Free Syrian Army

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Syrian Truce Might Be Crumbling Already

Four people killed in first few hours of four-day 'ceasefire'

(Newser) - Just hours after it began, fighting broke out during what was supposed to be a four-day ceasefire between Syrian troops and rebel fighters in honor of the Eid al-Adha holiday, reports Reuters . Activists say four people were killed by tank fire and snipers in a Damascus suburb, and a Reuters...

Reporter Killed by Sniper in Syria During Live Broadcast

As military HQ is hit by 2 explosions

(Newser) - Damascus has been rocked by bombings for the past two days, with at least two large blasts hitting Syria's military headquarters there this morning. The Free Syrian Army claimed responsibility for the attack, said to be the largest since July explosions killed President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law and other...

Syrian Regime Attacks Schools, Tortures Kids: UN

Meanwhile, Iran allegedly used Iraqi airspace to send weapons to Assad

(Newser) - Forces for the Syrian regime have attacked schools, tortured and sexually assaulted children, and denied boys and girls access to hospitals, the UN's envoy for Children and Armed Conflict told the Security Council yesterday—adding that the torture and sexual violence can go for weeks, CNN reports. Rebels aren'...

Putin Explains Why Group Sex Is Great

 Putin Explains Why 
 Group Sex Is Great 
Interview
Sep 6, 2012 10:15 AM CDT

Putin Explains Why Group Sex Is Great

...something about not having to 'hit the ball all the time'

(Newser) - Ladies of Russia, take note: Vladimir Putin might just be into orgies. In an interview with Russia Today , Putin threw out an off-handed comment on the upside of group sex while discussing Pussy Riot, the Telegraph notes. Putin says that Pussy Riot—which he faults for making "everyone say...

&#39;Smell of Death&#39; Permeates Daraya

 'Smell of Death' 
 Permeates Daraya 
syrian uprising
Aug 27, 2012 8:28 AM CDT

'Smell of Death' Permeates Daraya

Meanwhile, rebels say they shot down government copter as revenge

(Newser) - A government helicopter crashed today in Damascus, with rebel groups claiming they shot it down. "It was in revenge for the Daraya massacre," a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army told AFP . A video posted online shows the burning helicopter falling to the ground, reports the AP . Syria'...

UN Panel: Syria Has Committed War Crimes

Rebels have too, but on a smaller scale, panel concludes

(Newser) - As violence continues to pummel Syria, a UN panel has concluded that President Bashar Assad's forces have carried out war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that the highest levels of government have likely been involved in the murders, torture, sexual violence, and other atrocities. Specifically, it blames the...

Libyan Veterans Lend Syrians a Hand

Fighter says rebels hamstrung by lack of no-fly zone

(Newser) - Rebels battling Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria are getting assistance from people who might know a thing or two about getting rid of dictators: Reuters sits down with Hussam Najjar, a Libyan-Irish sniper, who says he is among many veterans of last year's Libyan conflict helping train Syrian...

Angry Syria Rebels to US: 'All We Get Is Words'

America should be offering more help, they say

(Newser) - Anti-American sentiment is growing in Syria, where rebels are increasingly frustrated that the US is not giving them more support. "All we get is words," says a Free Syrian Army spokesperson. The Syrian opposition says it does not want direct military intervention, but it has asked many times...

Britain: We'll Boost Support for Syria Rebels

Regime's arsenal looks shaky

(Newser) - With Kofi Annan stepping down from his diplomatic post, Britain is trying to pick up the slack in Syria. Foreign Secretary William Hague today promised more "practical but non-lethal support to the opposition," citing "communications" as an example, Reuters reports. "We don't give up on...

Obama OKs Secret Backing for Syria Rebels

Signed order allows CIA to support rebels

(Newser) - Syrian rebels have become much more organized and effective in recent weeks, and it appears the CIA deserves some of the credit. President Obama has signed a secret order, approved earlier this year, allowing the CIA and other American agencies to support rebels seeking to oust Bashar al-Assad, sources tell...

