Bashar Assad

Horrified Hillary Clinton said Bashar Assad's "rule by murder and fear" must end after dozens of children were massacred in one of the Syrian regime's deadliest attacks in the country's 14-month-old uprising.  

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says it is horrified by the brutal attack in Syria that killed more than 90 people, including at least 32 children.National Security Council spokeswoman Erin Pelton said Saturday that the attack serves as a "vile testament to an illegitimate regime" of President Bashar Assad. The head of the U.N. observer team said the assault on Houla, a group of villages northwest of the besieged city of Homs, killed more...  

BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government is blaming a massacre in central Syria on "armed terrorist groups," but activists say government shelling and thugs loyal to President Bashar Assad's regime are to blame. The activists say a string of villages ...  

“For Washington, the most important aspect of the Yemen model is its assumption, from the outset, that the leader — in this case, Bashar Assad — will exit,” said Robert Malley, head of the Middle East and North Africa for the ...  

President Bashar Assad's forces have killed at least 50 civilians including 13 children in central Syria, activists say, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally brokered cease-fire went into effect last month. Syrian troops using tanks, mortars ...  

President Bashar Assad's forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria on Friday, activists said, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally brokered cease-fire went into effect ...  

President Bashar Assad's forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria on Friday, activists said, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally-brokered cease-fire went into effect last month. Syrian troops using tanks, ...  

BEIRUT - President Bashar Assad's forces have killed at least 50 civilians including 13 children in central Syria, activists say, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally brokered cease-fire went into effect last month.  

President Bashar Assad's forces killed at least 90 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria, activists said.Related StoriesSyrians on edge as UN teams bring precarious peace – until night fallsIsrael faces criticism from US over attitudes to African migrantsAssad's troops 'kill 50 people' in Homs  

President Bashar Assad's forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria, activists said.Related StoriesSyrians on edge as UN teams bring precarious peace – until night fallsIsrael faces criticism from US over attitudes to African migrantsAssad's troops 'kill at least 90 people' in Homs  

BEIRUT, Lebanon — President Bashar Assad's forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria on Friday, activists said, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally brokered cease ...  

BEIRUT-- President Bashar Assad's forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria on Friday, activists said. It was one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally-brokered cease-fire ...  

President Bashar Assad's forces have ... in central Syria, activists said. It is one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally-brokered ceasefire went into effect last month. Syrian troops using tanks, mortars and heavy ...  

President Bashar Assad's forces have killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria, activists said. It is one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally-brokered ceasefire went into effect last month.  

That death toll is one of the highest for any single event since the popular uprising against Bashar Assad began in March 2011. The UN says more than 9,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians. The UN said a team of observers was heading to the area.  

Meanwhile, Syrian forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands of protesters calling for President Bashar Assad’s ouster Friday, killing two people in the northern city of Aleppo as the regime struggles to vanquish the 15-month-old ...  

Syrian forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands of protesters calling for President Bashar Assad's ouster Friday, killing two people in the northern city of Aleppo as the regime struggles to vanquish the 15-month-old conflict, opposition groups said.  

BEIRUT — Syrian forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands of protesters calling for President Bashar Assad's ouster Friday, wounding several people as the regime struggles to vanquish the 15-month-old conflict ...  

The information shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, and several other senior officials were indeed poisoned, just as the Free Syrian Army claims. But prompt medical treatment saved their lives. Israel views this as an ...  

BEIRUT: Israeli officials regard as credible recent reports of an assassination attempt on top Syrian figures, including President Bashar Assad’s brother-in-law Assef Shawkat, despite denials by Damascus, Haaretz reported Friday. The paper said Israel ...  

BEIRUT (AP) — Mohamed Nizar says he and his fellow rebels have the will, the fervor and the money to bring down Syrian President Bashar Assad. What they lack, he says, is the firepower. "If I make a phone call, I'll have maybe 2,000 Stingers," Nizar said ...  

and special envoy Kofi Annan's plan for a cease-fire — has even begun to nudge President Bashar Assad from power. The vetting would be the first tiny step the United States has made toward ensuring that the Syrian opposition uses the weapons ...  

Who could not despise the tottering Bashar Assad dictatorship?The Syrian strongman has killed some 10,000 protesters over the last year; thousands of Syrians are now refugees.The autocracy arms and aids the terrorist organization Hezbollah. It targets democratic Israel with thousands of missiles and still does its best to ruin neighboring Lebanon.Theocratic and terrorist-sponsoring Iran has few allies — but Syria remains its staunchest. Almost...  

There were no further details on the killings or who was behind them. Despite the country's spiraling violence, President Bashar Assad said Thursday that Syria would emerge from the crisis "thanks to the steadfastness of its people." Assad spoke during a ...  

Syrian President Bashar Assad is quickly spending through his cash reserves as sanctions choke off many sources of funding, but the regime is getting help from Iran in bolstering finances, CNN has reported. According to intelligence assessment shared with ...  

