Syria

Read recent Syrian news stories and current events on Newser.com

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Syria Paper: Obama Starting 'Historic American Retreat'

Assad boasts Syria can deal with 'any external aggression'

(Newser) - President Obama has started a "historic American retreat" in seeking Congress' approval to strike Syria , according to a gloating state-run newspaper. "Whether the Congress lights the red or green light for an aggression, and whether the prospects of war have been enhanced or faded, President Obama has announced...

Emotional Francis on Syria: 'War Brings on War!

Says he's 'deeply wounded,' calls for day of fasting

(Newser) - Pope Francis abandoned his normal Sunday themes today, and instead spoke emotionally and at length about Syria, calling for a day of fasting and prayer for peace. "My heart is deeply wounded by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments," he said, as per...

Obama Came This Close to Striking Syria Alone: Officials

Senior officials say he decided to seek Congress' OK at last minute

(Newser) - President Obama announced today that he would seek Congress' OK before launching a military attack on Syria—but that wasn't his original plan, say anonymous senior administration officials. The president had originally planned to strike without first getting approval, but changed his mind last night after a long discussion...

Obama Will Wait for Congress on Syria

He backs idea of military action, but will hold off until vote

(Newser) - Hold your fire, troops: President Obama made his strongest case yet for a military strike on Syria today—but he also said he would seek the authority of Congress before launching it, reports AP . Obama made clear in his afternoon press conference that he believes the US must act to...

Putin Blasts US Claims on Syria as 'Nonsense'

UN inspectors have left the country to begin preparing report

(Newser) - John Kerry says he has "high confidence" in US intelligence reports that Syria used chemical weapons. Vladimir Putin has two much different words on the subject: "utter nonsense." The Russian leader used the phrase in urging the US to hold off on any military action until the...

Public: Obama Needs Congress' Blessing on Syria

80% say White House shouldn't go it alone

(Newser) - The American people aren't excited about the prospect of attacking Syria, and they overwhelmingly believe that President Obama should get congressional approval before doing it. In a new NBC News poll, a whopping 80% said the White House should get the OK from Congress before attacking. While the Constitution...

Obama's About to Ditch His Doctrine for Nothing

Jeffrey Goldberg thinks Obama is about to cross a line—without going far enough

(Newser) - Foreign policy experts who complain that Barack Obama doesn't have a Middle East strategy are wrong. "There is, in fact, an Obama doctrine," Jeffrey Goldberg argues at Bloomberg . And for the first time, he "seems poised to violate it in an irredeemable way." Goldberg calls...

Kerry: Assad Must Be Punished
 Kerry: Assad Must Be Punished 
Aug 30, 2013 12:30 PM CDT

Kerry: Assad Must Be Punished

He says the US has 'high confidence' Syria used chemical weapons

(Newser) - John Kerry said today the US is sure that Bashar al-Assad gassed his own people in Syria, and that letting him go unpunished would set too dangerous a precedent for the world. The secretary of state said the US has "high confidence" in its intelligence and urged people to...

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case
Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case 
UPDATED
Aug 30, 2013 7:58 AM CDT

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case

When strike would occur remains unclear

(Newser) - The specifics of President Obama's plans for Syria don't seem much clearer after a conference call with Congressional leaders. The call didn't include information on when a strike would occur, Politico notes, nor did it appear to sway lawmakers who had doubts about military action. During the...

Assad's Son, 11, May Be Taunting US on Facebook

Page apparently 'liked' by regime figures

(Newser) - Bashar al-Assad's son Hafez is only 11 years old—but he's already making some pretty bold political statements, if his supposed Facebook page is to be believed. In a post noted by Foreign Policy and the New York Times , Hafez purportedly writes, "America doesn't have soldiers,...

US Going Solo? Britain Rejects Force in Syria

NYT says Obama prepared to act alone

(Newser) - If the US intends to move forward with a military strike against Syria, it will have to do so without its usual partner: The British Parliament today rejected any use of force, a vote that the AP describes as a "stunning defeat" for Prime Minister David Cameron. The vote...

Necessary or Foolish? Pros, Cons of Syria Strike

Pundits makes their cases for and against

(Newser) - As the US considers what to do about Syria, there's no shortage of advice on the pros and cons:
  • Pro-strike: Nicholas Kristof is generally wary of the "military toolbox," but it's important here to "reinforce the international norm against weapons of mass destruction," he
...

Rumsfeld: Obama Is Rushing to War

Iraq architect believes Washington hasn't justified military action

(Newser) - The architect of the Iraq war believes that President Obama hasn't given sufficient justification for military action against Syria. "There really hasn't been any indication from the administration as to what our national interest is" in Syria, Donald Rumsfeld tells CNN . He continues:
  • "When you think
...

Specter of Iraq 'Evidence' Hangs Over Obama in Syria

US, Britain face uphill battles ahead of military action

(Newser) - President Obama has concluded that Syria used chemical weapons, but his next step remains a major challenge. As his administration considers military action, it's well aware that a public intelligence presentation—which could occur today—would be the most important of its kind since the run-up to the Iraq...

Obama: Syria Used Chemical Weapons

But US hasn't made a decision on military action

(Newser) - John Kerry said it . Joe Biden said it . But now the person who truly matters has said it: President Obama has concluded that Syria used chemical weapons, he tells PBS NewsHour . Obama, however, said he has not made a decision about a possible military strike. The president said it's...

Oil Prices Hit 2-Year High on Syria Tension

Traders worried about Mideast chaos

(Newser) - The price of oil climbed to its highest in more than two years today as the US edged closer to taking action against Syria. Benchmark oil for October delivery rose $1.09, or 1%, to $110.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That's its highest closing...

Israel Calls Up Reserves as Syria Bubbles

But its lobbyists are noticeably quiet

(Newser) - With a Western strike on Syria looking more likely by the hour, Israel mobilized some of its reservists and beefed up its missile defenses today, Reuters reports. But apart from that move, the country seemed strangely nonplussed by the furor surrounding its neighbor and longtime enemy. "Following a security...

US Evidence of Syria's Guilt: 'Panicked' Phone Calls

White House set to release evidence of nerve gas attack

(Newser) - A US government report to be released as soon as tomorrow will provide one of the final pieces of groundwork ahead of an expected strike on Syria, reports the Washington Post . The report will set out the timeline of how Bashar al-Assad's regime used chemical weapons in last week'...

N. Korea Tried to Ship Gas Masks to Syria: Report

Turkey intercepted them, says Japan newspaper

(Newser) - One of the world's veteran pariah nations reportedly tried to help out one of its newer ones: A Japanese newspaper says North Korea got caught trying to ship gas masks to Syria this spring. The report in the Sankei Shimbun says Turkish officials acting on a tip from the...

McCain: Blame Obama for Syria's Chemical Attack

Meanwhile, Obama talks with Stephen Harper

(Newser) - So much for the supposedly blossoming Barack Obama/John McCain bromance. McCain, who's currently visiting South Korea, today laid partial blame for Syria's apparent chemical weapons massacre at Obama's feet, saying the White House hadn't reacted forcefully enough to past reports of chemical attacks. "Assad was...

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