Syria

Read recent Syrian news stories and current events on Newser.com

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Syria's Assad Makes Rare Public Appearance

Bashar al-Assad tells supporters he wants to 'draw strength' from them

(Newser) - President Bashar al-Assad hasn't exactly been a man of the people since the Syrian uprising began, but today he joined thousands of supporters at a Damascus rally, the AP reports. "I wanted to be with you so I can draw strength from you in the face of everything...

Assad Vows to Meet 'Terrorists' With 'Iron Fist'

He condemns Arab League as hypocrites for pushing democracy

(Newser) - Bashar al-Assad gave a rare speech on state-run TV today, in which he lashed out at the Arab League and vowed to deal harshly with violent unrest. The Syrian president asked what right the Arab League, which includes absolute monarchies, had to preach about democracy and reform. "Their situation...

Arab League Sending 135 New Monitors to Syria

League hopes more observers will lead to decreased violence

(Newser) - Amid concerns that its monitors are not making much of a difference in Syria, Arab League officials have decided to almost double the number of observers in the country in an effort to put more pressure on the regime. At a meeting yesterday, League members decided to bring the total...

New Syria Bombing: 'It's Getting Ugly'

Blast in Damascus kills 25, but who is behind it?

(Newser) - A bombing in Damascus today killed 25 and wounded dozens, report AP and al-Jazeera , but that's about where the clarity ends. The government blames "terrorists" and vows to respond with an "iron fist." The opposition, meanwhile, insists that the government staged the blast to head off...

Torture Kills Hundreds of Syrian Prisoners

 Torture Kills Hundreds 
 of Syrian Prisoners 
says group
Jan 6, 2012 8:45 AM CST

Torture Kills Hundreds of Syrian Prisoners

Prisoners are deprived of sleep, shocked, claims human rights group

(Newser) - A suicide bomb in Syria's capital, reportedly aimed at a police bus, killed and wounded dozens today, the AP reports, as the country's political turmoil continues. And more disheartening news: A human rights group yesterday claimed that the government regularly tortures hundreds of prisoners; according to its research...

Activists: Syria Is Tricking Monitors

Even as Syria releases another 500 prisoners

(Newser) - Arab League observers in Syria have been claiming as their chief triumph the regime's evacuation of its troops from protest-prone cities. But activists say that hasn’t actually happened—the regime is just using some cheap tricks to make it look like it has, Reuters reports. Activists say the...

Syrian Rebel Leader Vows 'Surprise' for Regime

Colonel Riad al-Asaad says he's frustrated with Arab League's lack of results

(Newser) - The head of the Free Syrian Army is fed up with the ineffectual Arab League observer mission, and if it doesn’t show some progress soon, he’s going to “take a decision which will surprise the regime and the whole world,” he told Reuters in an interview...

Arab League Calls Emergency Meeting on Syria

It may pull observers out of the country amidst bloodshed

(Newser) - The Arab League is considering yanking its observers out of Syria, as the regime there continues to kill protesters despite its presence, the AP reports. The League today announced an emergency meeting, to be held Saturday in Cairo, to discuss the matter. That meeting won't result in a final...

Arab League: Syria 'Killings Continue'

But chief praises progress, says tanks have been pulled from cities

(Newser) - Syria's government has withdrawn heavy weapons from inside cities and freed about 3,500 prisoners, but security forces continue to kill protesters even with foreign monitors in the country, the Arab League chief said today. Nabil Elaraby said pro-regime snipers also continue to operate in Syria. But despite the...

Arab Body Calls for Pullout of Monitors in Syria

Arab Parliament angered by ongoing killings

(Newser) - A pan-Arab body called today for the immediate withdrawal of the Arab League monitors in Syria because President Bashar Assad's regime has kept up killings of government opponents even in the presence of the observers. The 88-member Arab Parliament said that Arabs are angered by the Syrian regime's...