President Bashar Assad's regime must strike a delicate balance toward the U.S. and EU sanctions as it confronts a 15-month-old uprising against its rule, acknowledging their heavy toll while denying the regime's grip on power is in any way shaken.  

President Bashar Assad's regime must strike a delicate balance toward the U.S. and EU sanctions as it confronts a 15-month-old uprising against its rule, acknowledging their heavy toll while denying the regime's grip on power is in any way shaken.  

... stood by Syrian President Bashar Assad as he struggles to put down a 15-month-old uprising. Sunnis form the backbone of the Syrian revolt, which has unleashed boiling sectarian tensions. Assad and the ruling elite in Syria belong to the tiny Alawite ...  

The outspoken critic of Syrian President Bashar Assad was arrested May 12 on suspicion of connection to an armed group, The (Beirut) Daily Star reported. The arrest sparked armed clashes between supporters of the Syrian revolution and those ...  

The outspoken critic of Syrian President Bashar Assad was arrested May 12 on suspicion of connection to an armed group, The (Beirut) Daily Star reported. The arrest sparked armed clashes between supporters of the Syrian revolution and those ...  

While a savage civil war rages in Syria, nothing has been heard from Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of President Bashar Assad. In a guest contribution, the wives of two United Nations ambassadors call on Asma to finally take a stand against the ...  

The government of embattled President Bashar Assad has sought to downplay the 15-month-old uprising as an annoyance provoked by outside forces. Allaw made the disclosures at a news conference in Damascus, where he also announced that help was ...  

Syrian ... Bashar Assad said Thursday that his country was capable to “get out of the crisis” that has been going on since March 2011. He made this comment while receiving an Iranian official in Damascus, according to the official SANA news agency ...  

The uprising against President Bashar Assad broke out with peaceful democracy protests in March 2011, prompting a fierce crackdown. More than 12,600 people have been killed in the bloodshed, nearly 1,500 of them since a United Nations-backed truce took ...  

In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a yearlong uprising.  

Sufian Allaw said the sanctions levied by the United States and the European Union to put pressure on President Bashar Assad were ... Before the Syrian uprising began in March 2011, the oil sector was a pillar of Syria’s economy, with oil ...  

The Al-Arabiya network reported on Tuesday night that Assef Shawkat, brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar Assad, was killed four days ago in Damascus. According to one report Shawkat, who was also Syria’s deputy chief of staff, was poisoned along ...  

Salameh Kaileh, 56, was arrested April 24 on suspicion of printing leaflets calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is fighting a 15-month-old uprising against his rule. Kaileh's story offers a rare inside glimpse into the ...  

Salameh Kaileh, 56, was arrested April 24 on suspicion of printing leaflets calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is fighting a 15-month-old uprising against his rule. Kaileh's story offers a rare inside glimpse into the ...  

BEIRUT - Syrian President Bashar Assad has told a Russian state news channel that his country supports his reform agenda. He says recent parliamentary elections in the country show that Syrians "up to this time support the course of reform.  

Two Turks were collaborating with a Syrian spy to abduct Riad al-Asaad, a former colonel in Syrian President Bashar Assad’s army who fled to Turkey and started an opposition force, according to the Istanbul-based newspaper. The three people accused of ...  

Salameh Kaileh, 56, was arrested April 24 on suspicion of printing leaflets calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is fighting a 15-month-old uprising against his rule. Kaileh's story offers a rare inside glimpse into the conditions faced by detainees held by the country's feared security services. "It was hell on earth," Kaileh told The Associated Press on Sunday, nearly a week after Syrian forces released him and...  

Clinton said the United States would work with its international allies to increase the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad and his "cronies" after the reported massacre, saying their "rule by murder and fear must come to an end." "The United States ...  

Who could not despise the tottering Bashar Assad dictatorship? The Syrian strongman has killed some 10,000 protesters over the last year; thousands of Syrians are now refugees. The autocracy arms and aids the terrorist organization Hezbollah. It targets ...  

What began in January 2011 as a wave of peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad has turned into a bloodbath and near civil war, with well over 9,000 dead. Assad's regime responded to the protests with gunfire and some opponents have taken up arms ...  

a group that brings together Western and Arab countries that have called for Syrian President Bashar al Assad to step down. The Security Council, where Syria’s allies Russia and China wield veto power, has come under increasing pressure to act ...  

The official National News Agency reported two people killed and at least 18 injured in fighting between Sunni Muslim gunmen opposed to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad and supporters of the pro-Syrian Arab Movement Party in the ...  

Most Sunni Muslim organizations would like to see President Bashar Assad overthrown. The overnight street fighting was between factions within the Sunni Muslim community, however, and did not directly involve Hezbollah. The immediate cause of the clashes ...  

Despite the ongoing upheaval in Syria, President Bashar Assad is still in control of Syria's advanced weaponry, including its chemical weapons arsenal, Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Yair ...  

