Syria

An Islamist fighter is shown using an old truck from a plumbing company in Texas.

Lawsuit Sheds Light On How A Texas Plumber's Truck Ended Up In Syria

6:02pm December 14, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

Stephen Colbert made fun of it, but in a lawsuit against a car dealer, Mark Oberholtzer says he received thousands of threatening calls after his truck was seen in the hands of Islamists.

Obama Addresses The Nation On U.S. Strategy Against ISIS

2:18pm December 14, 2015

by Merrit Kennedy

Obama says the self-proclaimed Islamic State is rapidly losing ground in Iraq and Syria, including 40 percent of its territory in Iraq.

A woman works in a factory processing hashish in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in December 2014.

World News

Escaping Syria To Harvest Hashish In Lebanon

8:37am December 13, 2015

by Alison Meuse

Syrian migrant workers have been going to Lebanon to work in illegal hashish fields for years. Those who leave areas controlled by ISIS are unsure now if they can ever go home.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the audience Friday during an annual meeting at the Defense Ministry in Moscow.

World News

Putin Says Russia Is Backing Some Syrian Opposition Forces

5:17pm December 11, 2015

by Camila Domonoske

Russia opposes the Islamic State, but supports Syria's Bashar Assad. Now Moscow says its military is providing weapons and supplies to Western-backed, anti-Assad forces on the frontlines against ISIS.

Michael Fallon, British secretary of state for defense, talks to forces at a British air base in Cyprus on Dec. 5, days after a Parliament vote approving U.K. airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.

World News

LISTEN: The Man Who Picks British Bombing Targets In Syria

2:25pm December 11, 2015

by Steve Inskeep

U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon tells NPR that he has insisted on personally signing off before Royal Air Force Tornado warplanes strike any target in the campaign against ISIS.

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Syrian refugees wait at Marka Airport in Amman, Jordan, this week to complete their migration procedures to Canada.

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'Welcome To Canada': Syrian Refugees Begin To Arrive

5:33pm December 10, 2015

by Jackie Northam

The new Canadian government wants to resettle 25,000 Syrians by the end of February. Most are currently living in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

Radwan Mahmoud, a Syrian refugee, works as a laborer on a construction site in Lebanon. He's supporting 12 family members and earning about $16 a day. With a population of just over 4 million, Lebanon is host to more than 1 million Syrian refugees.

As War Drags On, Syrian Refugees In Lebanon Sink Into Debt Trap

3:27pm December 10, 2015

by Alice Fordham

Barred from legal work in Lebanon, Syrian refugees are accumulating huge debts as they struggle to pay for rent and other necessities.

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House Passes Measure To Tighten Controls On Visa-Free Travel to U.S.

8:08pm December 08, 2015

by Laura Wagner

Approved 407-19, the bill requires anyone who has traveled to Iraq or Syria in the past five years to obtain a visa before entering the U.S.

British police officers stand outside Leytonstone underground train station in east London on Monday. Police are stepping up patrols at transport hubs after Saturday's stabbing attacks, which injured three.

World News

Response To London Subway Knife Attacker: 'You Ain't No Muslim, Bruv!'

3:26pm December 07, 2015

by Hannah Bloch

The attacker stabbed three and said, "This is for Syria." An onlooker's response sparked a worldwide trending hashtag on Twitter and summed up the belief that violence doesn't reflect Islamic values.

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Syria Says U.S.-Led Coalition Targeted Its Military, Killing 3 Soldiers

9:19am December 07, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

It is the first time the regime of Bashar Assad has accused the U.S. and its partners of attacking its forces. The U.S. denied the accusation about a strike on a Syrian army camp Sunday.