country: Syria

Stay updated with comprehensive news on Syria from Worldcrunch. Discover insights on Syrian politics, economic strategies, societal issues, and cultural landmarks with translations from top international sources. Highlights include Damascus, Syrian history, and cultural events.

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Geopolitics

Who Do You Fear More, Assad Or Islamists?

ISIL fighter shows his AK-47 rifle bearing Arabic mention of allegiance to al-Qaeda
ISIL fighter shows his AK-47 rifle bearing Arabic mention of allegiance to al-Qaeda Medyan Dairieh/ZUMA

In the northern city of Raqqa, the condemned — some civilians, some soldiers, shabiha or alleged Assad collaborators — are brought blindfolded and handcuffed to the city square to be shot in the head in public. Once celebrated as one of Syria’s first fully liberated cities, Raqqa, now under the control of the al-Qaida backed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has become infamous for brutal public executions and other fear tactics carried out by extremists. The executions are carried out swiftly and without legal counsel. Asyad al-Mousa, a 34-year-old lawyer, is dedicated to documenting the mounting number […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Syrian City Hit By Infamous Chemical Attack Is Now Dying Of Hunger

Al-Mouadamiyah, under siege
Al-Mouadamiyah, under siege SHAMSNN screenshot

Al-Mouadamiyah’s ordeal is not over yet. After being one of the targets of the Aug. 21 chemical attack, this stronghold of the Syrian rebellion, located in the southwestern suburbs of Damascus, is now facing such a severe siege that its inhabitants are starting to starve to death. According to local sources, nine people have already […]

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Ideas Society

What Syrian Soap Operas Tell Us About Bashar Al-Assad

'Birth from the Waist' Syrian soap opera, aka 'musalsalat'
'Birth from the Waist' Syrian soap opera, aka 'musalsalat' lbcgroup screenshot - Worldcrunch

The popular TV dramas were once considered a reflection of the Syrian President’s will for reform. Things have changed since the uprising in 2011, even if the shows must go on.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Life And Death Inside An Underground Syrian Hospital

The dark, damp emergency room in the field hospital of besieged Homs
The dark, damp emergency room in the field hospital of besieged Homs Yazan al-Homsy

HOMS – This city in western Syria is nearing 500 days under siege, with no supply route in or out. Medical equipment and supplies are nearly impossible to find. There are no alternatives for the medicine, be it for chronic illness or for wounds sustained during daily shellings of the city. There are few medical personnel on the scene. In Old Homs, a critical wound becomes more terrifying than death itself. A doctor might need to amputate a limb to save a patient’s life. In more critical cases, the lack of medical facilities means the only option for patients is […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

In A Damascus Classroom, Reading, Writing And Trauma

Syrian refugee children play at a school in Damascus on August 23, 2012.
Syrian refugee children play at a school in Damascus on August 23, 2012. Qin Haishi/Xinhua/ZUMA

DAMASCUS — Nada, a teacher, starts her classes by asking her third-grade students to express their feelings. She is trained to deal with children who exhibit signs of trauma after living in a war zone for over two years. The school where Nada works is located in the relatively safe neighborhood of Sahnaya, in southern Damascus, but as in the rest of Syria, war is never out of mind. On the first day of the school year, Nada distributes “face cards” to her class of mostly nine-year-olds, all showing different emotions. She asks them to pick the face that best […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

How Assad Forces Plant Booby-Trapped Bullets In Rebels’ Rifles

Abu Ali, an Free Syrian Army fighter, lost two of his middle fingers when he fired with an explosive bullet
Abu Ali, an Free Syrian Army fighter, lost two of his middle fingers when he fired with an explosive bullet Saeed al-Batal for Syria Deeply