Despite the ongoing upheaval in Syria, President Bashar Assad is still in control of Syria's advanced weaponry, including its chemical weapons arsenal, Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh said on Tuesday. "The missile, rocket and ...  

Associated Press AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - A prominent Palestinian writer who was jailed in Syria for nearly three weeks described the facilities as "human slaughterhouses," saying security agents beat detainees with batons, crammed them into stinking cells and tied them to beds at night. Salameh Kaileh, 56, was arrested April 24 on suspicion of printing leaflets calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is fighting a 15-month...  

France and the U.K. are urging increased international support for opponents of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad after reports that government forces killed more than 90 civilians yesterday, many of them children. The international community must ...  

DAMASCUS -- Hani Sarhan is a Christian who says none of his relatives works with Bashar Assad's regime or has anything to do with it. "But what we heard from (the protesters) at the beginning of this revolution saying,'Christians to Beirut ...  

As Syria creeps into total anarchy, rebels also insist that Israel will remain an enemy after the anticipated fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad. President Barack Obama told the G-8 Summit Saturday that Assad must leave. Regardless of whether he ...  

Christians in Syria trace their roots to ancient communities and have survived under many rulers, while enclaves in other Arab nations have withered. Hani Sarhan is a Christian who says none of his relatives works with Bashar Assad's regime or has anything to do with it - write Stephen Starr and S. Akminas. "But what we heard from (the...  

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — More than 90 Syrian civilians have been killed by government ... demonstrations began in March 2011 against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Videos on the Internet purported to show those killed in the recent ...  

In this citizen journalism image provided by Sham News Network SNN, an anti-Syrian regime protester, holds up a Cross and Crescent painted with colors of the Syrian revolution flag during a demonstration against Syrian President Bashar Assad ...  

Damascus — Hani Sarhan is a Christian who says none of his relatives works with Bashar Assad's regime or has anything to do with it. "But what we heard from (the protesters) at the beginning of this revolution saying, 'Christians to Beirut, Alawites to ...  

In the case of Syria, the investigation concerns assets presumed to belong to those close to Syrian President Bashar Assad deposited in banks in western Switzerland, the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday. It was unclear who and what sum of money ...  

He says recent parliamentary elections in the country show that Syrians "up to this time support the course of reform." The government has praised the May 7 vote as a milestone in promised political reforms. But the opposition boycotted the polls and said ...  

DAMASCUS, Syria (RNS) Hani Sarhan is a Christian who says none of his relatives works with Bashar Assad's regime or has anything to do with it. "But what we heard from (the protesters) at the beginning of this revolution saying,'Christians to Beirut ...  

Calling Israel Bashar al-Assad's best friend, a Syrian opposition leader has told a Saudi newspaper that there will be no normalization with Israel if the opposition takes over. In an interview with Saudi newspaper al Youm, Ghalioun negated the possibility of normalizing relations with Israel, if and when President Bashar Assad's regime falls. "We are convinced that the Syrian regime's strongest  

He joined the army in the late 1970s. He rose through the ranks, but his fortunes changed spectacularly in the mid-1990s when he married Bashar Assad’s only sister Bushra- despite misgivings from within the Assad family because he was a ...  

SYRIA What began in January 2011 as a wave of peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad has turned into a bloodbath and near civil war, with well over 9,000 dead. Assad's regime responded to the protests with gunfire and some opponents ...  

According to the video, all six were part of the so-called crisis management group that oversees operations to contain the 14-month-old uprising against the regime of President Bashar Assad. Al-Sahab Brigade operates in Damascus and its suburbs ...  

A restive district of the Syrian capital that has been a hotbed of dissent against President Bashar Assad was rocked by fighting overnight between government forces and army defectors, opposition groups said Sunday. Also Sunday, an anti-Syrian ...  

Associated Press= BEIRUT (AP) — A restive district of the Syrian capital that has been a hotbed of dissent against President Bashar Assad was rocked by fighting overnight between government forces and army defectors, opposition groups said Sunday.  

CAMP DAVID, Md. - US President Barack Obama told G8 leaders meeting at Camp David that Syrian President Bashar Assad must leave power, and pointed to Yemen as a model of how political transition could work there, the White House said on Saturday.  

Beirut - The use of Islamist slogans by protesters during weekly Friday demonstrations against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime has triggered criticism among an already-fractured opposition. Activists have been organising online polls on "The Syrian ...  

Associated Press= BEIRUT (AP) — A restive district of the Syrian capital that has been a hotbed of dissent against President Bashar Assad was rocked by fighting overnight between government forces and army defectors, opposition groups said Sunday.  

BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian security ... minorities inside Syria, including the Kurds and Alawites. Other opposition groups accuse it of trying to monopolize power. Read more on HuffPost World. Syrian President Bashar Assad gave his first interview ...  

