For the latest updates of the Conflict in Syria, watch the continuing coverage here.
Syrian Rebels Accused in Mass Murders of Unarmed Civilians
13 October 13
or more than two years, as fighting has escalated throughout Syria, a group of villages peopled by government supporters in the mountains above this coastal city has been spared any attacks.
In spite of their proximity to the Turkish border, across which rebel fighters are armed and financed, farmers continued their lives as normal, even though as Alawites allied to the Shia sect to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs they could have been obvious targets.
UN (Security) Council Orders Syria Chemical Arms Destroyed
28 September 13
he UN Security Council unanimously passed a landmark resolution Friday ordering the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons and condemning a murderous poison gas attack in Damascus.
The major powers overcame a prolonged deadlock to approve the first council resolution on the conflict, which is now 30 months old with more than 100,000 dead.
UN Security Council Agrees to Syria Resolution
27 September 13
he United Nations' five big powers reached agreement Thursday on a legally binding U.N. Security Council resolution that would require Syria to dismantle its once-secret chemical weapons program or face the threat of unspecified measures, according to senior U.S. and Russian officials.
US and Russia Agree to Syria Chemical Weapons Deal
14 September 2013
he United States and Russia have agreed that Syrian chemical weapons will be placed under international control and destroyed in a process that will begin with a week.
International inspectors from the Organisation of the Prevention of Chemical weapons must be given "immediate and unfettered" access to Syrian chemical weapons, said the US secretary of state, John Kerry, while Syria must give a "comprehensive list" of its chemical weapons within one week.
Obama to Drop Push for Threat of Force in UN Resolution
14 September 2013
resident Obama will not insist on a United Nations Security Council resolution threatening Syria with military action, senior administration officials said Friday, as American and Russian negotiators meeting in Geneva moved closer to an agreement that would seek to ultimately strip Syria of its chemical weapons.
Frank Rich | Obama's True Motives on Syria
13 September 13
resident Obama reiterated his case for a U.S.-led strike in Syria last night, asking Congress to postpone voting on military intervention while the administration pursues a diplomatic solution. It appears unlikely that the House will approve the use of force. Did Obama really think his speech would swing votes? Or was there another aim?
The last time many of last night's viewers tuned into President Obama en masse, he was imploring the nation in much the same terms and tone to join him in stopping the grotesque slaughter of innocent children. On that occasion - Newtown - many Americans were in grief and, according to polls, on his side. But we saw the results from his pitch for new gun-control legislation: zero.
Juan Cole | Arguing With President Putin
13 September 13
ussian President Vladimir Putin published an opinion piece in the New York Times on Wednesday. Here is my attempt at refutation of some of the things he said.
Putin begins by emphasizing that the US in the period after 1945 acquiesced in the idea that the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council would have a veto.
Harvey Wasserman | Five Ways a Wider Syrian War Could Go Nuclear
13 September 13
n the wake of an apparent break in the march to a wider war, the reality of a nuclear dimension in Syria remains largely unspoken.
There are at least five key reasons why American military intervention in Syria's civil war could go nuclear:
Syria: US and Russia Revive Hopes for 'Geneva 2' Peace Talks
13 September 13
S secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday the prospects for resuming the Syrian peace process are riding on the outcome of talks aimed at securing Syria's chemical weapons arsenal that lurched into a second day.
As American and Russian chemical weapons experts huddled in a Geneva hotel to haggle over technical details that will be critical to reach a deal, Kerry and Lavrov met a short distance away at the UN's European headquarters with UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to examine political developments and plot a new international conference in Geneva to support the creation of a Syrian transitional government.
George Lakoff | Systemic Causation and Syria: Obama's Framing Problem
12 September 13
very language in the world has a way in its grammar to express direct causation: a local application of force that has a local effect in place and time. You pick up a glass of water and drink it: direct causation. You bomb a hospital, destroying it and killing those inside: direct causation.
Steve Weissman | Obama bin Sultan and Bandar ibn Israel
12 September 13
ow much did Obama's threat of a not-so-limited U.S. military strike push Russia and Syria to accept, at least in words, the international control and destruction of Syrian chemical weapons?
How much did the threat of losing a Congressional vote on military authorization push Obama to grab onto Putin's offer with its lack of specifics and enormous difficulties in implementation?
CIA Begins Delivering Weapons to Syrian Rebels
12 September 13
he CIA has begun delivering weapons to rebels in Syria, ending months of delay in lethal aid that had been promised by the Obama administration, according to U.S. officials and Syrian figures. The shipments began streaming into the country over the past two weeks, along with separate deliveries by the State Department of vehicles and other gear - a flow of material that marks a major escalation of the U.S. role in Syria's civil war.
