Topic: Syrian Arab Army

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Syria 101: 4 attributes of Assad's authoritarian regime

How have authoritarian regimes remained in control so long in the Middle East? In Syria's case, a critical factor is the concentration of power in a single family, political party, and religious sect.

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The horror in Syria, the cold realities of international action

Syria's civil war is horrific, with most of the crimes committed by the Assad regime and its supporters. This may lead to moral clarity, but not necessarily to international military action.
Terrorism & Security
Syria massacre not enough to break UN deadlock over stronger action

Russia's support for a UN Security Council condemnation of this weekend's Syria massacre had raised hopes that Moscow would support stronger action against its ally Assad.
Syrian doctors turn to smuggling supplies as war rages on

Doctors, activists, and aid groups like Doctors Without Borders are teaming up with smugglers in Jordan to supply field hospitals for the injured in Syria's war.
Heed Balkan lessons for a fragmenting Syria and revise Kofi Annan plan

Kofi Annan's peace plan is failing to stop violence and ensure a political dialogue in Syria. To avoid a Balkans-like tragedy, an updated plan must include negotiations between Bashar al-Assad's regime and the opposition and deploy armed UN peacekeepers.
Terrorism & Security
Observers in Syria having an impact, but only 11 on the ground so far (+video)

Another 100 are slated to come in a month. 'Are they coming on horses?' asks an exasperated activist.
As Syria cease-fire falters, US senators renew demand to arm rebels

Sens. John McCain and Joseph Lieberman said Tuesday from a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey that it's time for the international community to arm the Syrian opposition fighters.
Amid widening Syria violence, a new war-crimes charge (+video)

Syrian refugees say Assad's soldiers are forcing women and children to march in front of advancing tanks to prevent rebels from opening fire. International law forbids the use of human shields.
Terrorism & Security
EU expands Syrian sanctions to include Assad's fashionable British wife

The European Union has announced that it will freeze the assets of four members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's family, including his British wife Asma.
Fierce fighting in Damascus signals rebels remain unbowed

Today's fighting in Damascus and three weekend car bombings suggest a protracted fight between rebels and the Syrian Army, despite recent tactical gains by the regime.
Why Syria's Assad could hang on for a decade or more (+video)

Despite defiant talk from fighters vowing to oust him, Syria's Assad is in a much stronger position than was Libya's Qaddafi.
Syrian refugees huddle in Lebanon: 30 people, one candle, and no food

One of 30 Syrian refugees sharing a tiny house says many charity workers have visited but never returned. They are among thousands displaced by a Syrian crackdown on a belt of towns near Lebanon.
Fleeing Syrian refugees tell of dodging bullets in orange grove

Abu Abbas is just one of an estimated 2,000 Syrian refugees to escape since the weekend to Lebanon, which is coming under increasing pressure to aid those fleeing Assad's brutal regime.
Terrorism & Security
Syria's nonviolent opposition aligns with armed groups

The Syrian National Council announced that it has established links with the armed opposition faction, the Free Syrian Army, after months of hewing to nonviolence.
Terrorism & Security
Syria's Assad reportedly launching ground invasion of Homs

While the rebel stronghold has been pummeled by indiscriminate shelling for weeks, an influx of troops could lead to door-to-door searches, arrests, and potential torture of key activists.
'Friends of Syria': Which good cause will bring unity for action?

At both the UN and at a "Friends of Syria" meeting in Tunisia, a consensus is steadily forming over which universal value can justify strong action on Syria.
A defector's tale: How a Syrian soldier turned rebel

A young defector's story highlights the weakness of the Assad regime, including military officers taking rebel bribes and sectarian divisions pitting Syrian against Syrian.
Israel's ex-spy chief sees opportunity in Syria crisis

In an interview, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy says a collapse of the Assad regime in Syria could deal a blow to Iran's regional ambitions and nuclear program
Al Qaeda's Zawahiri calls for war to oust Syria's Assad

In a video message, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri called for Muslims to rally for a war to oust Syria's Bashar al-Assad.
Syria: Why international action remains unlikely even as death toll rises

The Arab League asked the United Nations Security Council to send forces to Syria today to stop the bloodshed there. But international military action against Bashar al-Assad's regime remains unlikely.
Syrian general gunned down in Damascus

The state news agency reports the high-ranking officer was killed by gunmen as he left his home, a sign that violence is reaching the Syrian capital.
Twin explosions rock security HQs in Syrian city Aleppo

The blasts come as escalating violence between regime forces and an increasingly militarized opposition has raised fears the conflict is spiraling toward civil war.
Terrorism & Security
Pressure for Western intervention in Syria builds with fresh assaults (+video)

A Syrian Army invasion of opposition neighborhoods in Homs is seemingly imminent and explosions rocked the northern city of Aleppo today.
As Syria's Assad pummels Homs, West reluctantly weighs military option

After diplomatic efforts at the UN failed Saturday, there is a growing consensus that supporting the rebel Free Syrian Army may be the only way to break the stalemate between Assad and his opponents.
Trapped in Douma, Syria: I saw the faith that keeps Syrian protesters going

During the 14 days I spent in Syria last month, I saw the most horrendous acts of the Assad regime on its people. When I asked people what spurred them on amid such indiscriminate brutality, they all gave the same response: Their only hope is their faith in right and wrong.
Terrorism & Security
Russia: The time for Syrian democratic reforms has come (+video)

Russia's foreign minister is meeting with Assad in Damascus today, just days after Moscow blocked UN action against the regime.