JOBAR — Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighter Abu Ali stood grinning and waving at me with his right hand. Two of his middle fingers were missing. “Look at me, I’m like a Ninja Turtle now,” he said, dry humor intact. It had been three months since I last saw Abu Ali, who used to fight on the front lines of Jobar, a rebel-held district in the eastern city limits of Damascus. “My rifle exploded,” he said, beginning the story of his last few months, of how he lost his fingers, preparing his extra-sweet tea. “This was back in June, while […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Syrian Kurds And The Divisions That Plague Damascus’ Enemies

A Kurdish fighter in Syria
A Kurdish fighter in Syria Benjamin Hiller/NurPhoto/ZUMA

The mainstream Syrian political opposition failed for nearly two years to draw in the Kurdish National Council (KNC), a muddled coalition of 16 Syrian Kurdish political parties. In what was hailed as a breakthrough, the KNC finally decided to join the Syrian National Coalition (NC) last month. Yet the decision will have little practical impact on Arab-Kurdish relations in Syria. Its impact will primarily play out abroad, giving both the KNC and the NC a boost in international credibility, rather than inside Syria. The NC was eager for the Kurdish bloc to join its ranks in order to address a […]

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Ideas Syria Crisis

The “New Cold War” Bluff: How Putin And Obama Agreed To Hang Syria Out To Dry

Rebel fighters in Aleppo on Sept. 14
Rebel fighters in Aleppo on Sept. 14 Medyan Dairieh/ZUMA

-OpEd- PARIS — The Kerry-Lavrov agreement finally ends any illusion of a new “Cold War” that would have featured a showdown in Syria between friends of Washington and allies of Moscow. With the deal inked between American Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, it has become clear that the U.S. […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Diary Of Humiliation And Faith From A Hostage In Syria

Domenico Quirico back at La Stampa's newsroom in Turin
Domenico Quirico back at La Stampa's newsroom in Turin Anna Masera via Twitter

La Stampa’s veteran war correspondent Domenico Quirico was held hostage in Syria for five months by rebel soldiers. Earlier this week, along with Belgian writer Pierre Piccinin, the 61-year-old was released after what he described as a “very dangerous and complex” captivity. Here is his first account of what happened… TURIN — We entered Syria […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Not Just Russia: Italy, Other Europeans Sold Plenty Of Weapons To Syria

Tanks in Azaz, Syria
Tanks in Azaz, Syria Christiaan Triebert

ROME — Way back in 1998, Bill Clinton bet on the young Assad. He was to be his father’s successor, and the United States believed that the young Bashar al-Assad, once he reached power, would be the person to bring Syria back into the fold among the civilized nations of the world. And so Clinton’s […]

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

No One Wants U.S. Strikes Against The Syrian Regime More Than They Do

Syrian refugees at Zaatari camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq
Syrian refugees at Zaatari camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq Mohammad Abu Ghosh - Xinhua/ZUMA

A quarter of the two million Syrians fleeing their country have wound up in Jordan, where there is overcrowding and difficulty obtaining work permits. Refugees are rooting for strikes asap.

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Geopolitics Ideas Syria Crisis

Syria And The Russian Reset Fail: How Putin Turned The Tables On Obama

Syria And The Russian Reset Fail: How Putin Turned The Tables On Obama
White House

The Syrian crisis will dominate the G20 summit in St Petersburg. While the U.S. readies a lonely military strike, Russia’s President presents himself as protector of international law.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Syria: Obama’s Delay Could Spell Trouble For Tough-Talking France

A French Rafale fighter jet
A French Rafale fighter jet Sebastien_dupont - Xinhua/ZUMA

French President Hollande has been in step with U.S. calls to strike Syria. Now with Obama’s request for a Congressional vote, France is left flapping in the wind.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Snapshot Of A Syrian Smuggler: Arms, Antiquities And Jihad Along Turkey’s Border

Earlier this year, near the Qah refugee camp in Syria, four miles from the Turkish border
Earlier this year, near the Qah refugee camp in Syria, four miles from the Turkish border Daniel Leal-Olivas - i-Images/ZUMA

As war has made regular work scarce, Ayham has trafficked in anything that has a buyer. But lately he says the face of the black market has started to change.

