Connect to share and comment

Turkey condemns Israeli air strikes in Syria

May 7, 2013 11:00
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan condemned on Tuesday Israeli air strikes on targets near Damascus, saying they were an opportunity for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to cover up its own killings. "The air strike Israel carried out on Damascus is completely unacceptable. There is no rationale, no pretext that can excuse this operation," Erdogan told a parliamentary meeting of his ruling party.

Turkey launches military exercise near Syrian border

May 7, 2013 10:45
ANKARA (Reuters) - The Turkish military launched a 10-day exercise at a base near the border with Syria on Monday, where fears of a spillover of violence and of the fallout of any chemical weapons use have escalated in recent weeks. The exercise at Incirlik, a NATO air base outside the city of Adana where U.S. troops are also stationed, will test the military's readiness for battle and coordination with government ministries, the general staff said in a statement.

Russia says chance of foreign intervention in Syria growing

May 7, 2013 10:40
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it was concerned the chances of foreign military intervention in Syria were growing following reports of Israeli air strikes around Damascus which were a source of "particular alarm". "We are seriously concerned by the signs of preparation of global public opinion for possible armed intervention in the long-running internal conflict in Syria," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.

Few options for Syria's Assad to strike back after Israeli raids

May 7, 2013 10:38
By Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has few good options for military retaliation after Israel's air strikes over the weekend but the attacks could redouble support from his regional allies Iran and Hezbollah. Assad, already battling rebel fighters who have seized large parts of his country and killed many thousands of his troops, can ill afford to confront the region's dominant military power in a devastating and likely one-sided war.

Israel strikes Syria, targeting missiles: security source

May 7, 2013 10:31
By Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel carried out its second air strikes in days on Syria early on Sunday, a Western intelligence source said, in an attack that shook Damascus with a series of powerful blasts and drove columns of fire into the night sky. Israel declined to comment, but explosions hit the city a day after an Israeli official said his country had carried out an air strike targeting a consignment of missiles in Syria intended for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israel says 'no winds of war' despite Syria air strikes

May 7, 2013 10:30
By Dan Williams and Khaled Yacoub Oweis JERUSALEM/AMMAN (Reuters) - Israel played down weekend air strikes close to Damascus reported to have killed dozens of Syrian soldiers, saying they were not aimed at influencing its neighbor's civil war but only at stopping Iranian missiles reaching Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

Kerry to 'make another stab' at Syria deal with Russia

May 7, 2013 10:29
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will "make another stab" at seeing if the United States and Russia can work together to find a political solution to end Syria's civil war when he visits Moscow this week, a senior U.S. official said on Monday. Kerry departs for Moscow on Monday afternoon and is scheduled to see Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of issues including the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, Afghanistan and U.S.-Russian trade.

Activists: Syrian rebels down military helicopter in eastern province, killing 8 troops

The Canadian PressMay 6, 2013 04:30
BEIRUT - Syrian rebels shot down a military helicopter in the country's east, killing eight government troops on board a day after opposition forces entered a sprawling military air base in the north, activists said Monday. In the past months, rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad have frequently targeted military aircraft and air bases in an attempt to deprive his regime of a key weapon used to target opposition strongholds and reverse rebel gains in the 2-year-old conflict.

Fabius calls for political solution to Syria conflict

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 04:15
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called Monday for "a political solution" to the conflict in Syria, after its regime was suspected of using chemical weapons and after two Israeli raids on the country. Israeli raids on Sunday hit three military sites outside Damascus, the second such reported attack in 48 hours, reportedly targeting weapons bound for Lebanese group Hezbollah which is an ally of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The Syrian government warned that the regional situation was "more dangerous" following the raid as fears grew of a spillover of the conflict.

Obama urged to train, provide intelligence to Syria rebels

Agence France-PresseMay 5, 2013 15:34
US lawmakers called Sunday on President Barack Obama to provide intelligence and training to Syrian rebels through Arab states to speed the fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Representative Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said such a combination should also aim to leave a stabilizing force in place in Syria after Assad's fall -- without committing US ground forces.
Syndicate content