Topic: Kingdom of Jordan

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Diplomacy or military intervention in Syria? 7 opinions from around the globe.

After 15 months of violence in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad announced yesterday that the country was facing a full-on civil war, a conflict he would do everything in his power to win.This adds increased pressure to the ongoing international question du jour: Is the answer to Syria’s conflict diplomacy or military intervention? Or something else entirely? From Thailand to Jordan, here are some opinions around the globe.

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Egypt, Jordan, Iraq seek to stem Syrian refugee flood

Syria's raging civil war has seen neighbors flooded with refugees. Egypt has become the latest regional country to take steps to limit refugee access.
In Israel, doctors quietly treat injured Syrians

Doctors argue they have a humanitarian responsibility to treat those wounded in Syria's civil war, but the government is quick to say it will keep the scope of Israeli assistance limited.
Olive Press Behind the wheel with a witness to Israel's history

Professor Meron Medzini guides our reporter along Israel's borders, narrating the challenges and change he has seen since the country's founding.
As Syria's death toll climbs to 100,000, options for refugees decline

Jordan, which hosts the second-largest population of Syrian refugees at more than 500,000, now appears to be restricting their entry.
World Refugee Day: UN calls Syria 'worst humanitarian disaster' since cold war

Angelina Jolie, in Jordan on World Refugee Day, decries the plight of millions of displaced in Syria. Worldwide, the number of refugees is the highest since the Balkan and Rwanda wars.
US promises military aid to Syrian rebels. Now what?

US military aid to Syrian rebels is expected to begin arriving in a few weeks, delivered by the CIA through secret bases in Turkey and Jordan. Reports say it will include light weaponry, but not shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles. The Pentagon also has proposed a partial no-fly zone.
As Syrian refugee flood escalates, UN asks record $5.1 billion in aid

Help is needed as Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey may host up to 3.5 million refugees by year's end, say UN officials.
Global News Blog Why Jordan orders ban on 263 news sites

The Jordanian government ordered that a controversial media law go into effect on Sunday, in a sudden erosion of online press freedom just days after King Abdullah promised human rights reforms.
Terrorism & Security Syrian rebel's video surfaces amid intensified pressure for action on Syria

The gruesome video shocked the international community. With concerns about arming the rebels, attention is turning to greater humanitarian aid as a way to help in the increasingly violent war.
Terrorism & Security US and Russia team up to make fresh diplomatic push on Syria

US Secretary of State Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov say they hope to convene an international conference on Syria later in May. The US has also stepped up humanitarian aid.
Terrorism & Security US and Britain consider arming Syrian rebels (+video)

The bar is set high, but the US could begin providing body armor, night-vision goggles, rifles, and other basic arms to Syria's rebels.
In Middle East, public rejects arming Syrian rebels: poll

A Pew Center poll found that large majorities worry that an influx of arms – from Western or Arab sources – will increase violence and instability in the region.
Emboldened by military gains, Assad regime shows resilience

Syrian President Assad has frustrated predictions of his imminent downfall for more than two years. A string of recent Army successes has rolled back some rebel gains and disrupted rebel plans.
Backchannels Should use of chemical weapons in Syria be a 'game changer?'

Last month President Obama called chemical weapons use by Syria a 'game changer,' but why do US interests change if chemical weapons are used?
Outside the camps, Syrian refugees face further hardship

With 74 percent of Syrian refugees living outside camps, life is a daily struggle to find affordable housing, jobs with living wages, and schooling for their children.
Canada alleges Al Qaeda plot from Iran, but Tehran's involvement unlikely (+video)

Shiite Iran and Sunni Al Qaeda have long had a hostile relationship. While state involvement appears unlikely, Tehran has less control over the country's far east.
Hagel: Israel and US see 'exactly the same' threat from Iran

On a trip to Israel, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said the US and Israel view the threat from Iran the same way, but differ on the point at which military action would be necessary.
Pentagon sends troops to Jordan to counter Syria chemical weapons threat

The Pentagon said this week it would send a small number of troops to Jordan to help forces there deal with Syria's chemical weapons threat and to prevent the civil war from spilling over.
Iran's Khamenei condemns Boston Marathon attacks, but takes jab at US policies

Iran's supreme leader was emphatic in his condemnation of the Boston Marathon attacks, but criticized the US for decrying attacks on its own civilians while carrying out drone strikes elsewhere.
Terrorism & Security Rockets fired from Egypt slam into Israeli resort town

An Islamist militant group claimed responsibility, citing retaliation for the Israeli attack on Palestinians protesting the death of an inmate in an Israeli prison.
In rebel fighter's personal story, the arc of Syria's war

When The Monitor first met Syrian rebel fighter Abu Omar last July, he was buoyant and determined to bring down the Assad regime. Now his outlook is a bit more grim.
The Monitor's View Looking for Obama's agenda in Syria

As killings in Syria worsen, more people look to Obama for action. But the mental preparation for action doesn't start with the White House.
Iran's 'axis of resistance' loses its Palestinian arm to Syrian war

Sunni Hamas has broken its longtime ties with the Assad regime to fight alongside the predominantly Sunni Syrian opposition.
Syrian army launches counteroffensive, calls on rebels to lay down arms

The Syrian army targeted rebels with heavy airstrikes in at least seven cities and regions Sunday, killing at least 20 people. The government also called on rebel fighters to surrender their weapons.
Global News Blog Good Reads: Christian Middle East exodus, online ed, drone strikes, and Japan's prisons

The round-up of Good Reads for this week includes a look at the plight of Christians in the Middle East, how online classes are faring, a visual timeline of US drone attacks, and why Japan's crime rate is so low.