10 Killed, Thousands Protest in Syria

But Arab League monitors fuel activists' hope

(Newser) - Tens of thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of protesters rallied across Syria today in an effort to show Arab League monitors the extent of opposition anger. At least 10 were reported killed in ensuing clashes with security forces, the BBC reports; the deaths follow up to 40 others yesterday. But...

Syrian Activists Lambaste Arab League Observers

Say violence rages despite their presence

(Newser) - Arab League observers are scheduled to visit Daraa today, but activists are quickly losing faith that their presence will make much difference. Human rights activists had criticized the Arab League’s choice to lead the mission—former Sudanese military intelligence head Mohammed al-Dabi—from the start, the New York Times...

As More Die, Syria Frees 755 Prisoners

6 killed in Hama, which Arab League observers are to visit tomorrow

(Newser) - At least six people are dead after Syrian troops fired into a crowd of thousands of protesters gathered in Hama, say activists. Arab League observers are scheduled to arrive in that city tomorrow, and the protesters were apparently working their way toward the main square to participate in a sit-in...

Thousands Protest in Syria During Observers' Visit

Human rights group puts crowd at 70,000

(Newser) - Tens of thousands of defiant Syrian protesters thronged the streets of Homs today, calling for the execution of President Bashar Assad shortly after his army pulled its tanks back and allowed Arab League monitors into the city at the heart of the anti-government uprising. The pullback was the first sign...

Syrian Army Leaving Homs
 Syrian Army Leaving Homs 
Dec 27, 2011 7:46 AM CST

Syrian Army Leaving Homs

Arrival of Arab League observers leads to withdrawal

(Newser) - Soldiers and tanks began pulling out of Homs this morning, in response to the arrival of Arab League observers in Syria yesterday. Prior to the army’s retreat, fighting in Homs had been on the rise , with 34 civilians reportedly killed there yesterday. “The government’s goals haven’t...

Arab League Observers Land in Syria

Team of 60 likely headed for Homs

(Newser) - Arab League monitors are officially on the ground in Syria, reports Reuters . The Arab League delegation includes some 50 monitors and 10 other officials, and will eventually number 150 people working to ensure that Bashar al-Assad is in fact backing off his nine-month-long crackdown on protesters. The monitors come not...

Syria Shells Homs, Kills 13
 Syria Shells Homs, Kills 13 
Dec 26, 2011 6:55 AM CST

Syria Shells Homs, Kills 13

A day before Arab League observers are set to arrive

(Newser) - Arab League observers are headed to the turbulent city of Homs tomorrow to see if Bashar al-Assad is keeping his pledge to end the violent crackdown on dissent, and they might find themselves amidst a firefight when they get there. Syrian forces shelled the Baba Amr district today, killing 13...

Syrians Cheer Assad, Boo America at Mass Funeral

Public funeral held for 44 victims of yesterday's suicide bombings

(Newser) - The big news out of Syria today: a public funeral, held for the 44 people who died in two suicide bombings yesterday. It appeared to be a pro-President Bashar al-Assad, anti-American crowd, reports the Telegraph . Among the cries during the funeral procession in Damascus, which was attended by thousands and...

Suicide Bombs Shake Syrian Capital: Report

 Suicide Bombs Rattle 
 Syria; 40 Dead 
UPDATED
Dec 23, 2011 7:45 AM CST

Suicide Bombs Rattle Syria; 40 Dead

Attacks come as Arab League observers arrive

(Newser) - More than 40 people are dead and 100 injured after two suicide car bombings in Damascus, the Syrian government says. The blasts seemed to be targeted against government intelligence buildings, reports AP , and they come a day after Arab League observers arrived amid an increasingly violent government crackdown on dissent....

Arab League Observers Arrive Amid Syria Violence

Assad looks to be trying to buy time to put down revolt

(Newser) - Bashar Assad's regime would appear to be setting itself on a collision course: It let in outside observers for the first time today to monitor his commitment to halting the crackdown on dissent, even as his security forces unleashed a fiercer onslaught this week, killing more than 200 in...

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