syria popularity and syria trends

The Times Editorial; The humanitarian work of Gift of the Givers in Syria should be commended and supported by all South Africans. For the past week this South African charity has been helping in Syria, where civil war is raging.

New York Times report quotes unnamed Israel sources as saying that Jerusalem has maintained low-key contacts with Druze Syrians.

Police attacked and cars torched in Stockholm suburbs as unrest sparked by long-term youth unemployment and poverty spreadsHundreds of youth have burned down a restaurant, set fire to more than 340 cars and attacked police during a fourth night of rioting in the suburbs of the Swedish capital, shocking a country that dodged the worst of the financial crisis but failed...

Israel's air force chief warned that tensions with Syria could escalate into a "surprise war" and that Israel needs to be ready.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said that President Bashar al-Assad's government would decide soon whether to take part in peace talks with the opposition, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said that President Bashar al-Assad's government would decide soon whether to take part in peace talks with the opposition, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Leaders step back from previous commitment to arm Syrian rebels    

Eshel says S-300 Russian missile defense system "on the way" to Syria; adds chance of multi-arena conflict "substantial."

Alliance calls for immediate withdrawal of Iranian fighters, Hezbollah from Syrian territory; says armed presence "regional threat."

The decision by Hezbollah to fight for the Syrian government, and the prospect that Syrian rebels might fight Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, has alarmed the Obama administration.    

AMMAN (Reuters) - Washington threatened on Wednesday to increase support for Syria's rebels if President Bashar al-Assad refuses to discuss a political end to a civil war that is spreading across borders.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said that President Bashar al-Assad's government would decide soon whether to take part in peace talks with the opposition, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said that President Bashar al-Assad's government would decide soon whether to take part in peace talks with the opposition, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported.

The Times Editorial; The humanitarian work of Gift of the Givers in Syria should be commended and supported by all South Africans. For the past week this South African charity has been helping in Syria, where civil war is raging.

Headline Title:  Protecting the rights of people on the move 23 May 2013 By Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary GeneralLast year, 100 displaced people, including many children, died from cold or illness in camps in Kabul – right...

While international attention is understandably on the tragedy that continues to unfold in Syria, it is equally important to ensure the resumption of negotiations aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a senior United Nations envoy stressed to the Security Council today.

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:31 P.M. EDT   MR. CARNEY: Hello, everyone.  Welcome to the White House.  Thanks for being here.  Before I take your questions I wanted to mention something that I think is breaking now, as Wolf Blitzer would say, and that is that on Sunday, May 26th, the President will travel to the Oklahoma City area to see firsthand the response...

AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Washington threatened on Wednesday to increase support for Syria's rebels if President Bashar al-Assad refuses to discuss a political end to a civil war that is spreading across borders.

As someone who is pretty friggin' wary about the use of American force in Syria, and as someone who does not shy away from snark in the blogosphere, I found Steve Walt's top ten warning signs of liberal imperialism to more alienating than endearing.  Part of it is the "liberal imperialism" label -- as I noted when Mearsheimer first coined the term, it obfuscates far...

Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's former chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been barred from running in Iran's upcoming presidential election. Iran's Guardian Council, tasked with vetting candidates, determined the final list of candidates for the June 14 election Tuesday night, which included six ultraconservative...

Maj.-Gen. Eshel says S-300 missile defense system "on the way" to Syria from Russia; hints that advanced platform could embolden Assad; Gantz: The IDF is facing a substantial threat of a multi-arena conflict.

BND head says gov't regime gaining more control in conflict, contradicting previous reports; rebels in Qusair call for backup.

Coalition airstrikes helped turn the tides of the Libyan revolution in favor of the rebels; why not do the same in Syria? Because the Syrian government may or may not have just taken possession of one of the most frightening anti-aircraft batteries ever devised, that's why.Read more...    

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebels fighting for control of the Syrian town of Qusair called for reinforcements on Wednesday to repel forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war which is spreading violence through an already volatile region.

The Times Editorial; The humanitarian work of Gift of the Givers in Syria should be commended and supported by all South Africans. For the past week this South African charity has been helping in Syria, where civil war is raging.

