Bashar Assad

Arming Syria's rebels

2013-06-14 13:59:00

Having determined that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad has used chemical weapons against his opponents in the country's bloody two-year civil war, the Obama administration is now reportedly preparing to send lethal military aid to rebel...

The age of dictators and religious zealots is over

2013-06-14 08:15:00

The recent article on multiculturalism by Bob Ehrlich ("Multiculturalism is the enemy of democracy," June 2) and the response by Wally Pinkard ("America is more than baseball and apple pie," June 7) have opened up a credible discussion on the root...

Diplomacy before arms in Syria

2013-05-29 09:32:00

Syrian President Bashar Assad's brutal war against his domestic opponents has taken some 70,000 lives so far and reduced much of the country to rubble, yet there's no sign either side has gained a decisive advantage in the two-year-old conflict. The...

In Syria, just who are the good guys?

2013-05-09 10:30:00

Over the past few weeks, we've been bombarded constantly by U.S. Sen. John McCain and the Republicans demanding President Barack Obama start military engagement in Syria. In fact, for a while there it seemed like you couldn't turn on one of the 24 hour...

Obama's red line on Syria gets squiggly

2013-05-07 03:00:00

The hawks are squawking. Congressional conservatives and the right-wing media are blasting President Barack Obama for going soft on the Syrians. The president insists there is a "game-changing" red line the Syrian government will have crossed if it is...

Newseum wrong to honor propagandists

2013-05-15 11:15:00

A museum of journalism in Washington, D.C., the Newseum plans to honor and include in the institution's Journalists' Memorial Mahmoud Al-Kumi and Hussam Salama. Both worked for Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV. Also, Basel Tawfiq Youssef of Syrian State TV and Maya...

Obama must find the best bad option in Syria

2013-04-30 09:28:00

Having vowed that any use of chemical weapons by Syria would cross a U.S. "red line" and provoke a strong American response "with enormous consequences," President Barack Obama now finds himself under increasing pressure to act, following reports by U.S....

U.S. must recognize Israel's control of the Golan

2013-02-04 13:37:00

Straddling the divide between the chaos in Syria and the calm of the Galilee in northern Israel is a pastoral plateau known as the Golan Heights. Famous for its world-class vineyards, wandering cattle, and lush nature trails, the Golan has served as the...

Middle East mess was born in the U.S.A.

2012-11-29 10:16:00

Titillation over David Petraeus and political posturing over Susan Rice aside, here is the most important unasked question: Why did we foster regime change in Libya and Egypt that gave the Muslim Brotherhood control in the latter and produced a gaggle...

Assad's last stand

2012-12-07 00:00:00

Syria's 20-month-long civil war appears to be approaching a tipping point as fighting around Damascus intensifies amid signs that President Bashar Assad's grip on power may be weakening. As the final phase in the long conflict apparently draws nearer, the...

For Israel, it's different this time

2012-11-19 11:48:00

Until this year, the world would have been looking at the intensifying armed confrontation between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip with a sense of deja vu all over again. But this is 2012, and the political map of the Middle East has changed...

The Obama doctrine: Passivity where American leadership is needed

2012-10-14 00:00:00

A new issue has popped up in the Presidential race. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the state of the U.S. economy. It is about a new world order that has removed familiar (and in some cases pro-American) leaders from strategically important Arab...

ONE TIME USE - TARTUS, SYRIA � Samer Ahmad scans the colorful posters pasted on a wall, searching for the faces of friends lost in battles far from the tranquil streets of this Mediterranean town.

2013-06-16 01:15:00

A Free Syrian Army fighter carries a homemade rocket to be launched towards Nairab military airport, which is controlled by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo

2013-06-14 00:00:00

A Free Syrian Army fighter smokes a cigarette next to his comrades at the frontline near Nairab military airport, which is controlled by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo

2013-06-14 00:00:00