Syria: Outside Patronage and a New Offensive for the Regime
Summary The battle for the Syrian city of Al-Qusayr, which came under regime artillery fire May 19, is actually part of a larger battle for the highly coveted Homs governorate. […]
Assad talks, Russia walks
Source: Asiatimes. THE ROVING EYE Assad talks, Russia walks Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wasted a golden opportunity in an interview to explain to the Western public, even briefly, why petro-monarchies Saudi Arabia and Qatar, plus Turkey, have the hots for setting Syria on fire. While he was talking, Russia was […]
This is Syria’s great chance for change
It is crucial that all sides approach June’s international conference with hope as well as caution When Ban Ki-moon opens the promised international conference on Syria in Geneva next month, the war-ravaged country will experience the first sliver of hope it has dared to feel for months. A year has gone by […]
Hezbollah role in Syria grows more prominent
STORY SUMMARY Hezbollah was drawn deeper into Syria’s civil war as 28 fighters from the group were killed and dozens more wounded while fighting rebels, opposition activists said Monday. The […]
Syria Uprising: Mossad, Blackwater And CIA ‘Led Operations In Homs’
MARCH 7, 2013 Source: Huffington Post UK / CIA, Mossad and Blackwater agents are involved in military violence in the Homs district, an Arab news agency exclusively reports. According to Al-Manar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant group and political party, a coordination office with agents from the […]
Hezbollah Aids Syrian Military in a Key Battle
By ANNE BARNARD and HWAIDA SAAD THE NEW YORK TIMES Published: May 19, 2013 BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian government forces backed by Lebanese fighters from the militant group Hezbollah pushed Sunday into parts of Qusayr, a strategic city long held by rebels, according to an antigovernment activist and pro-government news […]
Militants from 29 countries fighting in Syria: Assad
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says militants from 29 different countries are now fighting against the government in different parts of the country. Assad made the remarks in a lengthy interview […]
Robert Fisk: ‘Syrian war could go on for two, three years’
President Bashar al-Assad’s troops in Syria are gaining ground. British Middle East reporter Robert Fisk met some of them when he visited the front lines earlier this month, and told […]
From revolt to nearly intractable sectarian stalemate
STORY SUMMARY What began in Syria as a revolt against an oppressive regime has evolved into a sectarian civil war and, more recently, into a proxy conflict. Today, Syria represents Russia’s only remaining toehold in the Arab world, while all of Assad’s regional opponents are U.S. allies. Indeed, government forces […]
Syria’s Nusra Front eclipsed by Iraq-based Al Qaeda
Reuters | May 18, 2013 | JORDAN TIMES BEIRUT — The most feared and effective rebel group battling President Bashar Assad, the Islamist Nusra Front, is being eclipsed by a more radical jihadi force whose aims go far beyond overthrowing the Syrian leader. Al Qaeda’s Iraq-based wing, which nurtured Nusra […]
Israel warns against Russian arms supply to Syria
May 18, 2013 – 19:47 By Maayan Lubell SWISSINFO.CH JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel said on Saturday that advanced weapons supplied by Russia to war-torn Syria could end up in the wrong hands and be used against the Jewish state. A Russian shipment of Yakhont anti-ship missiles to Syria was condemned […]
Activists: Rebel groups kidnap in Syria’s Aleppo
Two militant groups in Syria start a tit-for-tat cycle of kidnappings following factory raid Syrian activists say that a wave of tit-for-tat kidnappings between rival Islamic militant groups in the northern city of Aleppo risks sparking large-scale internal fighting between rebels. Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for […]
Why a man eats another man’s heart
Source: CNN (CNN) — A Syrian rebel carves the heart out of a dead man and bites it. His comrades nearby cheer: “God is great.” This is from a video that is circulating on the Internet. The appalling footage has all the world asking: What kind of people could do […]
Washington blunders yet again in Syria
STORY SUMMARY Washington blunders yet again in Syria It is not reassuring that we know next to nothing about the details of the international conference on Syria that has been endorsed by the United States and Russia. For the Obama administration, a conference would help initiate negotiations between the Syrian […]
Daily chart: Who’s who in Syria’s battlefield
May 17th 2013, 14:03 by Economist.com A guide to the key rebel forces in Syria AS THE civil war in Syria has dragged on, the rebels have become more Islamist […]
Israeli official: We underestimated Assad regime’s strength
By BEN CASPIT, LIOR NOVIK Senior defense official: Israel thought Assad would fall sooner. Syrian President Bashar Assad heading a cabinet meeting in Damascus, February 12, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/SANA/Handout The debate over the situation in Syria and President Bashar Assad’s chances for survival has sharpened recently within the Israeli defense […]
Pressure of War Is Causing Syria to Break Apart
CAIRO — The black flag of jihad flies over much of northern Syria. In the center of the country, pro-government militias and Hezbollah fighters battle those who threaten their communities. In the northeast, the Kurds have effectively carved out an autonomous zone. After more than two years of conflict, Syria […]
Obama, Erdoğan reaffirm Assad must go
16 May 2013 /TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES, ANKARA US President Barack Obama said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad needs to leave power for a political solution in Syria after meeting with […]
Syria rebels ‘to crack down’ after video outrage
DAMASCUS — The Free Syrian Army (FSA) pledged on Wednesday to punish atrocities amid outrage over a video showing the mutilation of a corpse, as the regime ruled out discussing […]
Assad regime to refuse ‘dictate’ at peace meet
AGENCIES arabnews Thursday 16 May 2013 BEIRUT/DAMASCUS: The Syrian regime and its allies will refuse any “dictate” at an international peace conference, particularly concerning the departure of President Bashar Assad., […]