Faced with implacable Russian opposition to significant new United Nations punishments on the Syrian regime, U.S. officials are trying to get consensus among other allies about ways to promote the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad's ouster.  

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack. The government blamed it on terrorists, who it says are behind the uprising against President Bashar Assad. A spokesman for the city's rebel military council denied the opposition was behind ...  

BEIRUT - A restive district of the Syrian capital that has been a hotbed of dissent against President Bashar Assad was rocked by fighting overnight between government forces and army defectors, opposition groups said Sunday.  

What began in January 2011 as a wave of peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad has turned into a bloodbath and near civil war, with well over 9,000 dead. Assad's regime responded to the protests with gunfire and some opponents have ...  

In an interview with Saudi newspaper al Youm, Ghalioun negated the possibility of normalizing relations with Israel, if and when President Bashar Assad's regime falls. "We are convinced that the Syrian regime's strongest ally is Israel," he told the paper ...  

BEIRUT – In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad has insisted his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a yearlong uprising.  

BEIRUT-- In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy. The interview with Russian TV ...  

Beirut — Syrian forces on Friday fired on protesters holding the largest opposition marches yet in Aleppo, a sign of rising anti-regime sentiment in the countrys biggest city, which has largely remained supportive of President Bashar Assad throughout the 15-month uprising.  

Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told VOA the ... He was known to be opposed to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and this raised tensions with the local Allawite community, to which President Mr. Bashar al-Assad belongs.”  

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The deterioration of the Syrian National Council could interfere with Western efforts to support the opposition, as President Bashar Assad's rule gains momentum in its crackdown on disagreements. Once a replacement is ...  

Syrian President Bashar Assad insists his regime is fighting against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy. In his first interview since December, the Syrian president is still standing his ground, despite widespread international condemnation over his deadly crackdown on dissent.  

What began in January 2011 as a wave of peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad has turned into a bloodbath and near civil war, with well over 9,000 dead. Assad's regime responded to the protests with gunfire and some opponents have ...  

In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad said Tuesday his government is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a yearlong uprising. The interview with ...  

Bashar al-Assad's forces have killed at least 90 civilians including 25 children, activists say, in one of the highest death tolls in one area since a ceasefire went into effect last month.  

Syrian forces fired on protesters who marched on Friday in the largest show of opposition yet in Aleppo, a sign of rising anti-regime sentiment in the country’s biggest city, which has largely remained supportive of President Bashar Assad throughout the 15-month uprising.  

In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted Tuesday that his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a year-long uprising.  

In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian President Bashar Assad denounced the opposition Syrian National Council as both ineffective and working against their own people's interests. Assad also said in the interview broadcast ...  

MOSCOW (AP) — In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian President Bashar Assad denounced the opposition Syrian National Council as both ineffective and working against their own people's interests. Assad also said in the interview ...  

Russia’s leaders have been disgracefully cynical throughout the Syrian uprising. They have armed and supported President Bashar Assad’s regime, and they provide diplomatic cover for his mendacious and self-fulfilling claims that unarmed ...  

BEIRUT - In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted Tuesday that his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a yearlong uprising.  

In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian president Bashar Assad claimed his regime has captured foreign mercenaries who were fighting for the opposition in a bid to show his forces are fighting terrorists rather than pro-democracy activists.  

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 17 (UPI) -- Syrian President Bashar Assad says he faces no true domestic opposition and violence in his country is the work of foreign-backed terrorists and mercenaries. "There are foreign mercenaries, some of them still ...  

Syrian forces on Friday fired on protesters holding the largest opposition marches yet in Aleppo, a sign of rising anti-regime sentiment in the country's biggest city, which has largely remained supportive of President Bashar Assad throughout the 15-month uprising.  

In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him and not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy. The interview with Russian TV, recorded on ...  

In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted Tuesday his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a yearlong uprising.  

BEIRUT — In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted Tuesday ... are preparing to show them to the world.” Mr. Assad still has a firm grip on power in Syria some 14 months into a revolt that has torn at ...  

In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian president Bashar Assad ... any kind of weight or significance within Syria," Assad said in remarks translated into Russian. He said religious extremists and al Qaida members from abroad are among the ...  

Syrian activists say intense government shelling has ... He was known to be opposed to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and this raised tensions with the local Allawite community, to which President Mr. Bashar al-Assad belongs.”  

Faced with implacable Russian opposition to significant new United Nations punishments on the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials are trying to get consensus among other allies about ways to promote Assad's ouster. A senior U.S ...  

IN his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian President Bashar Assad has claimed that his regime had captured foreign mercenaries who were fighting for the opposition in a bid to show his forces were fighting terrorists instead of pro-democracy activists.  

In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian President Bashar Assad claimed Wednesday that his regime had captured foreign mercenaries who were fighting for the opposition in a bid to show his forces were fighting terrorists instead of pro-democracy activists.  