The head of Israel's armed forces warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday of "consequences" if fire continues from Syrian territory against Israeli troops in the occupied Golan Heights.

JERUSALEM Israeli soldiers patrolling the disputed Golan Heights along the border with Syria fired back after coming under fire overnight, an Israeli Defence Forces statement said Tuesday. "Overnight, shots were fired at an IDF patrol on the border in the central Golan Heights, damaging a military vehicle," said a statement on the army's website. No one had been wounded,...

The threat follows three days of Syria attacks along the border.

Israel says it fired on Syria after an Israeli vehicle was hit inside the Golan Heights Tuesday. Lindsey Parietti reports.

A trip to Yemen, Syria and Turkey is illuminating, but also raises many questions.    

Headline Title:  ‘For many displaced Syrians, going back is out of the question’ 22 May 2013 This is part of a special ‘People on the Move’ series, highlighting the human rights violations faced by migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers in...

The stepped-up support President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has received from Iran and Hezbollah appears to have fortified his belief that he can hang on to power and prevail militarily.    

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to send weapons to rebels fighting Syria's government, but it was not clear who would get the arms even if the bill succeeds, as Washington struggles to deal with its response to the conflict.

The head of Israel's armed forces warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday of "consequences" if fire continues from Syrian territory against Israeli troops in the occupied Golan Heights.

Elite Hezbollah fighters poured across the border from Lebanon into Syria to lead a withering assault by President Bashar al-Assad's forces on the rebel stronghold of Qusayr on Tuesday, a watchdog reported.

President Barack Obama and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a daunting agenda when they met at the White House last week. The Syria crisis was top of the list. The peace process between Turkey and the PKK was also a priority.

Headline Title:  Fears for safety of human rights lawyer in Syria 21 May 2013 A prominent Syrian human rights lawyer who went missing this weekend after an apparent abduction is at grave risk of abuse, Amnesty International has said.  Abdullah al-Khalil,...

A senior United Nations humanitarian official reported today that the total number of people in need of assistance as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria is now 8.3 million, representing about 38 per cent of the country’s population.

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Bank plans substantial new funds to help Jordan cope with the influx of refugees from the civil war in Syria, and hopes new funds for central Africa will cement a peace deal there, the bank's President Jim Yong Kim said on Tuesday.

Israeli soldiers returned fire into Syria on Tuesday in response to shots that reportedly damaged a military vehicle in the third cross-border shooting this week in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. There were no injuries reported. An Israeli spokesperson said, the shots "most likely were stray bullets, we don't know if it was intentional." However, soon after, the...

Elite Hezbollah fighters poured across the border from Lebanon into Syria to lead a withering assault by President Bashar al-Assad's forces on the rebel stronghold of Qusayr on Tuesday, a watchdog reported.

IDF release video of Syria troops, IDF exchanging fire for third time this week; for first time Syrian army post destroyed by cross-border fire as Chief of staff unleashes most explicit warning to date against Assad.

Army responds to statement by Syrian military, saying a vehicle was lightly damaged by gunfire from Syria; Israeli troops return fire.

Moscow seen as struggling for relevance as its Mideast grasp slips away; rebels view Russian involvement as thwarting resolution in Syria.

Elite Hezbollah fighters poured across the border from Lebanon into Syria on Tuesday, a watchdog and others said, bolstering regime forces battling to retake the key rebel stronghold of Qusayr.    

Opposition and government to take part in internationally-sponsored peace conference, Syria peace envoy says.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said its troops destroyed an Israeli vehicle that crossed into its territory from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday and warned that any attempt to violate its sovereignty would meet "immediate and firm retaliation".

Incident likely to escalate tensions between Syria and Tel Aviv    

Expert tells 'Post' that the lessons drawn from the intervention in Libya affect Western decisions regarding Syria.

Israeli troops shot at a target across the Syrian frontier on Tuesday in response to gunfire that struck its forces in the Golan Heights, the Israeli military said.    

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- Syria said Tuesday it destroyed an Israeli vehicle that crossed the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights overnight, while the Israeli military said gunfire from Syria had hit an Israeli patrol, damaging a vehicle and prompting its troops to fire back....

