Israel, adding new twist to Syria's tensions
When Syrian government forces entered the minority Druze enclave of Sweida this summer, it backfired.
apnews.com
1 2

Steven Heydemann @stevenhyde.bsky.social · 8d
Very much looking forward to the day a Democratic president puts the full authority of the empowered presidency to use.
politico.com
Politico @politico.com · 8d
The White House is targeting blue states with its first wave of cuts to federal projects following the government shutdown.

The Office of Management and Budget is withholding billions in energy and infrastructure money in more than a dozen states that voted against Trump.
White House targets Democratic states in shutdown fight
The Office of Management and Budget is withholding billions in energy and infrastructure money in more than a dozen states that voted against Trump.
www.politico.com
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Reposted by Steven Heydemann

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Henry Jones

schiff.senate.gov
Sen. Adam Schiff @schiff.senate.gov · 8d
Our democracy is badly broken when a president can illegally suspend projects for Blue states in order to punish his political enemies.

They continue to break the law, and expect us to go along.

Hell no.
Trump administration cancels nearly $8 billion in climate funding to blue states: Vought
The announcement came on the first day of the federal government shutdown.
www.cnbc.com
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