Majid Rafizadeh December 26, 2013 The 32-month-old Syrian civil war is publicly (and more conspicuously) turning into two concentric circles of tension – domestically and regionally. The mainstream media has more than adequately concentrated on the first dimension, linked to the geopolitical balance of power and military capabilities of the […]
AMMAN — The Orthodox Initiative, a nonprofit organisation based in Amman, is distributing winter aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan to celebrate Christmas this year, according to a statement issued by the organisation on Thursday. The initiative, which supports local churches hosting Syrian refugees, is distributing 800 winter jackets and […]
The Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation–Global, which is chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, announced a SR2 million donation for the Syrian refugees to help them stay warm and dry in […]
By Scott Stewart STRATFOR Editor’s Note: The following is the first installment of a five-part series examining the global jihadist movement. Part 2 analyzes insurgent and terrorist theory. Part 3 defines the jihadist movement and evaluates its various elements. Part 4 looks at franchises and grassroots jihadists and Part 5 […]
An Al-Qaeda faction in Syria is committing appalling atrocities in areas under its control, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday that urged the group to end its “reign of […]
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE Published — Thursday 19 December 2013 WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia is prepared to act on its own to safeguard security in the region, the Saudi ambassador to Britain has said in a commentary published in the New York Times. Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf termed the West’s policies on […]
STORY SUMMARY The US ambassador to Damascus has said a newly formed Islamist alliance in war-torn Syria has refused to meet with American officials, in an interview aired Wednesday on […]
STORY SUMMARY The US ambassador to Damascus has said a newly formed Islamist alliance in war-torn Syria has refused to meet with American officials, in an interview aired Wednesday on […]
BY ROBERT FISK, THE INDEPENDENT I first met Fatima Khan in the Syrian embassy in Beirut early this year. She was pleading for a visa so that she and her daughter Sara could visit Damascus and seek news of her missing son. I knew nothing of Abbas Khan, but – […]
ABOUT THIS PROJECT In October, Washington Post photographer Linda Davidson and I set off for Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon to report on the Syrian refugee crisis, one of the largest forced migrations of people since World War II. Our goal was to document the size and complexity of the crisis, […]
AFP | Dec 12, 2013 | 18:24 JORDAN TIMES ISTANBUL –– The top military commander of the Western-backed Syrian opposition is in Turkey for talks with rebels, a spokesman said Thursday, denying reports that he had fled Syria. The Wall Street Journal reported that General Selim Idriss, the head of […]
Syrian rebels say they are ready to include Islamist fighters as part of their delegation to the Geneva peace talks aimed at putting an end to Syria’s civil war. Senior […]
Source: CNN The Islamic Front was created last month by seven groups with the aim of toppling the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and creating an Islamic state in Syria “where the sovereignty of God almighty alone will be our reference and ruler.” Two weeks later the Front abandoned […]
STORY SUMMARY By Serene Assir Daily Star Syria’s Western-backed rebels were in disarray Thursday after Washington and London suspended non-lethal aid following the loss of a key border crossing and arms depots to a powerful Islamist alliance. Last week it withdrew from the FSA’s Supreme Military Council headed by General […]
STORY SUMMARY The sectarian bloodbath in Syria is such a threat to regional security that a victory for Bashar al-Assad’s regime could the best outcome to hope for, a former CIA chief said Thursday. Michael Hayden, the retired US Air Force general who until 2009 was head of the Central […]
STORY SUMMARY The sectarian bloodbath in Syria is such a threat to regional security that a victory for Bashar al-Assad’s regime could the best outcome to hope for, a former CIA chief said Thursday. Michael Hayden, the retired US Air Force general who until 2009 was head of the Central […]
STORY SUMMARY Less than an hour later, the gray skies delivered the first snowfall of the winter, which pelted the plastic sheeting covering the Bazazi family tent, as Sleiman played […]
CAIRO – There is something sadly appropriate about arriving in the Mideast on the weekend when the world is mourning Nelson Mandela. Mandela was a visionary who managed to reconcile a long-repressed black majority with the white minority that had ruled them. His name became synonymous with forgiveness, in this […]
STORY SUMMARY Lebanon witnessed Wednesday some of its first snowfall this year in the northern and eastern region as the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute warns “Alexa” has not yet reached […]
Source: Asia Times: The United States nearly went to war over the use of chemical weapons in Syria a few months ago – and then backed off, ostensibly swayed by Russia’s initiative to have the Syrian government’s chemical stockpile shipped out and destroyed – but those who had been saying […]