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia's point man on Syria and on its relations with the U.S. is turning his attention toward a subject close to Russian hearts - alleged vote theft at the Eurovision Song Contest....

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot at a target across the Syrian frontier on Tuesday in response to gunfire that struck its forces in the Golan Heights, the Israeli military said.

The Times Editorial; The humanitarian work of Gift of the Givers in Syria should be commended and supported by all South Africans. For the past week this South African charity has been helping in Syria, where civil war is raging.

Refugees in Yarmouk claim they are being attacked by the Free Syrian Army    

IDF returns fire at source of gunshots, recording direct hit.

The Foreign Secretary said there's a 'compelling case' for changing the European Union arms embargo on Syria next week to allow weapons to go to moderate rebel groups.

Doubts are growing about whether a promised peace conference will even come off.    

It is not too late for the Obama administration's Atrocities Prevention Board to take the lead in thwarting mass atrocities. Everyday it fails to act is an invitation to Khartoum, Pyongyang, Damascus and their ilk to step up their assaults on human lives and dignity.

SHANNON, Ireland (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flies to Oman on Tuesday for Raytheon Co's signing of an estimated $2.1 billion arms deal and to consult on Syria and Iran, U.S. officials said.

About 30 Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and 20 Syrian soldiers and militiamen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been killed in the fiercest fighting this year in the rebel stronghold of Qusair, Syrian activists said on Monday.

The Times Editorial; The humanitarian work of Gift of the Givers in Syria should be commended and supported by all South Africans. For the past week this South African charity has been helping in Syria, where civil war is raging.

High death-toll highlights increasing Hezbollah intervention.

At least 28 guerrillas from the Lebanese Shiite militant group were killed.

Dozens of Lebanese Hizbollah fighters have been killed during an all-out offensive on the strategic border town of Qusair in Syria, a development that reveals the militia's unmitigated support for President Bashar al-Assad.    

Foreign Secretary William Hague says "no option is off the table" if President Bashar al-Assad's government fails to "negotiate seriously" at peace talks in Geneva.    

New Yorkers can be mocked for making sport of being confrontational and protective about the handful of blocks that make up their little worlds, but the issues involving the 9/11 Memorial and "Little Syria" are too solemn and weighty to be handled in a closed and secretive way.

President Obama and President Sleiman spoke by phone today to discuss their shared commitment to preserving Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty, and security, particularly in relation to the ongoing conflict in Syria.  President Obama expressed his appreciation to President Sleiman and the Lebanese people for keeping Lebanon’s borders open and hosting refugees from Syria,...

In Iraq's deadliest day for eight months, 10 car bombs explode in Baghdad and other attacks hit Shia Basra and Sunni SamarraA wave of attacks killed at least 86 people in Shia and Sunni areas of Iraq on Monday, pushing the death toll over the past week to more than 230 and extending one of the most sustained bouts of sectarian violence the country has seen in years.The...

British foreign secretary William Hague to join the US secretary of state's fourth visit to region in two monthsUS secretary of state John Kerry arrives in the Holy Land this week on his fourth visit in two months amid deepening scepticism on all sides about his chances of breathing life back into the moribund peace process, and an acknowledgement by European diplomats...

BEIRUT (AP) -- Hezbollah was pulled more deeply into Syria's civil war as 28 guerrillas from the Lebanese Shiite militant group were killed and dozens more wounded while fighting rebels, Syria activists said Monday....

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama told his Lebanese counterpart on Monday he was concerned about Lebanese Hezbollah militants fighting in Syria to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the White House said.

A series of car bombings have hit the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Basra on Monday, killing an estimated 48 people. No group has taken responsibility for the attacks which targeted several Shiite districts of the Iraqi capital as well as the oil-rich predominantly Shiite city of Basra, in southeastern Iraq. Bombs exploded at a restaurant and bus stop in Basra, and were...

Exposed Chinese hacking unit resumes attacks Top news: The Chinese army unit identified as the central player in China's cyberattacks on foreign governments and businesses has resumed operations after being exposed earlier this year. According to a report by the cybersecurity firm Mandiant commissioned by the New York Times, PLA unit 61398 is operating...