Middle East

A model of a drone is hoisted in the air at a protest of the U.S. military's use of drones during a demonstration on April 3 in New York.

National

The Hidden Cost Of The Drone Program

4:02pm May 06, 2013

by NPR Staff

One expert says the administration is operating drones with a "kill-not-capture" policy, adding that you don't get intelligence from those killed. But there's also a human toll — from the pilots who remotely operate the drones to those people who live in the areas that are targeted.

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World News

Syrian Rebel Leader: We Won't Share U.S. Arms With Extremists

11:01am May 05, 2013

by NPR Staff

The U.S. says it will consider arming the rebels if it can confirm Bashar Assad's regime used the nerve gas sarin in recent attacks. But there's a danger that any weapons the U.S. provides could fall into the wrong hands.

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World News

Places Transformed: Syrian Refugees Overwhelm Camps, Towns

11:53am May 04, 2013

The fighting in Syria has created tens of thousands of refugees seeking shelter in neighboring Jordan. Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Deborah Amos about a refugee camp in northern Jordan that has quickly become the second largest such camp in the world. Then we hear voices from a small town in southern Lebanon, where recently arrived Syrian refugees now outnumber the Lebanese residents.

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Diplomacy, Sanctions And A Nearing Red Line With Iran

2:30pm May 03, 2013

Sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy, but have so far failed to convince Tehran to abandon nuclear ambitions. A report from the Iran Project argues that it's time to re-examine the balance of sanctions and diplomacy. Others argue it's time to consider military options.

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Syrian refugees shop at a makeshift grocery store at the Zaatari camp in March.

World News

Sea Of Syrian Refugees Threatens To Overload Jordan

9:23pm May 02, 2013

More than half a million refugees have crossed into Jordan, and the number is expected to rise rapidly. Jordanian officials say the influx is threatening the stability of the kingdom.

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President Obama speaks at a news conference Tuesday. He addressed the use of chemical weapons in Syria and said he's weighing his options.

How Will Obama Make His Case On Syria?

10:09am May 02, 2013

by Don Gonyea

When it comes to the U.S. role in Syria's civil war, President Obama says he's weighing all options. Whatever he decides, he'll have to make his case to a public that hasn't been paying close attention.

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"War" by Touka Neyestani: Neyestani received a degree in architecture from Tehran's Science and Industry University, and has been a cartoonist for more than 30 years.

Iran's Political Scene Is Sketchy For Cartoonists

12:32pm May 01, 2013

by NPR Staff

Political cartoons have a long history in Iran and give voice to critics of the authoritarian regime. Lately cartoonists have been increasingly persecuted for their work. A recent book, Sketches of Iran, pairs 40 political essays with cartoons depicting life in Iran today.

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Doctors at a hospital in Aleppo, Syria, treat a boy injured in what the government said was a chemical weapons attack on March 19. Syria's government and rebels accused each other of firing a rocket loaded with chemical agents outside of Aleppo.

How Doctors Would Know If Syrians Were Hit With Nerve Gas

12:02pm May 01, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

An international team of doctors is helping Syrian health workers recognize the signs of a chemical attack. They're also teaching them how to collect and preserve tissues as potential evidence if war crimes charges are brought.

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Israeli students snap photos of the Syrian landscape from Mount Bental in the Golan Heights, which is occupied by Israel. Israelis have even watched Syrian troop and rebel movements from here.

World News

In the Golan Heights: Stray Bullets And Spring Cleaning

9:52am April 28, 2013

by Emily Harris

The Syrian civil war rages just a short distance across the frontier from Israeli-occupied territory. As spring blossoms around them, Israelis are watching warily.

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World News

How Chemical Weapons Could Change Strategy For Syria

9:51am April 28, 2013

British, French and Israeli officials say they have evidence that the Syrian government repeatedly used chemical weapons against civilians. Though the U.S. hasn't confirmed the allegations, the Obama administration previously said that the use of chemical weapons could provoke a stronger response.

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