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Geopolitics Ideas Syria Crisis

Remember Bosnia? Intervening In Syria Must Be More Than Just Punishment

Milosevic, Assad
Milosevic, Assad SSGT Lance Cheung, USAF - Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom / ABr

Syria is more reminiscent of the Balkan wars in the 1990s than Iraq or Afghanistan. It’s imperative for the West to act to force Assad’s hand, not just to slap his wrist.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Why War In Syria Makes Kurdish Unity Ever More Elusive

Syrian refugees crossing the border into northern Iraq
Syrian refugees crossing the border into northern Iraq Liang Youchang - Xinhua/ZUMA

The conflict in Syria has reshuffled the deck for Kurds across the region, from Turkey to Iraq. A recent mass exodus from Syria is just one sympton of a deeper problem.

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Geopolitics Ideas Syria Crisis

Syria, Why The West Can’t Turn Back Now

A mother and father weep over the body of their child, killed in a suspected chemical weapons attack on Damascus
A mother and father weep over the body of their child, killed in a suspected chemical weapons attack on Damascus Erbin News - NurPhoto/ZUMA

After the chemical attacks, military intervention is a question of humanity, but also of realpolitik. That does not, however, mean it will resolve the situation in Syria.

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Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Hope But “More Question Marks” – Syrian Rebels React To Potential U.S. Military Strike

Syrian rebel soldiers in Idlib province, northern Syria
Syrian rebel soldiers in Idlib province, northern Syria Daniel Leal-Olivas - i-Images/ZUMA

After months of talk, the United States and its allies may now be on the verge of military intervention in Syria. As American military leaders met with European and regional leadership in Amman to discuss the Syrian crisis, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the BBC Tuesday that the U.S. has “moved assets into place” […]

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Geopolitics

Syrian Boy’s Whole Family Dies, And Other Testimony After Reported Chemical Attacks

This boy says he watched his siblings, grandfather and parents die from Wednesday's attack.
This boy says he watched his siblings, grandfather and parents die from Wednesday's attack.

DAMASCUS – A boy, who appears to be sitting in some sort of makeshift hospital, describes how his entire family was killed early Wednesday morning on an attack in their home in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. Below the video (courtesy of c.m.o algota) is a transcript of the child’s account: “First thing, my grandfather […]

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Geopolitics

In Syria, The Time To Act Is Now

Protest in Amman against alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria
Protest in Amman against alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria Mohammad Abu Ghosh - Xinhua/ZUMA

The images of an apparent chemical attack in Syria mean that the West’s wait-and-see approach is simply no longer viable.

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Geopolitics

Hezbollah Helps Tip The Balance On Syria’s Crucial Southern Front

In Daraa, Syria
In Daraa, Syria FreedomHouse

AMMAN – The southern Syrian province of Daraa borders both Israel and Jordan — it is also considered the gateway to Damascus. With the strategic stakes so high, the area has seen fierce battles between regime and rebel forces since the early months of the conflict. As recently as April, the rebel offensive in Daraa […]

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Geopolitics

Along The Sunni Divide In War-Torn Syria

At the Great Umayyed Mosque of Damascus
At the Great Umayyed Mosque of Damascus James Gordon

AMMAN – The majority of Syria’s 25 million-strong population is Sunni, and while activists increasingly blame the Alawite-led shabiha Ba’ath operatives and mercenary Hezbollah forces for keeping the Assad regime in place, it is in fact the Sunni population that is quietly propping it up. Whether out of fear, genuine ideological support or financial interest, […]

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Geopolitics

Tiananmen Anniversary, Irish Mass Grave, Soccer Grandpa

Election day in Homs, Syria
Election day in Homs, Syria Pan Chaoyue/Xinhua/ZUMA

Wednesday, June 4, 2014 HUNDREDS DEAD AMONG REBELS IN EAST UKRAINE As Kiev’s “anti-terrorist operation” continues in Eastern Ukraine, a spokesman for the operation said that government forces had killed more than 300 rebel fighters and injured some 500 in the past 24 hours in Sloviansk, Reuters reports. Russia’s Foreign Ministry Commissioner for Human Rights […]

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Geopolitics

The Far-Reaching, Ever Fluid Shia v. Sunni Battle For The Soul Of Islam

Praying in the night
Praying in the night Muhammad Rehan

Mirroring the Catholic-Protestant battles of the past, intra-Islamic violence has global reverberations far beyond faith. Right now, it’s coming to a head in Syria.

