Syria

Videos of Assad’s Thug Squads

Videos emerge of Assad loyalists executing rebels and throwing bodies off rooftops. Russia is suspected of sending troops to help Assad.

Assad Control Freaking Out

Damascus Fighting and Wife's Emails Dent Myth of Assad Control

The Assad regime, however repressive, appeared to offer stability and control. Without that, who needs him?

Syrian General Staff Suffering Brain Drain

Generals continue to defect from Bashar al-Assad's army to join the rebels; two more left for Turkey as fighting erupted in Damascus.

Turkey Seeking Its Journalists in Syria

Turkey has asked the Syrian government to locate two of its nationals, working journalists, who have gone missing in the war-torn country.

Dozens Killed in Machine-Gun Battles in Streets of Damascus

The raging anti-Assad rebellion has reached Damascus, where rebels and Assad’s forces are locked in battle. Dozens are dead.

Report: Syria Imported 6 Times More Weapons Between 2007-2011

Syria imported six times more weapons between the years 2007 and 2011 than in previous years, says a Stockholm-based institute.

Video: Dozens Dead, Wounded in Damascus Car Bombs

Dozens of civilians and soldiers were killed and wounded in multiple explosions in Damascus. Rebels and the Assad regime blame each other.

27 Dead in Syria Bombing

Damascus car bombing kills 27, wounds 97. Bombers targeted soldiers, police.

Erdogan Considers Buffer Zone Along Border with Syria

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggests a safe zone could be established along his country’s border with Syria.

Egyptian Fatwa – Assassinate Assad!

A prominent Egyptian cleric has called for good Muslims everywhere to kill Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad saying failing to do so is a sin

Gulf States Close Embassies in Syria

All six Arab Gulf states will close their embassies in Syria in protest of the year-long crackdown on protesters.

Syrian Crisis Enters Second Year

In Syria: Saudi Arabia closes embassy; massacres continue; death toll approaches 9,000; some 230,000 are displaced; world remains deadlocked

Assad's E-mails Reveal Iranian Ties

A cache of several thousand e-mails sent by President Bashar Assad and his wife reveal he took advice from Iran on handling the uprising.

Russia Frustrated With Assad

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov made a rare show of public pique over Assad's slow adoption of recommended reforms in Syria.

UN: More Than 230,000 Syrian Refugees

The top UN official for refugees says hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been displaced since violence erupted in the country a year ago.

Syria Condemns Israel, Ignores Own Crackdown

Syria condemns Israeli air raids on Gaza, blatantly ignoring its own brutal crackdown on opposition protesters.

Syrian Troops Murder 55 in Idlib Massacre

In the second mass execution this week, forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad murder 55 in Idlib; UN remains deadlocked.

Moscow Refuses to Stop Arms Sales to Syria

Russia insists on fulfilling its 'contractual obligations' to provide arms to Syria even as reports of war crimes by Assad's regime emerge.

Syria: 47 Women and Children Murdered in Homs

The widely varied death toll in Monday's horrific massacre in Homs has solidified at 26 women and 21 children as Assad's forces "mop up"

It's Time For Arab Apartheid Week

Demonstration in Tel Aviv protesting Syrian bloodshed and the regime's heinous human rights violations, as part of Arab Apartheid Week.

Massacre in Homs

Reports of summary executions and mass arrests continue to emerge from Homs and the UN Security Council remains deadlocked on Syria.

Congressman: Impeach Obama if US Fights in Syria

A Congressman introduces a resolution calling for impeaching Obama if he sends US troops into Syria without Congressional approval.

Assad, Annan Meet as Troops Launch an Assault on Idlib

Visiting UN envoy Kofi Annan meets President Bashar Assad as military launches an anticipated assault on the city of Idlib.

Syrian Opposition Rejects Dialogue with Assad

Syrian opposition rejects calls by UN envoy Kofi Annan for dialogue with President Bashar Assad, putting a wrench in his peace plan.

Shelling Renewed in Homs Ahead of Annan Visit

As former UN secretary general Kofi Annan hopes for peace in Syria the crackdown of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad continues apace.

U.S., Jordan Plan to Face Syrian Weapons Threat

U.S., Jordan prepare to secure Syria’s chemical and biological weapons in case the government loses control.

Syria's Deputy Oil Minister Defects, Joins Rebels

Syria's deputy oil minister joins rebels, become the highest-ranking civil official to defect from Assad's regime.

UNESCO Condemns Syria But Won't Kick it Out

UNESCO condemns Syria for its brutal crackdown on protesters but stops short of dismissing it from its human rights committee.

Assad Digs in to Fight as UN Surveys Homs

Syria's Bashar al-Assad vowed to continue to battle 'foreign terrorists' as Int'l pressure fails to deter his bloody crackdown on dissent

Red Crescent Allowed into Homs

Aid workers accompanied by UN aid chief Valerie Amos entered the battered city of Homs as Syrian forces continue to shell other towns.

