Topic: Homs

Boy played dead to survive Syrian massacre

Ali el-Sayed fell to the floor and soaked himself in his brother's blood as gunmen linked to the Assad regime murdered his family.

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.

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.

Syria 'massacre' raises pressure for international response

Syrian artillery attack that apparently killed more than 90 people, including many children, brought French condemnation, while the UK said it would call for urgent UN Security Council meeting.

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.

Assad can rule Syria until 2014? Protesters reject Arab League proposal.

The head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to reforms after a meeting in Damascus this weekend.

Eid ul-Fitr marks end of violent Ramadan in Syria

Eid ul-Fitr is normally a festive time, but Syrian citizens say seven were killed today by security forces. The regime faces EU oil sanctions by week's end and weakening support at home.

Even Iran, Syria's best friend, urges Assad to ease crackdown

Iran implored Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to listen to the 'legitimate demands' of protesters, warning that a failure to do so could lead to the regime's collapse and broader regional turmoil.

Saudis condemn Syrian violence after bloody first week of Ramadan

Saudi Arabia and several Arab blocs broke their long silence on the uprisings sweeping the Middle East, condemning Syria's brutal crackdown that has killed more than 300 in the past week alone.

Syria threatens to expel US ambassador

Syria has warned Ambassador Robert Ford not to leave Damascus. That complicates the new US strategy of strengthening the opposition so it can bring about democratic change.

Syrian refugees describe violent crackdown, sectarian clashes

Syrian refugees from a Sunni village near Homs have taken shelter in a Lebanese border town. But their hosts are deeply uneasy about the unrest roiling Lebanon's powerful neighbor.

Is Syria's uprising taking a sectarian turn?(VIDEO)

Weekend violence in Homs reportedly stemmed from tensions between Sunnis and Alawites. Some activists say the government is intentionally stirring up sectarian fighting.

Syrian activists reject Assad's call for talks Sunday

Syrian activists staged protests today against the talks, arguing that it's impossible to negotiate with President Bashar al-Assad's regime while it is killing and detaining people.

Europe expands sanctions on Syria amid fresh protests

The EU sanctioned four more companies and seven new individuals, including three members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and condemned Syria's 'shocking' use of violence.

Assad's speech may buy time, but not survival

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave his first speech in two months today, offering elections and reforms this summer in an apparent bid to secure the patience of Syria's silent majority.

Obama's Syria dilemma

Syrian Army deserter: 'We were ordered to shoot on the people'

Darwish Mohammed Fidou deserted his unit after he was given orders to fire directly on civilians. His story bolsters growing reports of dissent within Syria's military.

Has Syria's peaceful uprising turned into an insurrection?

The Syrian regime's claims that 120 soldiers and security personnel were killed in Jisr al-Shughur over the weekend have intensified the debate over who is behind the uptick in armed resistance.

Syria's Assad offers amnesty to political prisoners

Assad's conciliatory gesture is unlikely to halt the momentum of Syria's opposition, which is meeting in Turkey to discuss a transition to democracy.

Assad regime may be gaining upper hand in Syria

One indication of Syria's confidence is that it has not yet attempted to wreak havoc regionally – a tactic it has employed in the past when feeling threatened.

Young protest leader sees civil war emerging in Syria

A Syrian schoolteacher who has become a protest leader in the town of Tel Kalakh, near the Lebanon border, tells the Monitor in a rare interview that he expects civil war in Syria.

Syria detains hundreds, hindering protesters' efforts to organize

Syrian security forces detained hundreds in a door-to-door arrest campaign today – a tactic that appears to be borrowed from Iran.

Refugees recount brutal crackdown in western Syria

Accounts from refugees who fled to Lebanon from western Syria highlight the repressive tactics used by President Bashar al-Assad's regime as it struggles to stifle a pro-democracy uprising.

Syria's military shows signs of division amid crackdown

Some soldiers reportedly refused to open fire against civilians in Deraa today, sparking clashes between units. A divided military could prove the undoing of Assad's regime.