Chemical Arms Treaty Holdouts Include Volatile Syria
The beleaguered government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused of readying its chemical weapons against rebel forces, is one of three governments in the militarily-volatile Middle East which...
View ArticleWhite House Letter Fuels U.S. Involvement in Syria Debate
A White House letter Thursday to Congressional leaders suggesting chemical weapons use by the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad has reignited debate about direct U.S. military involvement in the...
View ArticleObama Seen Unlikely to Sharply Escalate Intervention in Syria
Despite renewed pressure by hawks in Congress and the media, U.S. President Barack Obama appears determined to avoid sharply escalating U.S. involvement in the ongoing civil war in Syria. While...
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Despite Arms Announcement, U.S. Syria Strategy Remains Unclear
The Obama administration intends to militarily arm Syrian opposition. Credit: FreedomHouse2/CC by 2.0Despite Thursday’s announcement that President Barack Obama has decided to provide direct military...
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U.N. Chief Dodges Question on “Illegal” Attack on Syria
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses a Sep. 3, 2013 press conference on the latest developments related to the crisis in Syria. Credit: UN Photo/Evan SchneiderWhen Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was...
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Top Republicans, Israel Lobby Weigh for Obama’s Syria Strike
President Barack Obama meets with his National Security Staff to discuss the situation in Syria, in the Situation Room of the White House, Aug. 30, 2013. From left at the table: National Security...
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Ex-World Leaders Urge U.S. to Forego Military Attack on Syria
The United States, which is preparing to launch a military strike on Syria, is being cautioned by several former world leaders and Nobel Peace laureates to seek a political solution to the ongoing...
View ArticleIran Looms over Syria Debate for Pro-Israel Groups
With Congress still deliberating over Barack Obama’s request for authorisation to take military action against Syria, the powerful Israel lobby here has taken the lead in pressing the president’s case....
View ArticleSyria Strike Set to Overshadow G20 Summit
World leaders from G20 are meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, amid sharp differences over possible U.S. military action against Syria in response to what the U.S. administration calls a deadly chemical...
View Article/CORRECTED REPEAT/Obama’s Case for Syria Didn’t Reflect Intel Consensus
Contrary to the general impression in Congress and the news media, the Syria chemical warfare intelligence summary released by the Barack Obama administration Aug. 30 did not represent an intelligence...
View ArticleU.N. Inspection a Figleaf to Justify Air Strike on Syria
The United Nations, which has remained deadlocked over Syria, is in danger of being craftily exploited to justify the impending air strike on Damascus. The threat of double vetoes by Russia and China...
View ArticleRussia Throws Obama a Life Preserver on Syria
With President Barack Obama facing increasingly certain defeat in his quest for Congressional authorisation to carry out military strikes against Syria, the Russian government Monday appeared to offer...
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Even if Syria Complies on Chemical Arms, Six Others Still at Large
Samantha Power (left), Permanent Representative of the United States to the U.N., speaks to journalists on the Syrian crisis Sep. 5, 2013. Credit: UN Photo/JC McIlwaineIf Syria eventually agrees to...
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Mixed Reactions to Obama’s Embrace of Russian Deal
President Barack Obama meets with Members of Congress to discuss Syria in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Sep. 3, 2013. Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete SouzaPresident Barack Obama’s...
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U.N. Team Confirms Syria Chemical Attack but Not Culpability
Professor Ake Sellstrom (left), head of the chemical weapons team working in Syria, hands over the report on the Aug. 21, 2013 Al-Ghouta massacre to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Credit: UN...
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OP-ED: Obama Should “Resist the Call” to Intervene in Syria
The United States should think twice before intervening military in Syria, says Robert Hunter. Credit: FreedomHouse/CC by 2.0By Robert E. HunterWASHINGTON, Aug 26 2013 (IPS) President Obama got it...
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Major U.S. Debate Over Wisdom of Syria Attack
The United States is debating whether to intervene militarily in Syria. Above, Syrian rebel forces. Credit: FreedomHouse/CC by 2.0By Jim LobeWASHINGTON, Aug 27 2013 (IPS) While some kind of U.S....
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In Rush to Strike Syria, U.S. Tried to Derail U.N. Probe
Secretary of State John Kerry (shown as a senator in 2009) has called the use of chemical weapons in Syria a "moral obscenity". Credit: Ralph Alswang, Center for American Progress Action Fund/CC by...
View ArticleU.S. Neocon Hawks Take Flight Over Syria
By Jim LobeWASHINGTON, Aug 28 2013 (IPS) In an echo of the tactics they used to promote U.S. intervention in the Balkans, Iraq and Libya, a familiar clutch of neo-conservatives published a letter...
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OP-ED: Military Force Is a Blunt Instrument, Mr. President
A U.S. strike on Syria could be launched from navy destroyers in the Mediterranean. Credit: Official US Navy Imagery/CC by 2.0By Lawrence WilkersonWASHINGTON, Aug 30 2013 (IPS) Now that we have heard...
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