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Geopolitics

“The West Uses Lies To Unleash Wars…” The Bashar Al-Assad Interview

"Traitor Of The Family" — How Assad Sold Out His Loved Ones With His Secret Escape
Bashar al-Assad. syrianpresidency/Instagram

The Syrian leader left open the possibility to negotiate with the opposition but ruled out stepping down in this rare interview obtained by top Argentine daily Clarin.

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Ideas

Making Sense Of The Arab Spring’s Ugly Aftermath

Making Sense Of The Arab Spring's Ugly Aftermath

Unable to live up to the first wave of optimism, the uprising in the Arab world is nonetheless destined to change history.

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Society

In Syria, Is There A Place For Honest Crime-Fighting?

Two Years Of Tragedy in Syria
Two Years Of Tragedy in Syria Foreign and Commonwealth Office

ALEPPO — The atmosphere was tense in Bustan al-Qasr after a Friday protest turned into a fight between two groups, one calling for an Islamic state after President Bashar al-Assad’s fall and the other demanding a free and liberal future for Syria. The shabiha — pro-government militias or spies in civilian clothing — were spotted […]

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Geopolitics

A Glimpse Of Post-Assad Syria? Inside Aleppo’s New Islamic Justice Committees

In Aleppo, a glimpse of the future?
In Aleppo, a glimpse of the future? Beshroffline

ALEPPO – For nearly three months, a rumor has been spreading through Aleppo: whoever faces hardship, however small, can go to a hearing of the “Committee for the promotion of good deeds and support of the oppressed.” There, in this northern neighborhood of the country’s largest city, members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are […]

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Geopolitics

Syria: Why The West Lets Assad Massacre His Own People

Syria: Why The West Lets Assad Massacre His Own People
Beshroffline

BERLIN – In late 2011, a former German television correspondent in Tel Aviv, Sebastian Engelbrecht, reported some sensational news: Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal had “renounced armed combat against Israel,” conflicts among Palestinians were in the process of being resolved and “by early May in Gaza and the West Bank a new president and parliament will […]

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Geopolitics

Daughters And Wives Of Syrian Regime Turn To Prostitution In Turkey

Daughters And Wives Of Syrian Regime Turn To Prostitution In Turkey
makeupmafia1

ANKARA – Huda lived in Mezza, a rich neighborhood of Damascus. Her husband, Sami, used to monitor the resistance movement for the regime from the Syrian capital. His daily reports weren’t supposed to harm anyone. His cooperation with the military and the police put food on the table. One day about a year ago, he […]

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Ideas

Along Turkey’s Border, Smugglers Supply Syrian Refugees And Rebels

A Syrian refugee center on the Turkish border
A Syrian refugee center on the Turkish border Henry Ridgwell - Youtube screenshot

Up close with Syrian smugglers and Western NGOs. Turkish troops turn blind eye to arms trafficking, but worries grow about who is getting their hands on the weapons.