Marc Ash | Obama Seems to Be Managing on Syria
12 September 13
t should be said that Syrian president Bashar al Assad is guilty of quite a bit. He has engaged in a staggering pattern of domestic oppression and systemic genocide. If he and his security forces have in fact used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians, it would only be the latest war crime they are guilty of. That said, it is highly unlikely that bombing them will lead to anything productive.
Vladimir V. Putin | A Plea for Caution From Russia
12 September 13
ECENT events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders. It is important to do so at a time of insufficient communication between our societies.
Noam Chomsky: Russian Plan Godsend for Obama
12 September 13
n a national address from the White House Tuesday night, President Obama announced he is delaying a plan to strike Syria while pursuing a diplomatic effort from Russia for international monitors to take over and destroy Syria's arsenal of chemical weapons. However, Obama still threatened to use force against Syria if the plan fails. We get reaction to Obama's speech from world-renowned political dissident and linguist, MIT Professor Emeritus Noam Chomsky. "The Russian plan is a godsend for Obama," Chomsky says.
US Still Hasn't Destroyed Its Own Chemical Arsenal
12 September 13
f the Obama administration wants an example of the difficulties involved in destroying chemical weapons, it might reflect upon its own struggles to get rid of cold-war era chemical arsenals stockpiled in tightly controlled storage facilities in Kentucky and Colorado.
The United States promised, but failed, to destroy these stocks by 2012 at the very latest. The most recent forecast from the US is that the process of "neutralising" the chemicals in its Colorado weapons dump will be finished by 2018; the date for Kentucky is 2023.
Juan Cole | How Putin Saved Obama
11 September 13
ecretary of State John Kerry was asked at a press conference in London Monday morning if there was anything that could forestall a US missile attack on Damascus, and he replied off the cuff that Syria could surrender its chemical weapons stockpile to the international community within a week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pounced on Kerry's comment, abruptly announcing that Russia would see what it could do. Lavrov said, "If the establishment of international control over chemical weapons in that country would allow avoiding strikes, we will immediately start working with Damascus . . .
Dennis Kucinich | How the White House and the CIA Are Marketing a War in the YouTube Era
11 September 13
overnments have always used fear and manipulation of emotion to get the public to support wars. The Bush administration did it in 2002 in Iraq and it is happening again in Obama's push for war in Syria.
In possibly the biggest development yet in the story, we learned this weekend that the CIA has now been enlisted to sell this new war with unproven evidence. On Saturday, U.S. intelligence officials claimed they "authenticated" 13 videos that show the horrific aftermath of a chemical attack in Syria in August. What exactly did they "authenticate"?
Barbara Lee | Obama's Best Option on Syria Is to Listen to Congress
10 September 13
s Congress reconvenes this week, one issue is at the forefront of our minds: Syria.
The world community has compelling evidence that the Bashar al-Assad regime used chemical weapons against its own people. This is deplorable and unacceptable, and he and others responsible must be held accountable under the law; we must respond. But I reject the view that a military response will be effective or appropriate.
Syria Accepts Russian Proposal on Weapons; France to Bring Resolution to Security Council
10 September 13
n unexpected Russian proposal for Syria to avert a U.S. military strike by transferring control of its chemical weapons appeared to be gaining traction Tuesday, as Syria embraced it, France said it would draft a U.N. Security Council resolution to put the plan into effect, and China and Iran voiced support.
But major questions remained over whether the specifics of a resolution backed by France and the United States could win the support of Syria's longtime patron, Russia, whose foreign minister appeared to be balking Tuesday at France's proposal of a binding Security Council resolution. There were also doubts about how Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons could be transferred to international monitors in the midst of a bloody and protracted civil war that has claimed more than 100,000 lives.
Obama Sees Potential 'Breakthrough' in Russia's Syria Proposal
10 September 13
ussia and Syria embraced Secretary of State John F. Kerry's suggestion Monday that the Syrian government could avert a U.S. attack by placing its chemical weapons under international control, upending the Obama administration's efforts to sharpen its case for military action
Survey Reveals Scant Backing for Syria Strike
10 September 13
broad majority of Americans, exhausted by nearly a dozen years of war and fearful of tripping into another one, are opposed to a military strike on Syria, even though most say they think Syrian forces used chemical weapons against civilians, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
Tell Kristof to Stop Lying on Syria
09 September 13
n urging the bombing of Syria, New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof is the latest liberal opinion leader to join the ranks of warmongers, what his former boss, Bill Keller, dubbed "the I-Can't-Believe-I'm-a-Hawk Club" in 2003 when this aristocracy of liberal writers was lining up behind President George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq.
Kristof, who did not join the club at that time, has sent in his membership card now in support of the Obama administration's evidence-challenged indictment of the Syrian government for an apparent chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21 outside Damascus.
