Middle East

World News

The U.S. Role In Egypt's Battle For Democracy

2:08pm December 10, 2012

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi authorized the military to secure the country ahead of a controversial referendum on a draft constitution — a move that some compared to martial law. The opposition is split over what to do — vote down the constitution or boycott the vote altogether.

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Egyptian President Gives Up Extra Powers

6:51pm December 08, 2012

An Egyptian official says President Mohammed Morsi has annulled a decree that gave him sweeping new powers last month. Host Guy Raz speaks with NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson from Cairo.

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Egyptian Protesters Display Newfound Unity

6:58am December 07, 2012

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

The power grab by Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the drafting of the country's constitution have caused the mostly secular opposition to come together for the first time since the revolution drove President Hosni Mubarak from power.

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Mothers and their children sit among their washing in a refugee camp on the border between Syria and Turkey near the northern city of Azaz on Wednesday. The internally displaced faced further misery as heavy rain was followed by a drop in temperatures.

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'It's A Disaster': Life Inside A Syrian Refugee Camp

10:20pm December 06, 2012

by Deborah Amos

At one camp near the town of Atma, near the border with Turkey, some private aid is getting through, but it's not nearly enough. There's a shortage of tents, water and food — all amid falling temperatures.

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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers a speech at Dublin City University in Ireland on Thursday. She also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss Syria.

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U.S., Russia Try To Find Common Ground On Syria

6:40pm December 06, 2012

by Michele Kelemen

The Americans and the Russians have been at odds over Syria since the fighting began 20 months ago. But there's a sense of urgency now as the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad looks increasingly unstable.

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A Rebel Fighter Sees Islamic Law In Syria's Future

8:18pm December 04, 2012

by Kelly McEvers

Islamist rebels are among the groups fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, raising concerns in the West about what their role would be in a Syria without Assad. NPR's Kelly McEvers recently spent some time with these Islamist fighters in the embattled city of Aleppo.

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Egyptian protesters hold a banner depicting Morsi as a pharaoh, during a rally expressing opposition to Morsi's decrees, in Cairo, on Nov. 23.

World News

Is Morsi Morphing Into Authoritarian He Opposed?

6:08pm December 03, 2012

by Leila Fadel

Once referred to as the Muslim Brotherhood's "spare tire," Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has proven much more formidable than many Egyptians expected. But critics say his latest moves, including one to push through a hastily drafted constitution, could tear Egypt apart.

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Egypt's Draft Constitution Divides Nation

5:12am December 03, 2012

President Mohammed Morsi is facing the biggest rebellion against his rule since assuming power in June. It started with a set of controversial decrees by the president that put him above the law until a constitution is in place. The move has polarized the country and every judge in the country is on strike. Critics say the president is pushing through an illegitimate constitution.

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Egypt's Constitution Vote Mired In Controversy

7:05am November 30, 2012

by Leila Fadel

Mohammed Morsi was dismissed by many Egyptians when he stood in the country's first free election after the ouster of the Mubarak regime. Morsi was seen as lacking charisma and was referred to as the Muslim Brotherhood's spare tire, since he wasn't the group's first choice for president. But Morsi has been able to rock the system. He ousted Egypt's top generals, reshuffled the military ranks and now picked what appears to be the perfect time to override the courts and push through a constitution.

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