In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian President Bashar Assad claimed Wednesday that his regime had captured foreign mercenaries who were fighting for the opposition in a bid to show his forces were fighting terrorists instead of pro-democracy activists.  

Syrian security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands rallying Friday in the northern city of Aleppo, which activists said saw the largest turnout since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad in March 2011.  

BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar Assad has told a Russian state news channel that his country supports his reform agenda. He says recent parliamentary elections in the country show that Syrians "up to this time support the course of reform." The ...  

Russian state television was to air an interview with Syrian President Bashar Assad later Wednesday. Russia has been Syria's most powerful and loyal ally over the course of the uprising, selling weapons to the regime and blocking action against ...  

Syrian security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands rallying Friday in Aleppo in what activists said was the largest protest yet in a city that has largely remained loyal to President Bashar Assad during the country’s 15-month uprising.  

The slow disintegration of the Syrian National Council, which has become the international face of the uprising, could complicate Western efforts to bolster the opposition, just as President Bashar Assad's regime gathers momentum in its ...  

Moscow – In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian President Bashar Assad denounced the opposition Syrian National Council as both ineffective and working against their own people’s interests. Assad also said in the interview broadcast Wednesday that his country has captured foreign mercenaries who were fighting for the opposition and is ready [...]  

Syrian forces on Friday fired on protesters holding the largest opposition marches yet in Aleppo, a sign of rising anti-regime sentiment in the country's biggest city, which has largely remained supportive of President Bashar Assad throughout the 15-month uprising.  

The disintegration of the Syrian National Council, which has become the uprising’s international face, may complicate Western efforts to bolster the opposition, just as President Bashar Assad’s regime gathers momentum in its crackdown. Thursday, ...  

The slow disintegration of the Syrian National Council, which has become the international face of the uprising, could complicate Western efforts to bolster the opposition, just as President Bashar Assad's regime gathers momentum in its crackdown on dissent.  

BEIRUT, Lebanon - President Bashar al-Assad's forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria on Friday, activists said, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally brokered cease ...  

AMMAN/MOSCOW/UNITED NATIONS: Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday that countries trying to “sow chaos” in Syria could be infected with it themselves, an apparent warning to Arab Gulf nations that back the insurgency aimed at forcing him from power.  

BEIRUT (AP) — In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted Tuesday his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a yearlong uprising.The interview with Russian TV showed Assad is still standing his ground, despite widespread international condemnation over his deadly crackdown on dissent."There are foreign mercenaries, some of...  

A key activist group threatened Thursday to withdraw from ... from the Syrian National Council would be a blow for the group, which is already facing political and organizational challenges in its quest to oust President Bashar Assad.  

Burhan Ghalioun's declaration that he no longer wished to head the Syrian National Council dealt a morale-sapping blow to the faltering and increasingly fragmented campaign to topple President Bashar Assad. Ghalioun said he had been left with no ...  

Russian state television was to air an interview with Syrian President Bashar Assad later ... The bombing was at least the second time the U.N. observers have been caught up in Syria’s violence. Last week, a roadside bomb struck a Syrian ...  

BEIRUT — In his first interview since December, Syrian President Bashar Assad insisted Tuesday his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries who want to overthrow him, not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a yearlong uprising.  

Each week, HuffPost World will provide the top stories out of Syria and a recap of events in the country's year-long uprising, as President Bashar Assad’s regime continues its bloody crackdown. In his first media interview this year, Assad ...  

The SNC already is facing political and organizational challenges in its quest to oust President Bashar Assad. The LCC issued a statement on Thursday accusing the SNC leadership of marginalizing council members and acting alone on major decisions.  

Ozkose and a colleague, cameraman Hamit Coskun, flew home to Turkey this weekend after Iran, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, helped to secure their release. Turkey, which once had warm ties with Syria, has since closed its embassy ...  

On one side are Sunni Muslims who support the rebels trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. On the other ... in an apartment overlooking Syria Street, which cuts through the overwhelmingly Sunni Bab al-Tabbani neighborhood.  

striking a blow to efforts to present a united front against President Bashar Assad. Burhan Ghalioun said he did not wish to be a divisive figure and was ready to step down, just days after he was re-elected to a third, three-month term as head of the ...  

Syria's main opposition group is in disarray, and its leader Thursday offered to step down, nearly 15 months after the start of an uprising aimed at toppling President Bashar Assad's regime. Burhan Ghalioun, head of the Syrian National Council, said he would resign in the face of infighting in the ...  

MOSCOW – Syrian President Bashar Assad says his country has captured foreign mercenaries who were fighting for the opposition and is ready to show them to the world. Assad made the claim in an interview on Russian state television's news ...  

UNITED NATIONS: Syrian groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad now control "significant" parts of some cities and the risk of all-out conflict is growing, UN leader Ban Ki-moon warned. Syria government forces are still carrying out "massive ...  

