Bashar al-Assad

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Understanding Syrian Unrest Starts With 3 Letters: HTS

Rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led the right to seize Aleppo from the government

(Newser) - Syria's long-running civil war has been off the radar for a while, but the stunning, out-of-the-blue capture of Aleppo —the nation's largest city—by rebels has changed that in a hurry. Those catching up with events will have to get familiar with a new acronym, HTS, short...

Aleppo Takeover a 'Huge Embarrassment' for Assad

Syria's armed forces are now prepping for counterattack on insurgents

(Newser) - Thousands of Syrian insurgents fanned out inside Aleppo in vehicles with improvised armor and pickups, a day after they entered Syria's largest city facing little resistance from government troops, according to residents and fighters. Witnesses said two airstrikes on the city's edge late Friday targeted insurgent reinforcements and...

France's Arrest Warrant for Assad May Mark a First

Syrian president is accused of war crimes in connection with 2013 chemical attack

(Newser) - French investigative judges have issued an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad and those close to him. The warrants for Assad, his brother, and two army generals accuse them of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with August 2013 chemical attacks on rebel-held Damascus...

China Warmly Welcomes Leader Shunned by the US

Syria's Bashar al-Assad visits as Beijing tries to strengthen its influence in the Mideast

(Newser) - Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived in China on Thursday on his first visit to the country since the start of Syria's 12-year conflict, one in which Beijing has been one of his main backers. China's Foreign Ministry said Assad would join other foreign leaders attending the opening ceremony...

Highly Addictive Drug Used by Militants May Be Bound for US
'Poor Man's Cocaine'
May Be Headed for US
in case you missed it
Aug 20, 2023 12:55 PM CDT

'Poor Man's Cocaine' May Be Headed for US

Officials fear spread of highly-addictive captagon amid crackdowns in Middle East

(Newser) - US officials are increasingly concerned about the likelihood of an illegal, highly-addictive drug wreaking havoc in the US as its Middle East producers, hungry for cash, face roadblocks in trafficking the drug at home. Produced and distributed by groups tied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the allied Hezbollah in...

Arab League Welcomes Outcast Assad, Syria Back

Secretary-general says decision doesn't signal an end to the crisis

(Newser) - The Arab League agreed Sunday to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a longtime regional pariah, back into the fold. Some influential league members remain opposed to reinstating Syria, chief among them Qatar, which did not send its foreign minister...

They Figured Out How to Destroy Assad's Chemical Arsenal

4 women were the core of an international effort that garnered a Nobel Prize, but not for them

(Newser) - In 2013, the Nobel Peace Prize went to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for its role in ultimately destroying 1,200 tons of Syrian chemical weapons. In a deep dive for Rolling Stone , Tessa Stuart gives much of the credit to four women: two civilians not long...

He Dug a Mass Grave. Then an Ice Cream Truck Showed Up

'NYT' reports on 2 mass gravesites in Syria, which could hold evidence of war crimes

(Newser) - The murdered dissidents of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad ended up in mass graves, which could hold evidence of war crimes, the New York Times reports after speaking with four men who claim to have worked around two mass gravesites near Damascus, which the Times located using satellite images. Each one...

The World Has a New 'Narcostate'
Syria's Biggest Export
May Surprise You
longform
Dec 6, 2021 3:09 PM CST

Syria's Biggest Export May Surprise You

'New York Times' alleges that Syria is a 'narcostate' pumping out amphetamine captagon

(Newser) - Last week, Syrian authorities trumpeted the seizure of a large cache of illegal amphetamine pills known as captagon and said an investigation was underway to figure out where the pills came from, notes the AP . Now, an investigation by the New York Times may provide the answer: The Syrian government...

Convicted Arsonists Are Executed En Masse in Syria

Human rights activists 'shocked' that 24 were put to death for 2020 wildfires

(Newser) - Wildfires that swept through Syria last year were intentionally lit, and now 24 individuals linked to setting them have been executed, per the country's Ministry of Justice. Al Jazeera notes that while executions aren't uncommon in Syria, so many being killed at once is unusual. It's not...