Assad AWOL as Executions Rumored in Aleppo

Free Syrian Army gains anti-aircraft missiles

(Newser) - As the battle for Aleppo grinds on in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad's location remains a big question mark. Today, to mark Armed Forces Day, Assad published a message in the military's magazine encouraging his troops. But, though the president has been seen on TV, he has not appeared...

Rebels Claim Countryside as Aleppo Battle Rages
 Rebels Claim Countryside 
 as Aleppo Battle Rages 
Syria Update
Jul 31, 2012 7:35 AM CDT

Rebels Claim Countryside as Aleppo Battle Rages

The story of how one town drove out the regime

(Newser) - While Syrian troops have expended most of their effort trying to retain the regime's grip on the country's biggest cities—from Homs to Damascus and now Aleppo—rebel uprisings have claimed increasingly large swathes of the countryside, the Washington Post reports. The Post uses as a case study...

Syrian Diplomat Defects as Aleppo Fighting Rages

Rebels seize key strategic points outside the city

(Newser) - Syria's most senior diplomat in London defected today, saying that he no longer wanted to represent a "violent and oppressive" government, the UK Foreign Office announced today. The office says Charge d'Affaires Khaled al-Ayoubi is staying in a safe place in Britain, the BBC reports, and hailed...

Syria Showdown: Regime Descends on Aleppo, Damascus

Syrian forces pulling out of country to retake biggest 2 cities

(Newser) - Heavy shelling was reported today in Aleppo and Damascus, as government forces and rebels both gear up for a major showdown, reports Reuters . The Syrian military is sending convoys of tanks, troop carriers, and other hardware to the vital central cities, leaving rebels in control of much of the countryside....

Syria Moved Chemical Weapons to Airports: Rebels

And allegedly guns down prisoners in jail sit-in

(Newser) - The Free Syrian Army believes that the Assad regime has moved chemical weapons to airports near the country's borders, in what the rebels say is a bid to put "pressure on the region and the international community," according to the Telegraph . The regime yesterday threatened to use...

Arab League to Assad: 'Safe Exit' If You Go Now

US, meanwhile, steps up non-military efforts against Assad

(Newser) - The UN Security Council may be preventing nations from becoming involved in Syria's civil war, but the US is increasingly pushing secret, non-military efforts to hurt Bashar al-Assad's regime, reports the Wall Street Journal . And the Arab League is trying to shoo him out the door. The main...

Syrian Rebels Seize Border Outposts

Thousands flee fighting in Damascus

(Newser) - Syrian rebels seized control of all four of the country's border crossings with Iraq and two with Turkey yesterday as the military concentrated on the battle for Damascus. The rebels also claimed to have gained control of part of the capital, although government forces are fighting back fiercely and...

Assad's Damascus Onslaught Most 'Intense' Yet

50 reported killed yesterday

(Newser) - Neighborhoods across Damascus are facing a second day of regime attacks, and it has "never been this intense," says a leading activist. The army has been firing mortar rounds into areas held by the opposition Free Syrian Army, Rami Abdel Rahman notes. "The security forces are attempting...

Syrian General, 84 Soldiers Defect to Turkey

Arab League urges opposition to unite at Cairo conference

(Newser) - A Syrian general and 84 other soldiers have fled to Turkey in one of the largest mass defections since the Syrian uprising began. The group, which has joined some 2,000 other former members of the Syrian military in a refugee camp in southern Turkey, included a colonel, lieutenant colonel,...

190 Killed in Syria Uprising's Bloodiest Day

As tanks mass on the border with Turkey

(Newser) - As many as 190 are believed to have been killed in Syria yesterday, including up to 139 civilians, in what activists said was deadliest day of the uprising so far. Casualties poured in from across the country as Bashar al-Assad's forces clashed with the opposition Free Syrian Army, but...

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