7 Reasons Why the Public Is Right to Mistrust Obama on Syria
09 September 13
n the anti-war column that Peggy Noonan published in the Wall Street Journal, she notices a new gulf between Washington's interventionist elite and the people:
The Syria debate isn't, really, a struggle between libertarians and neoconservatives, or left and right, or Democrats and Republicans. That's not its shape. It looks more like a fight between the country and Washington, between the broad American public and Washington's central governing assumptions.
Armchair Isolationists? Nonsense!
09 September 13
ven when he ran for president in 2004 against George W. Bush and the neocons, I had to hold my nose to vote for John Kerry. I still do when I hear his self-righteous defense of a not-so-limited military strike on Syria, his know-it-all arrogance, and the hypocritical ease with which he bends the truth, especially when he tries to hide the growing strength in Syria of the radical jihadis with ties to al-Qaeda.
But I won't waste your time attacking yesterday's man. Rather I want to clear the air about the millions of us whom he dismisses as "armchair isolationists."
Russia Welcomes Kerry Plan for Syrian Chemical Weapons Handover
09 September 13
oreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he conveyed the idea to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem at talks in Moscow and that Russia expected "a quick and, I hope, a positive answer."
"If the establishment of international control over chemical weapons in (Syria) makes it possible to avoid strikes, then we will immediately get to work with Damascus," Lavrov said.
The Hill to the Rescue on Syria?
09 September 13
ometimes history happens at the moment when no one is looking. On weekends in late August, the president of the United States ought to be playing golf or loafing at Camp David, not making headlines. Yet Barack Obama chose Labor Day weekend to unveil arguably the most consequential foreign policy shift of his presidency.
In an announcement that surprised virtually everyone, the president told his countrymen and the world that he was putting on hold the much anticipated U.S. attack against Syria. Obama hadn't, he assured us, changed his mind about the need and justification for punishing the Syrian government for its probable use of chemical weapons against its own citizens. In fact, only days before administration officials had been claiming that, if necessary, the U.S. would "go it alone" in punishing Bashar al-Assad's regime for its bad behavior. Now, however, Obama announced that, as the chief executive of "the world's oldest constitutional democracy," he had decided to seek Congressional authorization before proceeding.
Lingering Doubts Over Syria Gas Attack Evidence
09 September 13
he U.S. government insists it has the intelligence to prove it, but the American public has yet to see a single piece of concrete evidence - no satellite imagery, no transcripts of Syrian military communications - connecting the government of President Bashar Assad to the alleged chemical weapons attack last month that killed hundreds of people.
In the absence of such evidence, Damascus and its ally Russia have aggressively pushed another scenario: that rebels carried out the Aug. 21 chemical attack. Neither has produced evidence for that case, either. That's left more questions than answers as the U.S. threatens a possible military strike.
Obama's 'Common Sense Test' Failing
09 September 13
he White House asserted Sunday that a "common-sense test" dictates the Syrian government is responsible for a chemical weapons attack that President Barack Obama says demands a U.S. military response. But Obama's top aide says the administration lacks "irrefutable, beyond-a-reasonable-doubt evidence" that skeptical Americans, including lawmakers who will start voting on military action this week, are seeking.
"This is not a court of law. And intelligence does not work that way," White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said during his five-network public relations blitz Sunday to build support for limited strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Pope, in Syria Peace Appeal, Calls for End to Spiral of Death
09 September 13
rancis, who two days ago branded a military solution in Syria "a futile pursuit", led the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in a global day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East and the world.
"Violence and war lead only to death, they speak of death! Violence and war are the language of death!" Francis said at the midpoint of a five-hour prayer service. Police and the Vatican estimated a crowd of about 100,000 in St Peter's Square.
Syrian Forces May Have Used Gas Without Assad's Permission
08 September 13
yrian brigade and division commanders had been asking the Presidential Palace to allow them to use chemical weapons for the last four-and-a-half months, according to radio messages intercepted by German spies, but permission had always been denied, the paper said.
This could mean Assad may not have personally approved the attack close to Damascus on August 21 in which more than 1,400 are estimated to have been killed, intelligence officers suggested.
Obama Appeals for Backing in Syria, Europe Urges Delay
08 September 13
resh from a European trip in which he failed to forge a consensus among global leaders, Obama plunged into a campaign on radio and television to try to convince a skeptical U.S. public and Congress of the need for a military strike on Syria.
In Europe, pressure increased for delay. European Union foreign ministers meeting in Lithuania on Saturday blamed the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria on President Bashar al-Assad's government. But they did not endorse military action and made clear the bloc wanted the United Nations to have a role in agreeing on an international response.
