Topic: Lebanon

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3 views on what the US should do about Iran's nuclear program

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday, saying Iran is under a "continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists." As the fourth installment of our One Minute Debate series for election 2012, three writers give their brief take on what the United States should do about Iran's nuclear program.
Five things international community must give Syria after Bashar al-Assad

Transition in Syria after Bashar al-Assad will be impossible without constructive international support. From outsiders, Syria will need these five key things:
Iran vs. Israel: 8 recent attacks Israel blames on Iran

Yesterday's attack on Israeli tourists in the Bulgarian town of Burgas is the eighth major incident in which Israel has accused the Iranian government and its allies of planning to attack, or of attacking, Israeli citizens. Iran denies involvement in any of the incidents, but it accuses Israel of a string of deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists over the past year.
Hezbollah 101: Who is the militant group, and what does it want?

The Shiite militant group and political party is a player not just in Lebanon, where it is based, but across the broader Middle East. It remains a staunch opponent of Israel, which it fought to a standstill in 2006, and a close ally of Iran and Syria – despite both regimes' crackdowns on citizens Hezbollah purports to champion.
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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Syrian Army, Hezbollah bear down on rebels in strategic Qusayr

For the Syrian rebels, Qusayr has been critical to bringing in weapons and fighters from Lebanon. But the regime and ally Hezbollah want the town, which lies at an important crossroads.
With Hezbollah's help, Syrian troops push to regain Lebanese border areas

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 people, including 16 rebel fighters and one woman, were killed in Qusair in morning fighting, but that the death toll was expected to rise.
Christianophobia

British journalist Rupert Shortt documents and examines the persecution of Christians around the world – a problem of which many Westerners are unaware.
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.
Olive Press Former Palestinian fighter now battles for a middle path

Palestinian Mohammed Dajani, a former Fatah fighter from a prominent Jerusalem family, has become a vocal advocate for pragmatism and peace.
Opinion: Syria – another sign that US needs to recalibrate Middle East policy

As the US backs into Syria and other Mideast crises, China is proactively and strategically engaging in the region. Its actions point out what America has to lose if it continues to hesitate in the Middle East.
Syria civil war: This week could be decisive for US involvement

Secretary of State John Kerry travels to Moscow to discuss international pressure on Syria, following Israel’s targeted airstrikes on Damascus over the weekend.
The Monitor's View: Israeli strike in Syria tips a civil war toward a global response

The Israeli strike in Syria represents a regional escalation that should push the UN or West to find a way to prevent a collapse of Syrian society. But first, the world must decide what would fill Syria's void. Democracy?
Israeli airstrike in Syria brings Iran onstage, raising risk of proxy war

Iran dismissed Israeli claims that yesterday's airstrike in Syria targeted Iranian weapons destined for Hezbollah, accusing Israel of looking for an excuse to hammer the 'Axis of Resistance.'
Terrorism & Security Israel tries to tamp down Syrian anger after killing dozens of its elite soldiers (+video)

Israel is straining to arrest a slide toward regional conflict after staging an airstrike on a military facility outside Damascus, reportedly to stop a transfer of weapons to Hezbollah.
Israeli attacks inside Syria risk widening war

Israel, as well as Syria and its Lebanese-ally Hezbollah, has little interest in a wider conflict. But as Israel grows more assertive across its borders, the chance of a miscalculation is on the rise.
Thousands of Sunnis flee Syrian coastal region after mass killings

British human rights activists say about 4,000 people have fled the predominantly Sunni Mediterranean city of Banias. At least 62 people, including children were killed Friday by pro-government gunmen and troops.
Terrorism & Security Why Israel bombed Syria, again (+video)

Israeli aircraft bombed a warehouse in Syria Friday that reportedly held Iran-made Fateh-110 missiles bound for Hezbollah. It's the second time in four months that Israeli aircraft have hit targets in Syria.
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.
US considering arming Syrian rebels, says Hagel

The Obama administration is rethinking its decision not to arm Syrian rebels, said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today, while emphasizing that 'rethinking' mean no decision has been made.
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.
Terrorism & Security Site of assassination attempt on Syrian prime minister sends warning to regime

The Syrian prime minister escaped the bombing unharmed, but the attack – in one of Damascus's wealthiest neighborhoods – shows the safe zone for regime members is shrinking.
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?
Israel shoots down drone, Hezbollah denies it's theirs

The Shiite militant group in Lebanon has sent drones over Israel in the past, linking their use to Israeli violations of Lebanon's airspace.
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.
Hagel goes to Israel bearing gifts of radar and Ospreys

The US will give Israel advanced radar systems, more powerful missiles, and aircraft never before sold outside the US. Together, they could diminish Israel's sense of threat from Iran.
Could chemical weapons in Syria force Obama's hand?

President Obama last August declared that any use or transport of Syria's chemical weapons would constitute a 'red line' for US policy toward the country. Now Israel, Britain, and France say they have evidence that Syria has crossed that line.
Terrorism & Security Israel charges Syria with lethal chemical weapons use

The Israeli military says its evidence shows that the Syrian regime used sarin gas during a March clash with rebels, reversing earlier reports that no such weapons had been used.
Syrian rebels intensify rocket attacks into Lebanon

Rebels fighting the Syrian government are shelling villages on the Lebanese side of the border in order to curb a Lebanese group's efforts to help the Syrian regime.