Topic: Free Syrian Army
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In key Syrian city, snipers and bombing tear at fabric of daily life
As rebels and the Syrian government battle for control of Aleppo, residents tap caution – and dark humor – to survive.
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Why no safe zone in Syria, yet? 5 complications
The flood of Syrian refugees entering Turkey – as many as 5,000 a day for the last 10 days – has ratcheted up the pressure for a safe zone’s creation. But a safe zone is complicated and carries many risks.
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Five reasons why Syria may be at a tipping point
Since the start of the conflict in Syria, international observers have been watching the government of President Bashar al-Assad for signs that the once-feared regime might be vulnerable to overthrow. Despite Syrian efforts to crush the rebels and to stifle news out of the country, this past week has shown the strongest evidence yet that the end of the Assad regime may be near. Here are five signs that the Syrian conflict may finally be tipping in favor of the rebels.
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Briefing
Syria conflict: 5 warring factions
Syria is at the nexus of some of the Middle East's most central problems, meaning that fallout from its uprising is likely to ripple, in unpredictable ways, through the region. Here's a brief guide to the actors in the conflict.
All Content
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Focus
In 2013, possibilities for stability from Somalia to South China SeaPolicymakers in many of the world's hot spots have a common New Year's wish: for unity to usher in and consolidate political and economic stability.
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Syrian moderates fear being edged out of uprising
Some of Syria's moderate opposition members worry they are losing a place in the fight against the regime as better-armed, more experienced hard-line groups proliferate.
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Lebanese border means little in Syria's civil war
With Sunni villages sheltering Syrian rebel fighters and Shiite villages shipping Hezbollah fighters across the border, northern Lebanon is now just another frontline in Syria's war.
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Syrian rebel infighting could take dangerous turn if Assad falls
If President Bashar al-Assad falls and the disparate Syrian opposition groups lose their common enemy, their ranks will likely fracture – perhaps violently.
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Syrian opposition forces say they are on brink of major victory in Aleppo
If Syrian rebels succeed in breaching an infantry school in Aleppo, they will gain some strategically critical pieces of territory, a windfall of supplies, and possibly a slew of regime defectors.
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Russia, NATO: Assad could lose Syria to rebels (+video)
Opposition fighters have seized large swaths of territory in northern Syria along the border with Turkey and appear to be expanding their control outside of Damascus.
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Family of journalist Austin Tice struggles with silence on kidnapping
Austin Tice was kidnapped near Damascus in August. His family went to Beirut recently in hopes of extending their reach into Syria and finding out more about who might be holding him.
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US draws line in Syria: aligns with moderate rebels, labels others terrorists
On the verge of formally recognizing a rebel coalition as representing the Syrian people, the US designated the al-Nusra Front as a terrorist organization that is an arm of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
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Opinion: How the US can prevent the use and spread of Syria's chemical weapons
The conflict in Syria could become even more deadly if Bashar al-Assad uses or loses control of his sizeable arsenal of chemical weapons. The international community’s options to prevent these scenarios are limited, but they do provide a starting point.
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As Syria's rebels close in, Assad has three options
The most likely is a retreat into the mountains controlled by his minority Alawite community.
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A wary Iraq weighs its options as Syrian civil war deepens
Fears in Iraq of a spillover of Syria's fighting, or a victory for Sunni Islamists hostile to the Shiite-led government in Baghdad, have Iraq weighing its options.
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Syria: first state with WMDs to topple? (+video)
Never before has a country with Weapons of Mass Destruction been on the verge of collapse, says an arms control expert who argues for regional coordination to prevent a catastrophe.
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Syrian rebels riding momentum to Damascus
The fighting follows a number of gains for opposition forces in the north of Syria, which has sparked optimism among Syrians hoping for the downfall of the Assad regime.
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Opinion: Threat of chemical warfare in Syria means it's time for US, NATO no-fly zone
The threat that Bashar al-Assad may use chemical weapons against opposition forces in Syria means it is time for President Obama and America's NATO allies to intervene and establish a no-fly zone. That's a far better option than directly arming the divided rebel forces.
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Rebel gains in Syria embolden Lebanese Sunnis
Sunnis in Lebanon are growing more outspoken about the most powerful faction in their country, the Shiite movement Hezbollah.
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Syrian rebels cut off Damascus airport in critical step (+video)
The Syrian rebels cut off the main road to the Damascus airport today. The fighting forced the closure of the airport and makes a rebel assault on the capital more likely.
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Backchannels
Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra militia looks pretty seriousSome eye-catching video shows a disciplined jihadi militia on the move in eastern Syria after ransacking a regime artillery base.
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Syrian rebels struggle to keep regime Air Force on the ground (+video)
Aware that options for combating the Syrian Air Force are limited once jets and helicopters are in the air, rebels are trying to take over air bases and destroy aircraft before they get off the ground.
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Syrian rebels forced to police their own as crime tarnishes reputation
With opposition Free Syrian Army fighters increasingly accused of looting and other criminal behavior, the rebels have launched Revolutionary Security to keep them in check.
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Against the odds, Syrian rebels begin to chip away at regime's air advantage
Even without the anti-aircraft weapons, the Syrian rebels have managed to deal some blows to the regime's air force, using heavy machine guns and careful planning.
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Rebels question continued protests in 'Free Syria'
Protests gave birth to the anti-Assad uprising, but now some in Syria say they simply make for an easy target for regime planes. Others say they're important to keep new leaders accountable.
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Syrian rebels put choke hold on government supply lines
The Free Syrian Army has captured several critical areas from the government this week, curtailing delivery of supplies to those they are battling for control of Aleppo.
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For Syrian rebels, a relentless game of cat-and-mouse
The Free Syrian Army attacks regime positions on Syria's southern border, but only holds them long enough to rush supplies and fighters in from Lebanon. Such tactics won't break a grim stalemate.
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Global News Blog
Syrians want to know: 'Are you okay after Superstorm Sandy?'With the sound of mortars in the background, Syrians in Aleppo express concern for our American correspondent and his storm-battered homeland.
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Inside Syria, rebels offer cautious support for unified council
Fighters on the front lines of the Syrian war expressed optimism about the new council formed out of Syrian opposition groups.
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