'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
The international media have focused on the recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria and what it means to the region. What and whom did Israel target? Was there an imminent threat to Israel? Does the strike portend a widening conflict? There are several reasons for Israel's timing.
A powerful bomb ripped through a bustling commercial district of Damascus on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people, shattering store fronts and bringing Syria's civil war to the heart of the capital for the second consecutive day.
The U.S. reluctance to become deeply involved in Syria has likely emboldened dictator Bashar Assad to use chemical weapons in his country's 2-year-old civil war, analysts say.
The United States is making a monumental mistake in supporting Syrian rebel forces because they're aligned with al Qaeda and they sooner or later will strike at Europe and at America's heartland, Syrian President Bashar Assad said.
Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday accused the West of backing al Qaeda in Syria, warning it will pay the price "in the heart" of Europe and the United States as the terror network becomes emboldened.
The Syrian extremist militia Jabhat al-Nusra is a branch of al Qaeda's coalition in Iraq and has been all along, the umbrella group Islamic State of Iraq acknowledged Tuesday — a move that shows the blossoming self-confidence of salafist jihadis about their role in the revolution raging in Syria.
Syrian state media sharply criticized Jordan for hosting U.S.-backed training of rebels seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, warning Thursday that by actively backing the opposition, Amman risks falling into the "volcanic crater" of the conflict.
Islamic militants seeking to topple President Bashar Assad took full control of a strategic northwestern air base Friday in a significant blow to government forces, seizing helicopters, tanks and multiple rocket launchers, activists said.
The United Nations estimated Wednesday that more than 60,000 people have been killed in Syria's 21-month-old uprising against authoritarian rule, a toll one-third higher than what anti-regime activists had counted. The U.N. human rights chief called the toll "truly shocking."
Rebels attacked a sprawling air base in northern Syria on Wednesday as the opposition expanded its offensive on military airports in an attempt to sideline a major weapon in the hands of President Bashar Assad's forces.
An explosion targeted the Syrian Interior Ministry building Wednesday in the capital, Damascus, state TV said. There was no immediate word on casualties.
More than 100 countries on Wednesday recognized a new Syrian opposition coalition, further isolating the regime and opening the way for greater humanitarian assistance to the forces battling President Bashar Assad.
President Obama declared Syria's main opposition group the sole "legitimate representative" of its country's people Tuesday, deeming the move "a big step" in the international diplomatic efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled regime.
Syrian rebels including Islamic extremists took full control of a sprawling military base Tuesday after a bloody two-day battle that killed 35 soldiers, activists said. It was the latest gain by opposition forces bolstered by an al Qaeda-linked group that has provided skilled fighters but raised concerns in the West.
Syrian rebel commanders have elected a new 30-member leadership council and a chief of staff, a senior rebel said Saturday in a major step toward unifying the opposition that is fighting to oust President Bashar Assad.