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Geopolitics

Latest On Syria, New Cracks At Fukushima, Meth In Kayaks

Amnesty International says that “ethnic cleansing” of Muslim civilians is taking place in C.A.R.
Amnesty International says that “ethnic cleansing” of Muslim civilians is taking place in C.A.R. Laurence Geai/NurPhoto/ZUMA

SYRIA: EVACUATIONS, SANCTIONS, ARCHEOLOGY THREE-DAY MOURNING AFTER PLANE CRASH IN ALGERIA Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika declared three days of mourning after yesterday’s plane crash in which at least 77 people died, website Algerie Focus reports. The crash appears to have been caused by bad weather. TWO CRACKS FOUND NEAR RADIOACTIVE WATER TANKS AT FUKUSHIMA Two […]

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Geopolitics

NSA’s Deadly Role, UK Floods, Zoo Defends Giraffe Killing

The River Thames burst its banks and reached record levels.
The River Thames burst its banks and reached record levels. Stephen Simpson/London News Pictures/ZUMA

SECOND ROUND OF SYRIAN PEACE TALKS BEGIN The Syrian government and opposition representatives are meeting in Geneva for the second round of peace negotiations, during which Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi is expected to meet separately with both delegations, AFP reports. The talks come as civilians from the besieged city of Homs were evacuated during […]

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Ideas

“Arabellion” In Ruins – The Wishful Thinking That Undermined The Arab Spring

Syria, a nation in rubble

Egypt and Syria are edging toward failed state status, while the West asks how all the hope has faded so fast.

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Geopolitics

Syria’s Future, “Gay-Free” Sochi, John Paul II’s Blood

French electro duo Daft Punk got lucky at the 56th Grammy Awards
French electro duo Daft Punk got lucky at the 56th Grammy Awards Prensa Internacional/ZUMA

SYRIA TALKS TO FOCUS ON TRANSITION Talks about Syria’s future are due to continue today in Geneva and will focus on the thorny issue of power transfer, amid reports that the Israeli air force bombed a Syrian base in the town of Latakia. Yesterday, both parties agreed to let women and children leave the besieged […]

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Geopolitics

Report: Syria Crossed Chemical Weapons “Red Line,” But West Got Cold Feet

"Traitor Of The Family" — How Assad Sold Out His Loved Ones With His Secret Escape
Bashar al-Assad. syrianpresidency/Instagram

Sources tell Le Monde that the Syria regime fired rockets with a non-lethal chemical agent during a deadly Dec. 23 attack in Homs. So why didn’t Western leaders follow through on their threats?

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Geopolitics

From Saudi Arabia To North Korea, Modern Persecution Of Christians Spans Globe

Only one god allowed in North Korea
Only one god allowed in North Korea Open Door

BERLIN – Asir’s life was preprogrammed. The North African Muslim was to be trained to be a jihadist in a Palestinian terrorist camp. There he would learn how to build bombs and kill non-believers. But just before he was due to leave, he started to have doubts. “I realized that there were several versions of […]

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Geopolitics

“Friends Of Syria” To Meet, Morsi Trial Delayed, 50 (States) Below Zero

Temperatures drop below zero all over the U.S.
Temperatures drop below zero all over the U.S. Petko Bossakov

“FRIENDS OF SYRIA” TO MEET IN PARIS ON SUNDAY Foreign Ministers of the group of 11 countries dubbed “Friends of Syria,” including the U.S., UK and France, will meet with the opposition group Syrian National Coalition on Sunday in Paris, AFP quotes an official source as saying. On the battleground, opposition fighters are still fighting […]

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Society

Aleppo Diary: Syria’s Once Vibrant Business Capital Besieged By War

A rebel fighter after unloading his shoulder-fired missile toward Assad loyalists
A rebel fighter after unloading his shoulder-fired missile toward Assad loyalists Syriafreedom

ALEPPO – As a man cleans his Kalashnikov, another next to him is peeling garlic for supper. At his feet, the assigned cook has left his pistol and his knitting, with the needles stuck inside – it is a striped scarf with the colors of the rebellion. A small fire is lighting up the walls […]

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Geopolitics

Preventing Chemical Weapons Use In Syria

What will he do?
What will he do? Darth Kalwejt

Warnings by the United States and other countries threatening the Syrian regime with dire consequences if chemical weapons are used against rebel forces may have had the intended effect. Recent media reports suggest this concern has now diminished. It is just as plausible, however, that the regime had little intention of using its chemical weapons […]

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