Page 2 - Syria Crisis

US in direct contact with Syrian rebel group that ousted Assad: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that American officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that spearheaded the overthrow of President Bashar Assad's government but is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and others. Blinken is the first US official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that ousted Assad from power last Sunday. Speaking at a news conference in Aqaba, Jordan, Blinken would not discuss details of the contacts but said it was important for the US to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period. Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties, Blinken said. He added that our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we're prepared to help them do so. HTS, which was once an affiliate of al-Qaida, has been ...

Blinken meets Iraqi PM to discuss Syria's future, threat of 'Islamic State'

The Secretary of State underscored the US' commitment to Iraq's security, stability, and sovereignty

Turkey to reopen its embassy in Syria for the first time since 2012

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says that Turkey's Embassy in Syria's capital of Damascus will reopen on Saturday, for the first time since 2012. In an interview with Turkey's NTV television Fidan said a newly appointed interim charge d'affaires had left for Damascus on Friday together with his delegation. "It will be operational as of tomorrow," he said. The Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security conditions during the Syrian civil war. All embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. Earlier on Friday, thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus' historic main mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, while giant crowds celebrated in the capital's largest square and across the country. The gatherings were a major symbolic moment for the dramatic change of power in Syria, nearly a week after insurgents swept into Damascus, ousting the Assad-led state that had ruled the country

India has evacuated all nationals who wished to return from Syria: MEA

India has evacuated from Syria all its nationals who wished to return home after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar Assad's authoritarian government in the Arab nation. The Syrian government collapsed on Sunday as the rebels seized control of capital Damascus after capturing several other prominent cities and towns. India evacuated its nationals from Syria on Tuesday. "We have evacuated all Indian nationals in Syria who wished to return home following recent developments in that country. So far, 77 Indian nationals from Syria have been evacuated," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday. Our embassy personnel in Damascus accompanied them to the border, after which our mission in Lebanon received them and facilitated their immigration, he said. He was replying to a question at his weekly media briefing. Jaiswal said the embassy made arrangements for their boarding and lodging in Beirut and for their travel back home. "Most of our nationals have

Deception, despair marked Syrian Prez Assad's final hours before fleeing

Assad told his presidential office manager on Saturday when he finished work he was going home but instead headed to the airport, according to an aide in his inner circle

Israeli forces to 'temporarily' remain in seized Syrian buffer zone

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited border security concerns for the deployment following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and subsequent HTS takeover

Syrians in Germany show no rush to leave as their labour is in demands

Syrian employers, trade unions and business associations are now speaking up to stress how much they are needed in a German economy facing deep labour shortages

Global chemical weapons watchdog holds emergency meeting on Syria's stock

The global chemical weapons watchdog opened an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation in Syria over concerns about the country's stockpile of toxic chemicals in the wake of the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons told Syria on Monday the country is under obligations to comply with rules to safeguard and destroy dangerous substances, such as chlorine gas, after rebels entered the capital, Damascus, at the weekend. Assad's regime denied using chemical weapons but the OPCW found evidence indicating their repeated use by Syria in the grinding civil war. Earlier this year, the organisation found the Islamic State group had used mustard gas against the town of Marea. In a rare move, the OPCW's executive council called the meeting, hoping that under a new government, some of its 80 inspectors may be allowed to pursue investigations into Syria's chemical weapons program. Members of the ousted Syrian government plan t

Nations should not take advantage of fissures in Syrian society: Singapore

Singapore's foreign ministry has said international powers should not take advantage of the fissures in Syrian society to pursue their own strategic objectives. "All parties must ensure the safety and well-being of Syrian civilians who have already suffered so much," the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that Singapore is closely monitoring developments in Syria. The complex situation in Syria can only be resolved definitively through an inclusive, Syrian-led political process as affirmed in the UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Any meaningful political solution must respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Syria, it said. Since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, more than 3,00,000 Syrians have been killed and more than 13 million have been displaced with many seeking refuge in other countries. "We hope they can return safely to their homes when peace is restored," the ministry said. Given the current volatile situation, Singaporean

Syria's interim PM Bashir vows to rebuild country amid financial crisis

Two senior U.S. congressmen, a Republican and a Democrat, wrote a letter calling for Washington to suspend some sanctions on Syria. The most punishing war-time U.S. sanctions are up for renewal this

'You'll end up like Assad': How Israel backed its warning to Syrian rebels

Israel Defence Forces have carried out over 350 strikes in Syria, reportedly eliminating up to 80 per cent of the ousted Assad regime's strategic military capabilities under operation 'Bashan Arrow'

From book on Russian military to pills: What rebels found in Assad's palace

During their invasion of Bashar al-Assad's palace, Syrian rebel fighters made several discoveries, including luxury cars, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and an armoured truck

Syrians, in a triumph of hope, turn the page on horrors of Assad's regime

Some analysts trace how Assad's main backers - Iran, Hezbollah and Russia, became too weakened or preoccupied to come to his aid as in the past

Refugees return to Syria as rebels appoint caretaker prime minister

In a brief address on state television on Tuesday, Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria, said he would lead the interim authority until March 1

Rebel-backed Mohammed al-Bashir takes charge as Syria's interim PM

In a brief address on state television, Mohammed al-Bashir said he would lead the interim authority until March 1

Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, and what his rise means for Syria's future?

Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has long sought to distance himself from his extremist roots as the 42-year-old leader of HTS, the group that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assa

Israeli troops near Damascus, say Syrian security, after its bases struck

Israel's military operation into Syria comes two days after the lightning overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by a rebel alliance left Syrians, regional countries and world powers nervous

Trump's pick for intel chief, Gabbard, faces questions amid Syria fallout

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, faced fresh scrutiny on Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country's hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump's unusual nominees. But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump's America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. I want to address the issue that's in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria, Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president's Cabinet and top administrative choic

As Israel advances on Syrian buffer zone, it sees peril, opportunity

The dramatic downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad presents possible danger, and an opening for neighbouring Israel. After fighting wars on multiple fronts for months, Israel is now concerned that unrest in Syria could spill over into its territory. Israel also views the end of the Assad regime as a chance to disrupt Iran's ability to smuggle weapons through Syria to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Israeli military over the weekend began seizing control of a demilitarised buffer zone in Syria created as part of a 1974 ceasefire between the countries. It said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border. But the incursion sparked condemnation, with critics accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire and possibly exploiting the chaos in Syria for a land grab. Israel still controls the Golan Heights that it captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed a move not recognized by most of the international community. Here's a look at recent ...

US hostage envoy in Beirut to ask details on missing journalist Austin Tice

The US government's top hostage negotiator is in Beirut in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years, the State Department said on Monday. Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, is talking to officials in the region following the overthrow of Bashar Assad's government to find out where Tice is and get him home as soon as possible, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday. Lebanon has been involved for years in mediating talks about Tice. President Joe Biden said on Sunday that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that we have no direct evidence of his status. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks aft