Syria

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Alleged Paris Mastermind's Family Wanted Him Dead

Abdelhamid Abaaoud recruited his 13-year-old brother to join jihad

(Newser) - When the alleged mastermind of the Paris terror attacks was thought to have been killed in Syria a year ago while fighting for ISIS, his family prayed that it was true. Abdelhamid Abaaoud —who attended an exclusive Catholic school in Brussels before dropping out of secondary school and spending...

France Pounds ISIS Stronghold for 2nd Night

Hollande urges others to join fight against 'terrorism factory'

(Newser) - France has fired new airstrikes on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, days after deadly attacks in Paris linked to the group. The strikes early Tuesday destroyed a command post and training camp, a military spokesman says. France conducted sweeping raids Sunday night on Raqqa , and the French president...

2 States Say They Won&#39;t Accept Syrian Refugees
 16 States Say No 
 to Syrian Refugees 
UPDATED
Nov 16, 2015 4:22 PM CST

16 States Say No to Syrian Refugees

Alabama, Michigan governors were the first to cite Paris attacks

(Newser) - The attacks in Paris have prompted the governors of several US states to declare that Syrian refugees aren't welcome. The governors of Alabama and Michigan each issued statements Sunday to that effect, reports the Washington Post . And on Monday, the governors of Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi,...

Obama: No Ground Troops to Fight ISIS' 'Face of Evil'

President says we'll keep calm and carry on with current airstrike strategy

(Newser) - Friday's terror attacks in Paris rocked the world, but President Obama appeared steadfast Monday in his overall strategy to go after the Islamic State. In a presser held after Turkey's G20 summit, Obama said that even though ISIS is "the face of evil" and that Paris' attacks...

US Pledges Nearly $100M to Support Syrian Opposition

US has given nearly $500 million since 2012

(Newser) - The United States ramped up its support for Syria's opposition with a pledge of nearly $100 million in fresh aid on Saturday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's top diplomat described the timing of the departure of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the withdrawal of foreign fighters as top sticking points...

US to Send Special Ops to Syria

Officials describe 'shift' in fight against ISIS

(Newser) - All week there's been buzz that the White House was mulling whether to send ground troops to Syria to combat ISIS. Now it looks like it's a done deal. An anonymous senior US official says there will be an announcement Friday that the US will send a small...

US Crosses German Rapper Off Its List After Airstrike

Terrorist Denis Cuspert, aka Deso Dogg, killed in Syria: State Dept.

(Newser) - Deso Dogg, the German rapper who joined ISIS and threatened President Obama, won't be freestyling on the Syrian front anymore, the AP reports. "I can confirm that an October 16 strike near [Raqqa] killed Denis Cuspert," Defense Department Elissa Smith says, per the AFP , using the rapper'...

US Won't Budge on One Key Point as Syria Talks Begin

US, allies want Assad gone from Syria—and want Russia, Iran on board

(Newser) - Talks designed to seek peace in Syria began Friday in Vienna, and this time there's a new player involved in the negotiations: Iran, Bashar al-Assad's No. 1 ally, Reuters notes. "Those who tried to resolve the Syrian crisis have come to the conclusion that without Iran being...

Mystery Surrounds First Russian Casualty in Syria

Teen's parents don't believe he killed himself

(Newser) - The only confirmed death so far in Russia's military involvement in Syria is turning out to be as controversial as the campaign itself. The body of 19-year-old Vadim Kostenko was returned to his parents in southern Russia on Tuesday, and they tell Reuters they don't believe Moscow's...

US Considers Increasing Ground Troops in Iraq, Syria

Possibility marks big shift in Obama's plan for the Middle East

(Newser) - Concerned about the lack of progress against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, President Obama is considering moving troops to the front lines in both countries, the Washington Post reports. A number of options sent to Obama in a memo last week would have a small number of Special...

ISIS Adds Grim Twist to Destruction of Ruins

Captives were tied to columns in Palmyra

(Newser) - ISIS has killed three captives in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra by tying them to Roman-era columns at the site, then blowing the structures up with explosives, activists say. The killings took place on Monday at the Palmyra archaeological site, located a few miles away from the city, according...

Syria's Assad Makes Surprise Trip Abroad

Moscow trip is his first time out of country since war began

(Newser) - President Bashar al-Assad has traveled to Moscow to meet his strongest ally, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in his first known trip abroad since the war broke out in Syria in 2011, Syrian and Russian media report. A statement posted on the Syrian presidency's official Facebook page says Assad met...

Migrants' New Peril: Winter Is Coming

Border closings in Balkans will only make the situation worse

(Newser) - Governments across the Balkans are scrambling to locate empty buildings, while aid workers are boosting their stashes of coats, blankets, and tents in anticipation of a backlog of migrants who may soon be facing a treacherous winter as they work their way toward friendly Western European countries, the New York ...

How Did 243 People Vanish Without a Trace Last Year?

It's unclear whether the refugees even made it on board the boat

(Newser) - When a rickety fishing boat smuggling more than 500 passengers across the Mediterranean capsized on Oct. 3, 2015 , the world took notice. More than 350 people, many refugees from Eritrea, drowned, and European leaders promised action, reports the New York Times . But when 243 passengers, again largely refugees from Eritrea,...

Turkey Shoots Down Drone, but Whose Is It?

Russia denies ownership of drone, which Turkey says ignored warnings

(Newser) - Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that flew into Turkey's airspace at the border with Syria Friday. The drone was shot down after it ignored three warnings to leave, the Turkish military said, but didn't specify how it had relayed the warnings to the operators of the...

Is Syria a 'Proxy War' Between US, Russia?

It's American missiles versus Russian airstrikes

(Newser) - "We’re not going to make Syria into a proxy war between the United States and Russia," the Washington Post cites President Obama saying earlier this month. He might be the only person left who doesn't think it already is. "With the enhanced insurgent firepower and...

Shells Hit Russian Embassy During Syria 'Thank You' Rally

'Beloved leader' Putin is gaining fans in Iraq, Syria

(Newser) - Insurgents fired two shells at the Russian embassy in the Syrian capital as scores of pro-government supporters gathered outside the compound to thank Moscow for its intervention in Syria. An AP reporter was outside the embassy on Tuesday morning when the first shell slammed into the compound in central Damascus...

Jarring Stat Shows Why US Is Dumping Syrian Training

Major overhaul in $500M strategy in the works

(Newser) - The White House is pulling the plug on a strategy to train Syrian rebels that by all accounts has been an expensive flop. The $500 million Pentagon program that began in December had been designed to put more than 5,000 fighters on the ground this year alone to fight...

Russian Missiles 'Hit the Wrong Country'

Nonsense, Moscow says on Facebook

(Newser) - Russian cruise missiles fired from vessels in the Caspian Sea crashed in Iran instead of hitting their targets in Syria, according to CNN —but if they did, Iran is staying pretty quiet about it. US military monitors determined that at least four of Russia's new "Kaliber" missiles...

Things Getting Tense Between US, Russia in Syrian Airspace

US fighter jets forced to reroute to avoid Russian aircraft

(Newser) - A Russian military aircraft was too close for comfort in the skies above Syria, forcing two US F-16s to move out of the way and scuttling their mission, CNN reports. The Pentagon made the announcement Wednesday but would only say the incident occurred in the past few days. All US...

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