In War-Torn Syria, the President Tests Positive

Syria's Bashar Assad and his wife have COVID

(Newser) - Syrian President Bashar Assad and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus, the president's office said Monday, per the AP . Both were tested after experiencing mild symptoms, says the statement, which adds that Assad, 55, and his wife, Asma, who is 10 years younger, were in "good...

A Ruling Against a 'Small Fish' Is Being Hailed as Historic

Germany for first time convicts Syrian regime officer of crimes against humanity

(Newser) - A landmark decision in Koblenz, Germany, on Wednesday marks the first time a court outside of Syria has ruled in a case involving officials with Bashar al-Assad's regime who are accused of committing crimes against humanity. The Guardian calls it "a historic first victory for efforts worldwide to...

WH's Top Counterterrorism Official Had Secret Syrian Meeting

Kash Patel visited for negotiations on Austin Tice, other hostages—the first such visit in 10 years

(Newser) - American journalist Austin Tice disappeared in Syria eight years ago, and is believed to have been a captive there since. Now, in what Bloomberg calls a "rare sign of diplomacy," sources say the White House's top counterterrorism official has traveled there for secret talks to negotiate for...

Trump Changes Story on Assassinating Assad

He now says he wanted to have Syrian leader killed, but 'terrible general' Mattis objected

(Newser) - President Trump slammed former Defense Secretary James Mattis Tuesday—but also backed up a report he had criticized Bob Woodward for writing in 2018. Trump told Fox & Friends that he wanted to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017, but Mattis objected. "I would have rather taken him...

This Might Be the Worst Moment in Syria's 9-Year War
His Daughter Froze to Death.
She Wasn't the Only One
in case you missed it
Feb 29, 2020 1:30 PM CST

His Daughter Froze to Death. She Wasn't the Only One

The battle for Idlib is causing a mass exodus, and children are dying

(Newser) - If you've grown somewhat numb to the nine-year-old Syrian civil war, this week's headlines may be enough to give you a jolt: "Syria's worst humanitarian catastrophe in its ... civil war is now unfolding," proclaims Vox . "Children Freeze to Death as Attack Prompts Largest Exodus...

Key to Assad's Reign: Network of Torture Prisons
Key to Assad's Reign:
Network of Torture Prisons
longform
May 12, 2019 2:44 PM CDT

Key to Assad's Reign: Network of Torture Prisons

'New York Times' looks at the brutality in Syria

(Newser) - Reports of torture and deaths in Syria's prisons have been surfacing for years, but leader Bashar al-Assad has dismissed them as the exaggerations of opponents or as aberrations that occur in every country during a time of war. The New York Times , however, takes a deep dive into the...

Assad Gives Iraq Greenlight to Strike ISIS Within Syria

Region is readying for coming US pullout of troops in Syria

(Newser) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday authorized Iraqi forces to attack the Islamic State inside Syria without waiting for permission from authorities in Damascus, state news agency SANA said, as the two allies coordinate their fight against extremists ahead of a planned US withdrawal from Syria. The announcement highlights the...

Trump Warns Syria, Iran, Russia Against 'Grave Mistake'

He says 'reckless attack' on Idlib would trigger crisis

(Newser) - President Trump sent a tweet Monday warning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies against a "reckless attack" on Idlib province. "The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed....

Actress Who Was Syria's 'Scream of Hope' Is Dead

Mai Skaf reportedly has a heart attack at age 49 in Paris

(Newser) - A prominent Syrian actress who became even more well-known as a voice of opposition to Bashar al-Assad has died in exile in Paris at age 49. A colleague tells the New York Times that Mai Skaf had a heart attack, though her cousin, author Dima Wannous, cites "mysterious circumstances,...

New World Leader Wants to Meet Kim Jong Un

Bashar al-Assad says he wants to visit, Kim will 'realize the reunification of Korea without fail'

(Newser) - North Korea's state-run news agency reported Sunday that Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is interested in visiting North Korea and meeting leader Kim Jong Un. The KCNA report said Assad made the comments May 30 while receiving the credentials for the North Korean ambassador, reports the AP . "I...

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