BEIRUT — A key activist group on Thursday accused Syria's opposition ... to oust President Bashar Assad. The activist group, called the Local Coordination Committees, threatened to suspend its membership in the Syrian National Council if ...  

BEIRUT – President Bashar Assad of Syria said in an interview broadcast Wednesday that he faced no real domestic opposition in the 15-month-old uprising against him, claiming the violence in his country is entirely the work of foreign-backed ...  

A pullout by the Local Coordination Committees from the Syrian National Council would be a blow for the group, which is already facing political and organizational challenges in its quest to oust President Bashar Assad. And if the SNC continues ...  

BEIRUT -- President Bashar Assad of Syria said in an interview broadcast Wednesday, May 16, that he faced no real domestic opposition in the 15-month-old uprising against him, the violence in his country is entirely the work of foreign-backed ...  

With hope for political solution dim, increase in resistance arms is seen WASHINGTON — Syrian rebels battling the regime of President Bashar Assad have begun receiving significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, an effort paid for by Persian ...  

WASHINGTON - Syrian rebels battling President Bashar Assad's government are beginning to get more and better weapons in an effort paid for by Persian Gulf nations and coordinated partly by the United States, the Washington Post reported late on Tuesday.  

You abandoned us.'" Ozkose and a colleague, cameraman Hamit Coskun, flew home to Turkey this weekend after Iran, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, helped to secure their release. Turkey, a NATO member that once had warm ties with Syria ...  

Residents said running gunbattles broke out in the city Saturday and continued through the night primarily between a neighborhood populated by Sunni Muslims opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad and another area with many Assad backers from ...  

The European Union imposed visa bans and asset freezes Monday on three new people associated with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime - bringing to 128 the number of Assad supporters targeted by the bloc.Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said two Syrian entities were also added to the boycott list, which now includes 43 Syrian companies, banks and other organizations.The new measures, the 15th round of EU...  

(CNN)-- Syrian government forces pounded the ... a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria noted the growing power of forces opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. "Whereas government forces had previously been ...  

More than nine months after President Obama declared that Bashar Assad must go, it is clear that neither diplomacy nor sanctions alone will dislodge the Syrian dictator. On the contrary, Assad's campaign of killing will continue with no hope of ...  

BRUSSELS -- The European Union imposed visa bans and asset freezes on Monday against three new individuals associated with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The measure brings to 128 the number of Assad's supporters targeted by ...  

Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said on Thursday that his mission was unable to open a U.S. bank account due to sanctions imposed on his country because of its 14-month assault on an opposition determined to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  

Joumaa says he and other sports officials will travel to London despite the British government's warning that they could be banned from attending the Olympics because of his close links to President Bashar Assad. The Syrian government's 13-month ...  

Over the weekend, Syrian troops continued their brutal campaign against those who oppose the regime of President Bashar Assad. And a questionable video has been released by a group claiming responsibility for massive explosions that shook Syria's capital last week.  

LONDON/HAMBURG (Reuters) - Syria is struggling to meet its grain import needs because of sanctions, raising the risk of bread shortages that could sap public support for President Bashar al-Assad as ... has forced Damascus into an array of ...  

Gunfire broke out in the city Saturday and continued through the night primarily between a neighborhood populated by Sunni Muslims who hate Syrian President Bashar Assad and another area with many Assad backers from his Alawite sect.AP BEIRUT ...  

Tensions stemming from the 14-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad also touched off clashes across the border in Tripoli, Lebanon, in which three people were reported killed as the revolt threatened to morph into a broader conflict.  

In Syria, anyone who speaks out against the regime of President Bashar Assad risks harassment ... Even a small and critically acclaimed group of Syrian painters is not immune — but that might be attracting buyers outside Syria to their ...  

BEIRUT (AP) -- President Bashar Assad's grip on Syria is getting weaker by the day and "victory is close," Turkey's prime minister said Sunday in an address to thousands of cheering Syrians who fled a brutal crackdown on an anti-regime uprising.  

A cease-fire that was supposed to begin on April 12 has had only a limited effect, throwing into doubt the rest of the plan that calls for talks between President Bashar Assad's regime and those seeking to end his rule. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.  

Syria is overwhelmingly Sunni, but President Bashar Assad and the ruling elite belong to the minatory Alawite sect. Sectarian tensions appear to be growing in some areas, adding a dangerous new element to the violence. Many Syrians accuse Assad ...  

The account of the killings underscored the relentlessness of the violence in Syria's 14-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad ... against Assad. Residents of Beirut's southern suburbs - a stronghold of Hezbollah, the Syrian and Iranian ...  

Tensions stemming from the 14-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad also touched off clashes across the border in Lebanon as the revolt threatened to grow into a broader conflict. The relentless violence further undermines a U.N ...  

Syria is struggling to meet its grain import needs because of sanctions, raising the risk of bread shortages that could sap public support for President Bashar al-Assad as he tries to snuff out a 15-month-old uprising.  

