Topic: Damascus (Syria)

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10 of TIME's 100 'most influential'

What does it mean to be influential today? TIME Magazine may not have a scientific answer, but they identified scores of people in their 2012 “100 Most Influential People in the World” list, released this week. Here is a sampling of 10 people from around the world who made the cut.
Who is Hamas? 5 questions about the Palestinian militant group.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to form a unity government led by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority and head of rival Palestinian faction Fatah. But who is Hamas? What is their relationship with Fatah, and what might Hamas gain from reconciling with them? Here are five key questions about Hamas.
Who backs Syria's Assad? Top 4 sources of support

Syria’s uprising is more than six months old and more than 2,700 people have been killed – yet President Bashar al-Assad is still in power. Here's a look at his key sources of support.
A sampler of books on Syria

Here are six books – a mix of literature, history, and politics – that offer insight into contemporary Syria.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 06/21

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More sanctions for Syria as US targets bank

The Treasury Department has targeted the Syria International Islamic Bank, which they say has been acting as a front for Syrian banks trying to get around existing sanctions.
Exclusive: Veteran Lebanese fighter trains new generation of jihadis – for Syria

Longtime fighter Mustapha explains to the first Western reporter to visit his Bekaa Valley orchard camp how he is preparing eager Lebanese to take up arms against the Assad regime.
Syrian massacre: diplomats expelled from Western nations

The US, Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria all expelled diplomats in response to revelations that more than a 100 people were brutally killed in Houla, Syria, by Assad strongmen.
US intervention unlikely in Syria

The administration expelled Syrian diplomats after last weekend's massacre, but ruled out military action.
Will Al Qaeda cement its foothold in Syria?

The massacre in Houla, Syria, over the weekend pushed Russia to finally denounce the atrocities there. But Moscow also warned that the regime of Bashar al-Assad faces threats from Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda's future in Syria depends on how Sunnis there respond to foreign jihadi fighters.
After Houla massacre, Syrian diplomats expelled around the world

France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia are expelling Syrian diplomatic envoys. The response to the Houla civilian massacre is increasing Syria's isolation.
Terrorism & Security
After massacre in Syria, Annan travels to Damascus to push peace plan

Kofi Annan's visit follows a massacre in Houla, Syria, that left 108 dead, most of them 'summarily executed,' according to the United Nations.
Terrorism & Security
UN chief: There is no 'plan B' for ending the Syrian conflict

At least 200 have died in Syria in the two months since a UN-backed cease-fire went into effect, but Ban Ki-moon rejects assertions that part of the problem is the low number of monitors on the ground.
Syrian spillover: Beirut sees worst clashes in four years

The killing of a Sunni cleric at a Lebanese Army checkpoint yesterday ignited widespread protests among aggrieved Sunnis. (+video)
Terrorism & Security
Damascus bombings prompt warnings of Iraq-style insurgency

Yesterday's bombings in Damascus were the largest since the uprising began. The US and others are sounding an alarm about a particularly worrisome turn in the conflict.
Terrorism & Security
Two bombings rock Damascus in one of largest attacks since uprising (+video)

No group has claimed responsibility for today's bombings in Damascus that killed at least 40 people, but an Al Qaeda-inspired group has claimed similar attacks in the past.
Syria holds an election despite months of fighting

The election is the first multiparty poll since Syria's new constitution was adopted in February. But early voting appeared thin as the opposition refused to participate.
Syrian forces kill teenager in another Aleppo attack, reports say

One day after a raid on a local college campus resulted in four deaths, Syrian forces fired on a large group of protesters in Aleppo Friday.
Four dead after attack on Syrian anti-government student protesters

Reports say fellow students who backed the Assad regime joined forces with Syrian security to assault those involved in a protest march on a college campus in Aleppo.
Terrorism & Security
Both sides violating Syria cease-fire. Still worth supporting? (+video)

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon called on all parties in Syria to stand by the cease-fire, which has been repeatedly violated by both the government and the opposition.
Syrian uprising shifts toward suicide bombings. Al Qaeda's handiwork? (+video)

Today's suicide bombings in Syria's Idlib province come just three days after a suicide bombing in Damascus claimed by a salafi jihadist organization.
Violence abates as UN observers visit Syrian battlefield of Homs

While many analysts discount the chances of the UN peace plan working, visits by UN observers are showing some sign of temporarily reducing the violence.
Syria: Why only 15 UN observers on the ground so far? (+video)

The UN says it will take a month to get the full 300-member observer mission on the ground, due to logistical difficulties. The delay could scuttle UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.
Terrorism & Security
Observers in Syria having an impact, but only 11 on the ground so far (+video)

Another 100 are slated to come in a month. 'Are they coming on horses?' asks an exasperated activist.
As Syria cease-fire falters, Kofi Annan urges faster arrival of UN monitors

Kofi Annan, the former UN chief who negotiated the cease-fire, spoke to the Security Council Tuesday. He appears alarmed by claims that Syrian forces massacred 30 civilians in the city of Hama Monday.
The case for military intervention in Syria

Former US ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker argues that the West should not wait for a single mass atrocity before it intervenes in Syria, as it did in Bosnia. What is the magic number of deaths that will prompt the international community to act? We've already passed 9,000.
One dead, three wounded in separate Damascus attacks Tuesday

A car bomb wounded three early Tuesday near the Old City part of the Syrian capital. Meanwhile, a Syrian agent was found dead in another Damascus neighborhood.
Assad's actions in Syria spur US to consider intervening

The ongoing violence in Syria, despite the regime's lip service to the Annan peace plan, has pushed the Obama administration to weigh stronger steps.
Focus
Bahrain F1 race: How a Sunni backlash kept an uprising at bay

The Formula One race in Bahrain today has put the spotlight back on an uprising here that has faltered due to sectarian distrust.
Syria shells suburb of Damascus as UN expands monitoring

The UN Security Council voted Saturday to expand the number of observers in Syria from 30 to 300, but fighting continues.