Respond, But How? What We're Missing On Syria
07 September 13
hen a head of state is responsible for the deaths of 100,000 of his people and has used chemical weapons against innocent civilians - the world needs to respond. In one massive attack, the evidence appears to show that 1,429 people, including 400 children, suffered horrible deaths from chemical weapons banned by the international community. That is a profound moral crisis that requires an equivalent moral response. Doing nothing is not an option. But how should we respond, and what are moral principles for that response?
Syria and the Reality at Home in America
07 September 13
hile all eyes are on Syria and America's response, the real economy in which most Americans live is sputtering.
More than four years after the recession officially ended, 11.5 million Americans are unemployed, many of them for years. Nearly 4 million have given up looking for work altogether. If they were actively looking, today's unemployment rate would be 9.5 percent instead of 7.3 percent.
If the House Says No to War
07 September 13
he House of Representatives is poised to vote No on any attack on Syria. This is the moment to bring antiwar forces together, both in the United States and around the world. This is the moment that we can build a movement that can make history. Who will show leadership to ensure victory this month and move on making this movement move?
Syria: Where Revolution Goes Wrong
06 September 13
n early 2011, the Arab Spring protests rocked the Middle East, particularly in Tunisia and Egypt, where millions took to the streets demanding democracy, equal rights for minorities, and an immediate end to the corrupt, oppressive regimes that had been abusing their power for decades. The Arab Spring came to Syria in February and March of 2011. The Syrian uprising was, at first, nonviolent in nature, as hundreds of thousands filled the streets in Syria's major cities. However, the Assad regime quickly cracked down by mass arresting, beating and killing protesters.
Medea Benjamin | John Kerry Sells a War That Americans Aren't Buying
05 September 13
t was September 19, 2002, and US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was scheduled to address the Senate Armed Services Committee about why it was necessary to invade a country that never attacked us: Iraq.
Dennis Kucinich | Top 10 Unproven Claims for War Against Syria
05 September 13
n the lead-up to the Iraq War, I researched, wrote and circulated a document to members of Congress which explored unanswered questions and refuted President Bush's claim for a cause for war. The document detailed how there was no proof Iraq was connected to 9/11 or tied to al Qaeda's role in 9/11, that Iraq neither had WMDs nor was it a threat to the U.S., lacking intention and capability to attack. Unfortunately, not enough members of Congress performed due diligence before they approved the war.
Commercial News Beats the War Drum
02 September 13
ou need to know that "the world" is nervous that US president Barack Obama did not ignore the US Constitution and unilaterally bomb a sovereign nation without the approval of Congress. That makes "the world" nervous. Apparently we are left to assume that if Obama did take it upon himself to bomb Syria at his own discretion everybody in the world would feel reassured.
Skepticism Runs Deep Among Lawmakers Pressed for Syria Action
02 September 13
oubts were widespread among lawmakers this weekend as the White House pressed for limited strikes against Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons.
Obama Goes to Congress on Syria as His International Support Collapses
02 September 13
eople have been asking why President Obama did not go to Congress about Libya but is willing to do so with regard to a much less robust action in Syria.
The Syria Intervention Plan Is Being Pushed By Oil Interests
01 September 13
n 21 August, hundreds - perhaps over a thousand - people were killed in a chemical weapon attack in Ghouta, Damascus, prompting the US, UK, Israel and France to raise the spectre of military strikes against Bashir al Assad's forces.
Obama Was This Close to Bombing Syria
01 September 13
or the first time in a long time, the President will consult Congress instead of unilaterally ordering an attack against Syria. This is a big deal, and the President only made the big decision last night against the better judgement of his entire senior staff.
Obama, Congress and Syria
01 September 13
t's a potent sign of how low the American political bar is set that gratitude is expressed because a US president says he will ask Congress to vote before he starts bombing another country that is not attacking or threatening the US. That the US will not become involved in foreign wars of choice without the consent of the American people through their representatives Congress is a central mandate of the US Constitution, not some enlightened, progressive innovation of the 21st century. George Bush, of course, sought Congressional approval for the war in Iraq (though he did so only once it was clear that Congress would grant it: I vividly remember watching then-Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joe Biden practically begging the Bush White House to "allow" Congress to vote on the attack while promising in advance that they would approve for it).
The True Test of American Resolve: Not Attacking Syria But Living Up to Our Ideals at Home
01 September 13
e are on the brink of a tragic decision to strike Syria, because, in the dubious logic of the President, "a lot of people think something should be done," and American "credibility" is at stake. He and his secretary of state assure us that the strike will be "limited" and "surgical."
11 Reasons Why We Should Not Attack Syria
31 August 13
s U.S. political and media leaders prepare for military strikes against Syria, the parallels to the lead-up to the war with Iraq should give us pause. Weapons of mass destruction, we are told, are being used by a cruel Middle Eastern despot against his own people. A military strike is inevitable, media voices say; we must respond with missiles and bombs. The arguments sound all too familiar."
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