The al-Saleem family were Sunni, and rebels were quick to blame a local gang of Alawites, members of the minority sect to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs and which has often been fanatical in its support. They said the body of the fifth child ...  

More than nine months after President Obama declared that Bashar Assad must go, it is clear that neither diplomacy nor sanctions alone will dislodge the Syrian dictator. On the contrary, Assad's campaign of killing will continue with no hope of ...  

He said the deployment of U.N. observers to Syria has had "some dampening effect" but the violence hasn't stopped. Ban said this requires "strong political will" by Syrian President Bashar Assad and full cooperation by opposition forces.  

Regime forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands of protesters calling for President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster Friday, killing two people in the northern city of Aleppo as the embattled regime struggles to vanquish the 15 ...  

Russia, a longtime ally of Syria that wrote the April 21 Security Council ... any hopes that Russia and the U.S. can unite behind a plan to ease Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out of power. With Russia and Iran arming the Syrian regime ...  

Western officials will insist, as they were already doing before it began, that the ceasefire was doomed because of the unique evil of Bashar Assad. The supporters of Assad will claim, by contrast, that the terrorist-style tactics of the rebels ...  

BEIRUT: The Syrian Foreign Ministry has indirectly denied persistent rumours that Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law, a member of the secretive inner circle governing the country, was fatally poisoned by the opposition. The oblique method of the denial - in ...  

The effort, U.S. officials told The Associated Press, would vet members of the Free Syrian Army ... Friends of Syria group, and special envoy Kofi Annan's plan for a cease-fire — has even begun to nudge President Bashar al-Assad from power.  

DAMASCUS, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed Thursday that his country is able ... to attend the coming summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Iran. "Syria has succeeded to overcome the pressures and challenges that faced it ...  

Who could not despise the tottering Bashar al-Assad dictatorship in Syria? The Syrian strongman has killed some 10,000 protestors over the last year; thousands of Syrians are now refugees. The autocracy arms and aids the terrorist organization Hezbollah.  

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Syria would need $11.5 billion in reconstruction funds in the first six months after the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's rule, mainly to support its currency and pay public sector wages, the main Syrian opposition said on Thursday. The Syrian National Council, whose international support has been undermined by internal squabbling and power struggles, presented an economic reconstruction plan at a meeting of the...  

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Syria would need $11.5 billion in reconstruction funds in the first six months after the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's rule, mainly to support its currency and pay public sector wages, the main Syrian opposition said on Thursday.  

Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday his government is capable ... According to SANA, Taqipour delivered the Syrian president an invitation from his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend a meeting of the ...  

The United Nations report into the 14-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad said government ... confirmation of the account from Syria, which has limited journalist access in the uprising. In Damascus, Assad told a visiting Iranian minister ...  

Permanent Security Council members Russia, a key arms supplier to Syria, and China have shielded Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from tough sanctions. The United Nations says at least 9,000 civilians have been killed in Assad’s crackdown on a ...  

There are the regular chants against President Bashar al-Assad: "The Assad family are thieves ... He fears them and what they would do in Syria. And he does not believe the bombings in Damascus were done by al-Qaeda. "This lie is being used ...  

DAMASCUS, Syria - The nation's oil minister blamed international sanctions Wednesday for shortages of cooking gas and other basic goods, saying the measures have bled $4 billion from the nation's ailing economy. President Bashar al-Assad's ...  

GENEVA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - A United Nations investigation said Syrian government forces and rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad had both ... by Sunni insurgents fighting Assad's forces, the latest strand of Syria's conflict to entangle its ...  

Moscow, May 17 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The number of terrorist attacks in Syria has increased since UN observers arrived in the country, President Bashar al-Assad told the Rossiya 24 TV channel. "We have redeployed our troops, and as for terrorist attacks their ...  

Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has told the nation's new parliament that his government will be able to find a way out of the crisis currently gripping Syria. Thursday's comments came during a meeting with Iran's communications and information ...  

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has invited his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, to visit Tehran to take part in a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The summit is scheduled for the ...  

After over a year of protests, very little has changed in Syria, with Bashar al-Assad firmly in control of the country. Syrian insurgents who have taken up arms have been beaten back by the army, most notably in Homs, and thousands have died over the last ...  

Violence continued in Syria on Wednesday with government forces shelling the opposition dominated town of Rastan, according to opposition forces. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the forces of President Bashar al-Assad ...  

Who could not despise the tottering Bashar al-Assad dictatorship in Syria? The Syrian strongman has killed some 10,000 protestors over the last year; thousands of Syrians are now refugees. The autocracy arms and aids the terrorist organization Hezbollah. It targets democratic Israel with thousands of missiles, and still does its best to ruin neighboring Lebanon. Theocratic and terrorist-sponsoring Iran has few allies -- but Syria remains its...  

Who could not despise the tottering Bashar al-Assad dictatorship in Syria? The Syrian strongman has killed some 10,000 protestors over the last year; thousands of Syrians are now refugees. The autocracy arms and aids the terrorist organization Hezbollah.  

