Israel’s prime minister has proposed construction of a security fence in the Golan Heights to separate territory controlled by Israel from Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the weekly cabinet meeting the new fence is needed because “the Syrian army has backed off and global jihad operatives have taken its place.” The prime minister said […]
Syria’s Assad Gives First Speech in Months
Posted January 6th, 2013 at 6:30 am (UTC-5)
Syria’s president has called for national mobilization to fight against rebels he says are “al-Qaida terrorists.” Bashar al-Assad said Sunday in his first speech in months that there is “no joy while security and stability are absent” on Syrian streets. Mr. Assad, who spoke at the opera house in central Damascus, said Syrian forces are […]
Syria’s Assad to Address Nation Sunday
Posted January 5th, 2013 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is set to deliver a speech Sunday, in a rare address to his embattled nation. The state-run news agency SANA said Mr. Assad will “speak about the latest developments” in Syria — a country wracked by a near two-year civil war that analysts say has killed more than 60,000 people. The […]
Explosions Rock Damascus Neighborhoods
Posted January 4th, 2013 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
Opposition activists say Syrian warplanes bombed targets near Damascus on Friday, a day after an explosion in the capital left at least nine people dead. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government shelling is underway in areas including Douma, a rebel stronghold. The state-run SANA news news agency says “terrorists” detonated explosives at […]
Syrian Rebels Launch Attack near Northern Air Base
Posted January 3rd, 2013 at 5:00 am (UTC-5)
Opposition activists say Syrian rebels have launched another attack near the Taftanaz military airport, an apparent bid to weaken the government’s air power. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says rebels fought soldiers near the base in northern Idlib Province, on Thursday. The state-run SANA news agency says security forces “strongly confronted” an attempted […]
UN: More Than 60,000 Dead in Syrian Civil War
Posted January 2nd, 2013 at 8:05 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations says new and exhaustive analysis shows that more than 60,000 people have died in Syria’s civil war, a figure that surpasses Syrian opposition estimates by about one-third. U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, in a study released Wednesday in Geneva, said death reports from seven separate sources were cross-referenced by experts to […]
Syria Air Strike Hits Gas Station, Dozens Killed
Posted January 2nd, 2013 at 10:15 am (UTC-5)
Opposition activists in Syria say government warplanes bombed a gasoline station near Damascus Wednesday, reportedly killing dozens of people as they waited for fuel. Activists say the strike occurred in the eastern suburb of Mleiha — an area partly under rebel control. The blast ignited a huge fire which sent black smoke billowing into the […]
Rebels in Syria Attack Northern Airport
Posted January 2nd, 2013 at 5:45 am (UTC-5)
Opposition activists say Syrian government forces and rebels are waging a fierce battle near an airport in the northern Idlib province, on Wednesday, a day after similar clashes prompted officials to close the airport in Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says rebels have launched an attack on a military airport near Taftanaz. […]
Syria Begins New Year With More Violence
Posted January 1st, 2013 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian government troops and rebel forces fought Tuesday on the outskirts of Damascus and near the city of Aleppo. Government aircraft pounded eastern suburbs of the capital and rebel-held areas of Aleppo, the country’s commercial hub. Authorities announced the closure of Aleppo airport because of rebel attacks. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported […]
Syrian Minister: Government Open to Peace Talks
Posted December 31st, 2012 at 7:55 pm (UTC-5)
The embattled Syrian government has welcomed any plans that would lead to peace talks to end the bloodshed in the country. Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi was responding Monday to the U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who said Sunday that he has a plan that is acceptable to world powers. Brahimi said the plan calls for […]