U.S. Proposes New Resolution on Syria

New resolution has Security Council demands an end to violence in Syria, both by government and opposition fighters.

Kofi Annan Begins Syrian Peace Bid

Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan is headed for Damascus in hopes of negotiating peace as Assad continues to spill his people's blood.

McCain Calls for U.S. Airstrikes in Syria

Senator John McCain calls for airstrikes against Syria. Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum says he would consider that.

Report: French Soldiers Captured in Syria

Reports are circulating that French troops are already aiding rebels in Syria as the West wrangles over a Libya-style intervention.

Assad's Father-In-Law 'Horrified' by Crackdown

Bashar Assad's London-based father-in-law says he is horrified by crackdown on protesters, worries about his daughter's safety.

Israel Offers Aid to Syrian Citizens

Israel offers to send help to Syrian citizens. “The state of the Jewish people can’t just sit by," FM says.

Syrian Govt 'Mop-up' in Homs: Executions and Rape

Syrian government forces refuse to allow Red Cross workers into Homs as they continue “mop-up” operations: raping and murdering civilians.

Syrian Forces Execute 47 Army Defectors

Forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad executed 47 army defectors as the bloody assault on the central city of Homs continues

Red Cross Denied Access to Homs as Killing Continues

Red Cross says Syria has blocked an aid convoy from entering the Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs. Meanwhile, the crackdown continues.

Haaretz Journalist: Allah is Not Great

Gideon Levy of Haaretz says Allah reveals his weakness to Syria's Sunni Muslims, whose fate depends on help from the world and from Israel.

Trapped French Journalists Escape Syria

After being trapped in Homs for days, French journalists Edith Bouvier and William Daniels reach Lebanon.

Syria Civil War Comes Close to Israeli Border

At least 15 people killed in clashes between Assad's forces and army deserters, just 2 kilometers from the border with Israel.

Security Council to Syria: Let Humanitarian Chief In

UN Security Council deplores the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria, calls on Assadto grant UN humanitarian access.

Libyan Gov't to Give $100M to Syrian Rebels

The Libyan government – formerly Libya's opposition forces – says it will give $100 million in food and medicine to Syria's rebel forces.

Journalists in Syria: 3 Dead, 3 Out, 2 MIAs

In less than a month, three journalists have been killed, three managed to escape and two are still missing in action in Syria, one wounded.

SFA: Iranian Tanks, Hizbullah Hit Squads in Homs

The top general for the Syrian Free Army says Iran and Hizbullah are actively aiding Bashar al-Assad in his brutal crackdown.

Syria: Army Determined to 'Cleanse' Besieged City

President Bashar Assad's troops gather outside the neighborhood of Baba Amr in Homs, raising fears of pending ground invasion.

Expert: Iran Fears Having a Nuclear Bomb

Middle East expert Dr. Guy Bechor: Iran knows that a nuclear weapon means the end of the regime.

Herzog: Syrian Opposition Wants Peace With Israel

MK Yitzhak Herzog (Labor) says his contacts in the Syrian opposition want to be "friends" with Israel after Assad is ousted.

SFA: Assad Planned to Use French Journalist as Leverage

The Syria Free Army aborted its 'evacuation attempt' of a French journalist after learning Assad planned to use her as a bargaining chip.

Pentagon Has Desk-Drawer Military Plan to Attack Syria: Report

The Pentagon has detailed plans for military action if Obama decides to intervene, CNN says. Satellites are gathering intelligence.

Tunisia Offers Syria's Assad Asylum

In a bid to end the harsh crackdown on protesters in Syria, Tunisia has offered embattled President Bashar al-Assad a home in exile.

Clinton Stops Short on Assad's War Crimes

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stopped short of calling Syrian president Bashar al-Assad saying it would only serve to complicate things

Video: Wounded Journalist Smuggled from Homs to Lebanon

British photographer Paul Conroy, wounded in the deadly shelling of Homs, has been smuggled out of Syria into Lebanon.

Clinton: Arming Syrian Rebels is Supporting Al Qaeda

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rejects arming rebels in Syria, says that would mean supporting terror groups.

Syria: At Least 144 Dead as New Constitution Approved

At least 144 people died across Syria on Monday, mostly in Homs. Bodies of dead journalists still trapped in besieged city.

Assad Claims Voters Passed New Constitution, Amid Deaths

The Syrian gov't says 90% of voters approved a new constitution giving Pres. Bashar al-Assad 14 more years. Forty people were killed.

Hamas Leadership Left Syria, Deputy Leader Confirms

Hamas' No. 2 confirms that the terror group has left Syria because of protest crackdown.

Assad Votes in Referendum Dubbed 'a Farce' by the West

The U.S. and its allies dismiss Syrian referendum on a new constitution as a “farce” meant to justify bloody crackdown.

Syrians Vote on New Constitution, Activists Boycotting

Syrians cautiously went to the polls Sunday to vote on a new constitution that would keep President Assad in office until 2028.