Syria

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

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Nervous Israel Plans Syria Border Fence

Extremists moving to border area, Netanyahu warns

(Newser) - Israel is building a new security fence along the entire length of its disputed border with Syria in the Golan Heights, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced. With an election less than three weeks away, Netanyahu's Likud-Beiteinu ticket is losing votes to the far-right Jewish Home party and he...

Assad Outlines Peace Deal, Blasts 'Terrorists'

Rebels blast speech as intended to derail diplomatic solution

(Newser) - Bashar al-Assad today took to Syria's airwaves to outline a new peace initiative that wasn't terribly likely to result in peace of any kind. Staunchly refusing to step down, Assad said he's now ready to negotiate with those "who have not betrayed Syria," dismissing rebels...

US Troops Take Charge of Missiles in Turkey

Meanwhile, Damascus gas station bombing kills 11

(Newser) - Twenty-seven US troops have landed in Turkey to operate missiles near its border with Syria. The troops, whose deployment was announced last month , will be in charge of Patriot missiles officially controlled by NATO, CNN reports. Meanwhile, in Syria itself, opposition forces are battling for control of a government-held helicopter...

US Journalist Missing in Syria
 US Journalist Missing in Syria 
Jan 2, 2013 2:30 PM CST

US Journalist Missing in Syria

James Foley's family issues statement after kidnapping

(Newser) - An American journalist has been missing in Syria since he was kidnapped more than one month ago, his family said today, less than two years after he was held by government forces in Libya while covering that country's civil war. The family of James Foley, of Rochester, NH, said...

UN: True Number Killed in Syria a 'Shocking' 60K

Dozens killed in gas station attack today

(Newser) - A new UN analysis finds that at least 60,000 people have died in the Syria conflict, a "much higher" number than was expected and one that is "truly shocking," says the UN human rights commissioner. The exhaustive, months-long study compiled data from seven sources to come...

UN Envoy: Syria Faces 'Hell' Without Deal

Lakhdar Brahimi warns of dire consequences if solution isn't reached soon

(Newser) - UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is warning that a political solution must be reached in the Syrian crisis, lest the nation ravaged by a 21-month-old civil war tumble "into more and more chaos and perhaps a failed state." Speaking in Moscow where he's negotiating, Brahimi said the world...

Syria Using Advanced Iranian Missiles: US

Meanwhile, two Syrian air force generals defect, Russia may meet opposition

(Newser) - The Syrian military has fired two missiles in the past week that US officials believe are a newer, more-accurate model from Iran. These Fateh A-110 missiles have less range than the Scud variants the regime has been relying on, with a maximum distance of 125 miles versus 185. But they...

Syria's Chief of Military Police Defects, Joins Opposition

Latest high-profile defection another setback to Assad regime

(Newser) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad suffered another high-profile defection last night, as the head of the Syrian military police declared he had switched to the rebels, reports the Guardian . Major General Abdul-Aziz Jassem al-Shallal said he was joining the "people's revolution" on al-Arabiya TV, although it was unclear when...

UN Envoy Worried After Talks With Assad

Brahimi doesn't appear to be making progress

(Newser) - The international envoy tasked with pushing to end Syria's civil war emerged from talks with Bashar al-Assad today saying that the situation was "worrying," and giving no indication of progress toward a negotiated solution to the conflict. "We hope that all the parties will go toward...

Syria Strike Kills Dozens: Activists

As Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus for peace talks

(Newser) - A government airstrike killed dozens of people today in a town near the central city of Hama, anti-regime activists in Syria said. The attack came as main international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi was beginning talks in Damascus aimed at ending the civil war. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said...

Syrian Cluster Bombs Target Civilians

Explosives can cover hundreds of yards

(Newser) - As war rages on in Syria, Bashar al-Assad's government hasn't hesitated to direct its attacks at civilians. Just last week, a military plane used cluster bombs—explosives capable of blanketing hundreds of yards—against the small town of Marea, the New York Times reports. Four were killed and...

AP&#39;s Top 10 Stories of 2012
 AP's Top 10 Stories of 2012 
Dec 20, 2012 5:54 PM CST

AP's Top 10 Stories of 2012

Mass shootings finish ahead of election

(Newser) - The AP ended its voting for the top stories of 2012 on Dec. 13, but the following day's rampage in Newtown prompted a rare re-vote among the nation's editors. As a result, "mass shootings" moved from No. 6 to No. 1 to edge out the election. The...

NBC's Engel Details 5 Days in Syria Captivity

Foreign correspondent and team were rescued yesterday

(Newser) - Five days after their kidnapping in Syria, an NBC News team has been "freed unharmed," the network says. "We are pleased to report they are safely out of the country." The release of chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel and his crew followed a firefight at a...

Syria VP: No One Can Win This War

Fighting approaches central Damascus

(Newser) - With fighting rattling Damascus, a leading voice in Syria says Bashar al-Assad can't win the war. But neither side will see a victory, says Farouk al-Sharaa, who has kept a low profile in the conflict and isn't involved in running the government's efforts. Sharaa's comments came...

Syria Bombs Refugee Camp
 Syria Bombs Refugee Camp 
Dec 16, 2012 8:42 AM CST

Syria Bombs Refugee Camp

Unknown number dead in Damascus refuge for Palestinians

(Newser) - Fighter jets belonging to the regime of Bashar al-Assad have bombed a Damascus refugee camp today amid heavy fighting with rebels. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights tells the BBC that at least eight are dead in the al-Yarmouk refugee camp, which is home to mainly Palestinian refugees; Reuters, meanwhile,...

US to Send Missiles, 400 Troops to Turkey

NATO force to defend against Syrian missile threat

(Newser) - The Pentagon says it will send Patriot air defense missiles and 400 troops to Turkey as part of a NATO force meant to protect Turkish territory from potential Syrian missile attack. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed a deployment order today en route to Turkey from Afghanistan, a rep says. The...

Russia Admits Syria Regime Is 'Losing Control'

Opposition may win, deputy foreign minister says

(Newser) - For the first time, Russia—a staunch Syria ally—has admitted President Bashar al-Assad's government may fall. His forces are "losing more and more control and territory," Russia's deputy foreign minister said today. "Unfortunately, we cannot rule out the victory of the Syrian opposition."...

Scuds? Why Syria May Be Using the Missiles

It could be a not-so-subtle warning about chemical weapons

(Newser) - The New York Times broke the news earlier today that Syria's Bashar al-Assad has fired Scud missiles at rebel positions in northern parts of the country. The White House sees it as a "serious escalation," and the Washington Post explains that Scuds are an odd choice: They'...

US Recognizes Syria Rebels
 US Recognizes Syria Rebels 
Dec 11, 2012 6:29 PM CST

US Recognizes Syria Rebels

President Obama gives blessing to opposition coalition

(Newser) - The US will formally recognize Syria's opposition as the country's legitimate representative, Barack Obama announced today in an interview with Barbara Walters on ABC . "It's a big step," Obama said. "We've made a decision that the Syrian Opposition Coalition is now inclusive enough,...

Panetta Downplays Syria Chemical Weapons Fears

Says there's no new intelligence pointing to their preparation

(Newser) - Non-news has never been so satisfying: Leon Panetta this morning announced that there's no new indication that Bashar al-Assad is preparing to use chemical weapons, explaining that related intelligence has "really kind of leveled off. ... We haven't seen anything new indicating any aggressive steps to move forward...

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