“Syria and the League of Nations”, a book by Dr. Bashar Al-Jaafari

“Syria and the League of Nations” is a recently published book written by Dr. Bashar Al-Jaafari, Syria’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

The book, which was published by the “Boustan Hisham” Publishing House in Damascus, analyzes and documents an important stage in the Syrian political life during the “League of Nations” period.

In his preface to the book, Dr. Al-Jaafari said that “ironically, the League of Nations was the outcome of World War I and that the United Nations was the outcome of World War II, as if fate wanted to say its final word in the context of the conflict between war and peace in terms of giving supremacy to the authority of law over the authority of force. Nevertheless, the application of the power of law hasn’t succeeded in solving humanitarian, political and other key issues.”

 One of the chapters of Dr. Al-Jaafari’s book was titled “International Relations and the League of Nations”. It highlights the idea of multilateral international relations and the principles on which these relations were based. The book provides an analytical view about international relations which are built on theoretical principles laid down by the strong and the victors.

The author condemns the position of the League of Nations on Syria that legalized the French mandate.

Another chapter of the book is titled “Syria and the League of Nations”. It highlights part of the writer’s experience at the United Nations where he was in direct touch with the reality of what is going on inside this organization, which is seen by many as a guarantor of global peace and security, but, in its essence, it is not much different from the League of Nations.

In his book, Dr. Al-Jaafari presents rare documents about the treaties and the conspiracies plotted by colonial states on the region and Syria in particular at that stage and focuses on Syria’s politicians’ position on these conspiracies.

Hamda Mustafa