WHO could not despise the tottering Bashar al-Assad dictatorship in Syria? The Syrian strongman has killed some 10,000 protestors over the last year; thousands of Syrians are now refugees. The autocracy arms and aids the terrorist organization Hezbollah.  

AFP - Speculation was rife on Wednesday among Syrian anti-regime activists over the alleged "killing" of President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law who is also Syria's deputy defence minister. Assef Shawkat, former head of military intelligence ...  

He was subsequently charged with membership of a "terrorist" organisation. The fighting among Lebanese Sunni Islamist opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Lebanese army and members of Assad's minority sect in the northern port of ...  

London/Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – Uncertainty continues to surround the claims that a number of senior Syrian officials, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s brother-in-law and intelligence Chief  

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is "deeply concerned" about sectarian violence in Lebanon, state news agency SPA said on Tuesday, in an apparent reference to the killing of a Lebanese Sunni cleric opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Violence linked to the Syria conflict has spilled over into Lebanon, where soldiers on Sunday shot dead a prominent Sunni cleric and a member of a Lebanese political alliance against Assad...  

The Free Syrian Army, which is seeking the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, on Wednesday denied abducting a group of Shiite Lebanese pilgrims inside Syria. "The FSA is not at all responsible for the operation," Mustafa al-Sheikh ...  

The real threat that makes President Bashar al-Assad these days seem pale faced, hollow eyed and absent minded is the brave spirit of the Syrian people and their heroic revolution. Some were gambling on this revolution running out of fuel or ...  

Gun battles broke out in Beirut today between factions supporting and opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the New York Times reports, in Lebanon's most intense outbreak of violence since the Syrian uprising began. The fighting was ...  

Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahid, an opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was buried in northern Lebanon a day after he was shot dead at a Lebanese army checkpoint in a part of that country where Sunni sympathy for Syria's rebels and the uprising against ...  

Throughout the film a picture of Bashar al-Assad superimposed on that of his ... http://www.itv.com/news/2012-04-03/syrian-olympic-committee-president-to-attend-london-2012/ [x] Syria: Songs of Defiance, Al Jazeera English, March 15, 2012, http ...  

It shied away from criticizing the regime of Bashar al-Assad, instead asking al-Assad to reform ... suggest that the PKK has grassroots appeal inside Syria. Then there is the Syrian regime’s complicity on the PKK issue. Damascus harbored ...  

A mix of army deserters and volunteers, they are part of the Free Syrian Army, a group — one of many across Syria — that is trying to take on the army of President Bashar Assad. The brigade of 71 men calls itself Al Haq (The Truth).  

A Syrian rights group says a bomb has exploded in Damascus, killing five people. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday the blast targeted the neighborhood of Qaboun, which has been the center of several protests against President Bashar al-Assad. The blast came a day after activists said government forces stormed the village of Qastoun. An activist living in the central city of Hama told Reuters news agency...  

The international community called for restraint Monday after deadly clashes were triggered in Beirut by the deaths of two religious clerics, both of whom were opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  

In the latest instance of the unrest in Syria spilling across the border into Lebanon, deadly clashes broke out in Beirut on Monday after soldiers shot and killed two clerics opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. ...  

(AGI) Damascus - A new Parliament was inaugurated in Syria with President Bashar el Assad's Baath Party holding the absolute majority. The Parliament was elected in the vote held at the beginning of the month. On taking their oath, the MPs swore to ...  

In the latest instance of the unrest in Syria spilling across the border into Lebanon, deadly clashes broke out in Beirut on Monday after soldiers shot and killed two clerics opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Two other people were ...  

At least two people were killed in Beirut as clashes between supporters of Syria’s government and opposition ... a Lebanese Sunni Muslim cleric and opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He was killed at an army checkpoint near the ...  

DAMASCUS - The handwriting had been on the wall for weeks, signaling that Lebanon might explode - at any minute. The reason was Syria. For more than a year, battlelines have been clearly drawn between pro-Bashar al-Assad and anti-Assad politicians in ...  

Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahid, an opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was shot dead a day earlier at a Lebanese army checkpoint in a part of Lebanon where Sunni sympathy is with Syria's rebels. Demonstrators blocked roads and burned tires in the ...  

AMMAN (Reuters) - A dissident from President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect is urging his co-religionists not to fear for their fate if the Syrian leader falls, arguing the "end of totalitarianism" is the best guarantee for the survival of their community.  

AMMAN (Reuters) - A dissident from President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect is urging his co-religionists not to fear for their fate if the Syrian leader falls, arguing the "end of totalitarianism" is the best guarantee for the survival of their community.  

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Street battles in Beirut during the night between groups for and against Syrian President Bashar al Assad's embattled regime left two people dead, Lebanon's state-run news agency said on Monday. The fighting, which also wounded 18 people ...