Syria protests

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Assad: Syria Can Handle 'Any Aggression'

As Ehud Barak confirms Israel was behind Wednesday's aggression

(Newser) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says his military is capable of confronting any "aggression" that targets the country. The comments by Assad are the first since an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday that US officials say was targeting a convoy of anti-aircraft weapons inside Syria bound for Hezbollah. Assad's remarks...

US Pledges $30M More in Syria Aid

France formally recognizes opposition coalition

(Newser) - Two pieces of good news this week for the newly-formed Syria opposition coalition : France became the first Western country to officially recognize it as the only valid representative of the Syrian people, and the US pledged $30 million in humanitarian aid. Hillary Clinton pledged the additional aid today at a...

Syrian Army Agrees to Holiday Truce

Ceasefire in effect for Eid al-Adha

(Newser) - The Syrian military says it will cease military operations for four days starting tomorrow in observance of a major Muslim holiday. In the announcement read on state TV today, however, the army said it would still respond to gunfire or roadside bombs and keep rebels from bolstering their positions or...

Now Syrian Rebels Have Missiles

Meanwhile, war reaches Damascus, the wealthy

(Newser) - This could change things: Some Syrian rebels now have antiaircraft missiles, rebels and regional officials say. Video footage appears to show the rebels using such weapons, which have been smuggled into the country, the Wall Street Journal reports. Rebels say they downed a military helicopter yesterday, one of at least...

Eyes on Syria, US Military Now in Jordan

Outpost is closest American presence to Syria

(Newser) - The US military now has a presence in Jordan, less than 35 miles from the Syrian border, that it secretly set up this summer; more than 150 specialists are stationed there. Right now, the mission is focused on helping Jordan deal with tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, but it'...

NATO Ready to Defend Turkey in Syria Conflict

Border conflict continues for sixth day

(Newser) - As Turkey continued firing back at Syria for a sixth day today after a Syrian shell crossed the border and killed five civilians last week, NATO says it is prepared to defend Turkey. The alliance has "all necessary plans in place to protect and defend Turkey if necessary,"...

Turkey OKs Military Ops in Syria as Shelling Continues

Syria apologizes for civilian deaths

(Newser) - Turkey continued shelling Syria for a second day today, reportedly killing several government soldiers, after Syrian shells killed at least five civilians in a Turkish border town yesterday. In what a prime minister's aide calls a warning to Syria, Turkey's parliament today authorized military operations inside Syria, even...

Four Blasts in Aleppo Kill 40
 Four Blasts in Aleppo Kill 40 

Four Blasts in Aleppo Kill 40

Explosions only minutes apart rock volatile Syrian city

(Newser) - Four separate explosions rocked the Syrian city of Aleppo today, claiming at least 40 lives and wounding more than 90 others in a government-controlled district where rebels have been clashing with forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, reports Reuters by way of the country's state-run news agency. Three of...

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...

US to Iraq: Inspect Iranian Planes en Route to Syria

Officials say planes are carrying weapons for regime

(Newser) - If Iraq is going to let Iran fly over its airspace to get to Syria, then it's going to have to inspect Iranian planes to ensure they're not smuggling weapons to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops, the Obama administration said yesterday. American officials tell the New York ...

Iran Supplying Syrian Regime via Iraq Airspace

Flights continue despite US objections

(Newser) - The Iraqi government is doing nothing to stop Iran from using its airspace for flights to supply the Syrian regime, reports the New York Times . Flights paused for a while earlier this year after the US pressured Iraq, but they resumed in July and have continued since, despite objections from...

Record 100K Fled Syria Last Month: UN

And that's just the registered asylum seekers

(Newser) - Not only was August Syria's deadliest month yet , it was also the month that saw the highest number of refugees fleeing the country since the uprising began. Some 103,416 people "sought asylum in neighboring countries" last month, according to the UN, bringing the total number of registered...

Angered by Egypt, Syrians Storm Out of Summit

Mohamed Morsi praises Syrian uprising at Nonaligned Movement Summit

(Newser) - Egypt's new president arrived in Iran today for a historic visit, the AP reports—and he promptly sparked a walkout at the Nonaligned Movement Summit. Mohamed Morsi, the first Egyptian leader to visit Iran since Tehran cut diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1979 over its peace treaty with Israel,...

Assad Rains Leaflets on Damascus: 'Surrender or Die'

In interview, he suggests he's dug in for the long haul

(Newser) - Syrian government helicopters rained fliers across Damascus yesterday telling rebels to surrender or "die a dishonorable death." One of the fliers was a "safe passage card," promising humane treatment for fighters who showed up at a checkpoint unarmed, the Washington Post reports. Rebels fear the fliers...

UN Observers Leave Syria
 UN Observers Leave Syria 

UN Observers Leave Syria

Four-month mission a bust, and violence continues

(Newser) - The UN's Syria observer mission officially ended last night, and monitors were seen leaving today after their four months in the country failed to bring an end to the violence. The last monitors should be out by Friday, leaving just a small liaison office in Damascus, Reuters reports. But...

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...

Fight for Aleppo Intensifies as Both Sides Claim Advantage

Assad appoints new PM

(Newser) - Syrian government troops launched a fresh ground assault to retake Aleppo yesterday, and shelling continues today, but conflicting reports on the state of the fight persist. State media claims "huge numbers" of rebels have been killed and that Bashar al-Assad's forces control the particularly strategic Salah al-Din district,...

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...

As Aleppo Shelling Continues, Rebels Get More Daring

But Syrian rebels may be making progress

(Newser) - The battle for Aleppo has been going on for more than two weeks now, and the fighting spread to new parts of Syria's biggest city today. Government troops have been shelling the parts of the city the rebels control, but the opposition continues to attempt to expand its hold,...

Syrian PM Defects: Rebels
 Syrian PM Defects: Rebels 

Syrian PM Defects: Rebels

But government claims Riad Hijab was fired

(Newser) - The Syrian opposition is claiming a big defection to its side: Prime Minister Riad Hijab. Hijab, who became prime minister two months ago, would be the highest-level defection of the uprising so far, the AP reports. An opposition source tells CBS that Hijab and his family are already out of...

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