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Syrian rebels attack key government airbase

Saturday morning Syrian rebels tried to disrupt air strikes that have pummeled their strongholds by launching an assault on a government airbase. The attack highlights questions of organization and disunion amongst the rebels.
Backchannels War crimes and the fantasy of 'controlling' Syria's rebels

An atrocity in the strategic Syrian town of Saraqeb is a reminder that the landscape of that country's civil war is a place where angels fear to tread.
Behind the US gambit to seek new anti-Assad leadership in Syria

The US pulled its support from the opposition Syrian National Council, based in Paris, this week – a signal that the Obama administration plans to put more stock in rebel forces fighting the Assad regime on the ground.
Opinion Lack of US, Western intervention in Syria helps jihadists

Hillary Clinton heads to Doha, Qatar next week to push for a shakeup in the Syrian opposition. The West must step up its game by providing advanced weapons to Syrian rebels. Fears of such weapons aiding jihadist fighters are overblown, even as Western hesitancy strengthens jihadists.
Terrorism & Security US backs new Syrian opposition council in bid to unite rebels

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Syrian National Council could no longer be viewed as the 'visible leader of the opposition.' The group failed to attract broad support from Syrians.
Syria: Airstrikes mark the end of a supposed 'ceasefire' (+video)

The ceasefire that was meant to accompany the Eid holiday in Syria was widely ignored. Though the UN had sent aid, it was unable to deliver it because of fighting.
Why Saudi Arabia is taking a shine to solar

The Saudis are raising $100 billion for solar-power development, which could ease its rapidly growing demand for electric power. Though natural gas would be cheaper, the Saudis may prefer solar.
Major natural gas find by Saudis. A shift ahead?

Saudi Arabia has every incentive to develop its new natural gas discovery in the Red Sea. If it doesn't, it could become an oil importer in the decades ahead.
Taxi bomb hits Syrian capital as UN envoy pushes for cease-fire

The bomb killed at least 13 people in Damascus. In another part of the capital, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met with President Bashar Assad.
Anxious Turks suspect US plot is behind Syria's implosion

Locals in eastern Turkey, bearing the brunt of the fallout from Turkey's involvement in Syria, believe Ankara is merely a pawn in US plans to foment conflict in the region.
Backchannels There will be no cease-fire in Syria

At least not one that matters.
UN envoy for Syria shops a cease-fire idea. Will there be any takers?

Lakhdar Brahimi is proposing a Syria cease-fire built around an upcoming Muslim holiday. But regional experts say neither side appears tired enough from fighting to be interested.
Salafis' rise in Gaza robs Hamas of resistance banner

Salafi militants have been firing rockets into Israel, prompting Israeli retaliation as Hamas seeks calm so that it can focus on the economy.
Syria

The failures of Syrian autocrat Bashar al-Assad are laid bare by an American academic who once found the regime impressive.
Opinion Why Syria's regional spillovers could prompt intervention (+video)

Turkey's forced landing of a Syrian passenger jet from Moscow suspected of carrying military cargo is the latest example of regional spillover from the Syria crisis. The risks of these cascading spillovers may ultimately emerge as the leading rationale for international intervention.
Energy Voices Drowning in natural gas: Are exports the answer?

New advancements in drilling have opened up a wealth of natural gas resources in the US. But how much is too much? A shift to exporting natural gas might be a no-brainer, according to OilPrice.com, but it's not as simple as it sounds.
Will NATO attack Syria?

NATO is ready to defend Turkey against Syria, says NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in a strong warning to the Syrian government, which has been exchanging cross-border fire with Turkey.
NATO vows to back Turkey in Syria clashes. Is a broader war likely?

For the sixth consecutive day, Turkey and Syria have exchanged artillery fire. Neither wants to see the Syrian conflict turn into a regional war, analysts say, but other factors point to rising tensions.
Opinion Obama must stand up to Netanyahu on Israeli settler violence

The US State Department recent called Israeli settler violence against Palestinians 'terrorist incidents.' Though a step in the right direction, the label fails to highlight the Israeli government's responsibility for these human rights violations. Washington must take a bold stand.
Violence in Syria: Could it engulf the region?

As the Syrian city of Aleppo reels from a spate of suicide bombings and mortar fire, concerns are rising that the fighting could draw in Sunni and Shiite powers in the region
Change Agent One solution to Palestine's economic problems? Export bits and bytes

The technology sector, which simply requires an Internet connection, is free of the border restraints that most other Palestinian industries experience.
Energy Voices Helium shortage? Bureaucrats, firms are creating too little hot air.

Helium shortage is raising prices for everyone from physicists and hospitals to retailers of Mylar balloons. But it's not supply and demand that's caused the helium shortage, it's a botched public-private handoff of responsibility.
Syria's foreign minister accuses US of promoting 'terrorism'

At the UN General Assembly, Syria's foreign minister lashed out at Washington, accusing extremists of prolonging the crisis, and denouncing other neighboring Middle Eastern countries.
Hillary Clinton: Iran will do 'whatever it takes' to prop up Syrian 'crony'

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that the US would send another $45 million in aid to Syrian rebels. But that pales in comparison to what Iran is doing to save President Assad.
UN's focus on Middle East overlooks other urgent global matters

There's concern that issues like the debt crisis in Europe, an increase in the Pakistani heroin trade, and an armed struggle in Mali, to name a few, are being overlooked this week during the UN General Assembly.