Syria
Reports of a chemical attack in a Damascus suburb on Wednesday, Aug. 21, marked a turning point in the attitude of the United States and its allies toward the Syrian government. Disparate rebel groups have been fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s regime since 2011. Syria has responded by shooting and bombing its people, as well as committing human rights abuses against its citizens such as torture and rape.
More than 100,000 people have died and millions more, including 1 million children, have fled their homes. Many have left for Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq (map), where they face hardship while awaiting their fate in sprawling refugee camps.
The consequences of Syria’s war extend beyond its borders, as violence spills into other countries and threatens to destabilize the region. Clashes between Shia government supporters and fighters from Syria’s majority-Sunni population have prompted bomb attacks in Lebanon and Iraq. Foreign fighters have joined battles on both sides, including Hezbollah for the government and radical Sunnis for the opposition. Instability has attracted jihadist groups, which have seized territory for their own use.
The conflict has unfolded as world powers vie to advance their interests in the region. Russia, one of the Assad government's strongest allies, has repeatedly stymied western governments’ efforts to find a political solution.
The narrative in Syria is not as simple as a country’s oppressed majority fighting against an authoritarian regime. Extremist elements among the opposition make the West nervous, and Syria’s fragmented opposition lacks a clear directive. That could lead to further instability should the Assad regime fall.
Syrian Kurdish leader claims military gains against Islamists
PARIS - Islamist groups in northern Syria are weakening after months of fighting and Kurdish militias are gaining ground, a top Kurdish leader said on Wednesday, vowing to continue their advances.
NATO backs keeping Patriot missiles in Turkey
BRUSSELS/ANKARA - NATO allies backed keeping Patriot missiles in Turkey on Wednesday, agreeing with Ankara that threats from the civil war in Syria remained serious, an alliance official said.
Syrian Kurds make fresh military gains after declaring self-rule
BEIRUT - Kurdish militias seized another seven villages in northeastern Syria, activists said on Wednesday, a day after the fighters' political wing announced an interim administration that aims to carve out an autonomous Syrian Kurdish region.
Boosted by foreign Shi'ite militia, Assad's forces advance on Aleppo
AMMAN - Syrian government forces backed by foreign Shi'ite Muslim militia advanced on rebels in the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, bent on recapturing districts from opposition brigades weakened by infighting, activists said.
Kurds declare an interim administration in Syria
ARBIL, Iraq - Ethnic Kurds declared an interim administration in northeastern Syria on Tuesday, further solidifying their geographic and political presence after driving out Islamist rebels.
Western-backed Syrian opposition names cabinet for rebel areas
ISTANBUL/AMMAN - The Syrian National Coalition named a provisional government for rebel-held areas on Tuesday, despite U.S. misgivings, members of the fractious Western-backed opposition group said in Istanbul.
Bulgarian leaders condemn attacks on immigrants
SOFIA - Bulgaria's president and prime minister on Tuesday condemned a rise in attacks on immigrants following an influx of refugees, mainly from Syria, in a rare joint statement.
Albanians angry with U.S. over Syrian chemical weapons
TIRANA - The prospect of Syria's chemical weapons being dismantled in Albania caused protests in the capital Tirana on Tuesday, exposing a rare dent in the NATO member's loyalty to the United States.
Egypt is worst Arab state for women, Comoros best: survey
LONDON, Nov 12 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Sexual harassment, high rates of female genital cutting and a surge in violence and Islamist feeling after the Arab Spring uprisings have made Egypt the worst country in the Arab world to be a woman, a poll of gender experts showed on Tuesday.
TOP VIDEOS FROM SYRIA
Syrian Electronic Army more savvy than skilled
Cyber security expert Jeffrey Carr, of Taia Global, says the Syrian Electronic Army's recent behavior suggests their ability to command attention far exceeds their skills or potential danger as cyber hackers. Video
Photography from Syria
Gas attack in Syria
Syrian activists accuse Assad's forces of launching a gas attack that killed more than a thousand, in what would, if confirmed, be by far the worst reported use of chemical arms in the the civil war. View Slideshow
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The battle for control of Syrian army base
Nov. 10 - Clashes in Aleppo in the battle to control a northern military base which has changed hands three times in three days of heavy fighting. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.