Media Advisory: UB experts available to speak on Syrian crisis

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Experts from the University at Buffalo are available for interviews on the continuing crisis in Syria, the conditions that people in the country are experiencing and the political considerations that are contributing to the atrocities.

Othman Shibly, DDS, MS, associate director, UB Center for Dental Studies

A native Syrian, Shibly has many family members in the country, with whom he is keeping in touch, and he knows people who were gassed in the first gas attack and saw their children shot. He is in contact with medical teams on the line between the government troops and the rebels, and has up-to-date information from them.

Shibly has established dental clinics in the refugee camps outside Syria to treat Syrian refugees and help with the many mouth and jaw injuries sustained by assaults with rifle butts. He has just returned from Lebanon and Jordan, where he assisted in the desperate attempt to get medical supplies over the border. Such transfers are not officially permitted and, according to the doctors that he works with inside Syria, one can be shot for even carrying a medical device or medicine, he says.

Despite all he has seen and heard, he is very pragmatic about the situation. Shibly says he doubts the U.S. will intervene because of civilian atrocities, but will operate, as most countries do, in its own best interests. In addition, he says he sincerely thinks Syria would be served best by getting the Assads out of power. Shibly can discuss why he thinks this is the case and describe what is occurring in Syria.

Office: 716-829-3850
Cell: 716-480-9647
shibly@buffalo.edu

Jacob Kathman, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Political Science

Kathman has considerable expertise and has written extensively on the phenomena at play in Syria: Civil war, outside intervention in such wars and the victimization of civilians.

He is usually in his office when not teaching. The exception is today (Sept. 4) when he will be at home.

Home number: 716-639-7235
Office Number: 716-645-8445
kathman@buffalo.edu