Syria

World News

U.N. Report Says Syrian Forces And Rebel Factions Committed Aleppo 'War Crimes'

11:10am March 03, 2017

by Alison Meuse

A U.N. commission accuses Russian-backed Syrian forces and rebel factions of war crimes in Aleppo. Civilians "were increasingly left vulnerable to repeated violations by all sides," the report says.

A member of the Syrian government forces mans a checkpoint in Homs, the country's third-largest city, on Saturday.

World News

As Negotiators Talk Peace In Geneva, Bombings Kill At Least 32 In Syrian City

3:57pm February 25, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The blasts Saturday left dozens dead in Homs, mostly held by President Bashar Assad's regime. Those attacks were answered by government airstrikes, even as delegations met abroad for U.N.-led talks.

An Ilyushin Il-78 Midas air force tanker and a Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear strategic bomber flew during a military parade in 2015 in Moscow. The Bear bomber is among the weapons Russia has used in Syria.

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Russian Defense Minister Says His Military Has Tested 162 Weapons In Syria

6:57pm February 23, 2017

by Lucian Kim

Sergei Shoigu praised Russia's military prowess in Syria, noting that of 162 weapons tested, 10 performed below expectations. Human rights groups say Russia's campaign has come at a horrific cost.

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Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks during the Munich Security Conference last week. McCain's office has confirmed that while he was overseas, he met with U.S. forces in Syria about defeating ISIS.

Sen. McCain Makes Unannounced Trip To Syria To Meet With U.S. Forces

10:26am February 23, 2017

by Doreen McCallister

John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, went to Syria last week to discuss the campaign for defeating militants from the Islamic State.

An airstrike targeting an Islamic State group cash and finance distribution center near Mosul, Iraq, as shown in a video released by the U.S. military.

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New Report Finds ISIS Territorial Defeats Are Also Hitting The Group's Wallet

4:56pm February 21, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The researchers found that ISIS took in approximately 50 percent less income last year than in 2014. That's because its financial fortunes are linked to the amount of territory it controls.

Vice President Pence (left) shakes hands with former national security adviser Michael Flynn before the start of a joint press conference between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday. Flynn resigned Monday night after multiple

What Is The Logan Act, And Why Does It Matter?

8:55pm February 14, 2017

by Domenico Montanaro

The White House says it's confident former national security adviser Michael Flynn said "nothing wrong or inappropriate" to the Russian ambassador. Releasing the transcript would help clear that up.

Syria President Bashar al-Assad in Paris in 2010.

World News

Amnesty International Identifies Assad's 'Policy Of Extermination'

8:45am February 11, 2017

by Scott Simon

Amnesty International says as many as 13,000 opponents of Bashar Assad have been hanged outside Damascus. NPR's Scott Simon wonders why any Syrian refugee who opposes the regime would return home.

Omar al-Shogre says he spent 10 months in Sednaya prison. He says he was arrested at age 17 and was in various Syrian prisons for more than two years before he was sent to Sednaya.

World News

Former Detainee Describes Atrocities Inside Syrian Prison

6:11pm February 09, 2017

A report by Amnesty International says the Syrian government committed mass murder in a prison outside Damascus. Omar al-Shogre, a former prisoner who appears in the report, describes what he endured.

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A child drags a crate at a refugee camp for Syrians and Kurds north of Athens. Children under age 14 make up nearly half of the Syrian refugees resettled in the U.S.

Commentary: Trump Travel Ban On Syrians Should Exempt Kids Under 10

4:06pm January 31, 2017

by Amitai Etzioni

Amitai Etzioni, who escaped Nazi Germany as a child, proposes a way for the U.S. to bring in young Syrian refugee children. A similar past program brought in thousands of unaccompanied Cuban minors.

Christian Leaders Question Trump's Promise To Favor Christian Refugees

10:33am January 31, 2017

by Tom Gjelten

President Trump promises to give priority to Christians when admitting refugees to the United States, but many Christian leaders say it's the wrong approach.

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