Syria

Read recent Syrian news stories and current events on Newser.com

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Entering Syria From Iraq: al-Qaeda

Meanwhile, UN monitors remain glum about their prospects there

(Newser) - Syria is being flooded by al-Qaeda fighters crossing in from Iraq "to help, to liaise, to carry out terrorist attacks," according to "solid information and intelligence" obtained by the Iraqi government, reports Reuters . Further, Iraq's foreign minister today noted that the warning about the al-Qaeda flow...

WikiLeaks Dumps 2.4M Syria Emails

Emails come from politicians, companies, government ministries

(Newser) - The latest from WikiLeaks: some 2.4 million Syrian emails that, the organization says, "shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy" while also revealing "how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another." CNN notes that the emails,...

Fires Blaze Along Syria-Turkey Border

Turkish state TV accuses Syrian forces of starting them

(Newser) - The latest trouble to hit Syria: Fires, apparently started deliberately, are blazing along the border with Turkey. Turkish firefighters are battling the flames as strong winds caused them to cross the border and spread into Turkey, the AP reports. Turkey's state-run TV blames Syrian forces for starting the fires...

Downed Turkish Pilots Found in Seabed

Discovered by US deep-sea exploration vessel

(Newser) - The bodies of two pilots whose jet was shot down by Syria have been found in the seabed, according to Turkey's military. State-run TRT television says a US deep-sea exploration vessel found the bodies in the eastern Mediterranean today. Sky News notes that the Turkish military is currently working...

Syria Running 'Torture Archipelago': Rights Group

Detainees beaten, burned, electrocuted, sexually assaulted

(Newser) - Bashar al-Assad's regime has been running a "torture archipelago," Human Rights Watch alleged today, documenting vicious abuses at a string of 27 Syrian detention facilities. The New York-based group interviewed more than 200 former detainees and Syrian defectors, who say prisoners were routinely beaten with batons and...

Assad on Turkish Jet: 'I Wish We Did Not Shoot It Down'

Syrian president calls event an 'isolated incident'

(Newser) - Apparently Bashar al-Assad isn't relishing his standoff with Turkey. In an interview published in a Turkish newspaper today, Assad said he "100%" regretted shooting down a Turkish jet and would "not allow" the incident "to turn into open combat," the BBC reports. He said the...

Syrian General, 84 Soldiers Defect to Turkey

Arab League urges opposition to unite at Cairo conference

(Newser) - A Syrian general and 84 other soldiers have fled to Turkey in one of the largest mass defections since the Syrian uprising began. The group, which has joined some 2,000 other former members of the Syrian military in a refugee camp in southern Turkey, included a colonel, lieutenant colonel,...

Turkey Sends Fighter Jets to Syria Border

Syria allegedly sent helicopters too close to neighbor

(Newser) - Tensions heightened along the Turkey-Syria border yesterday as Syrian helicopters flew too close and Turkey dispatched six fighter jets to scare them off, the Turkish army says. The F-16s reportedly responded to three such incidents, although the helicopters never violated Turkish airspace. Turkey says it has begun placing rocket launchers...

US Intel on Downed Jet: Turkey's Story Rings False

US finds plane was likely shot down while still in Syrian airspace

(Newser) - Turkey is sticking to its story: Syria shot down one of its jets on June 22 in international airspace, and did so far enough from Syria that the plane couldn't have been felled by an antiaircraft gun. US intelligence, however, indicates the very opposite may have happened, reports the...

190 Killed in Syria Uprising's Bloodiest Day

As tanks mass on the border with Turkey

(Newser) - As many as 190 are believed to have been killed in Syria yesterday, including up to 139 civilians, in what activists said was deadliest day of the uprising so far. Casualties poured in from across the country as Bashar al-Assad's forces clashed with the opposition Free Syrian Army, but...

Turkey Deploys Troops to Syrian Border

As Russia denies reports it wants Bashar al-Assad out

(Newser) - Turkey is apparently not turning the other cheek, with the country's media today reporting that a military deployment is en route to its border with Syria. A dozen trucks and short-range antiaircraft missiles are making their way toward the south-central Kilis Province, which contains both a military base and...

Assad: Syria Is in State of 'Real War'

3 killed as gunmen storm pro-Assad TV station

(Newser) - After more than a year of describing the uprising against his rule as the work of scattered militant groups, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad now says the country is at war. "We are in a state of real war, in every aspect of the words, and when we're in...

As NATO Meets, Turkey Blasts Syria as 'Open Threat'

Turkish PM Erdogan issues a warning to Damascus

(Newser) - Turkey is hardening its stance against Syria, even as NATO meets today to discuss Syria's downing of a Turkish jet last week. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned in an address to his parliament that Syrian troops would be considered an "open threat" if they come near his...

Turkey to NATO: Syria Attacked Us All

Turkish officials push alliance to discuss Syrian violence

(Newser) - Turkey's message to NATO: We were all attacked this weekend. Turkey said today it will tell the military alliance that Syria's downing of a Turkish jet constitutes an attack on all NATO countries under article 5 of its treaty, the AP reports. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc made...

Dozens Defect Syrian Army as Rebels Cry Genocide

Europe calls for measured response to downed Turkish plane

(Newser) - The Syrian military has been hit with a raft of new defections: Six officers and 33 soldiers today quit the country for Turkey. Reports suggest they brought their families along, bringing the total number to 224 people. Accounts differ as to whether the defectors included an army general. They add...

Turkey Demands NATO Meeting Over Downed Jet

Says plane was shot over international waters

(Newser) - Turkey acknowledges its F-4 Phantom may have crossed into Syrian airspace briefly, but it left immediately and had been back in international airspace for 15 minutes when Syria shot it down Friday, reports the BBC . "According to our conclusions, our plane was shot down in international airspace, 13 nautical...

Downed Turkish Warplane 'May Have Crossed Border'

But Syria shouldn't have been surprised: President Gul

(Newser) - A Turkish fighter jet shot down by Syria may well have violated its airspace, Turkey's president admitted today. But he said that such high-altitude border crossings happen all the time. "It is routine for jet fighters to sometimes fly in and out over borders... when you consider their...

Syria Shoots Down Turkish Fighter Jet

Downed plane further frays poor Syria-Turkey relations

(Newser) - Syria confirmed this morning that it did shoot down a Turkish F-4 fighter jet yesterday, saying it was flying low and well inside Syrian airspace, reports the BBC . Turkey has not said yet whether it considers the incident provocative, and much could depend on whether the plane's crew survived....

Syrian Pilot Defects With Plane
 Syrian Pilot Defects With Plane 
Jun 21, 2012 11:51 AM CDT

Syrian Pilot Defects With Plane

He's staying in Jordan on 'humanitarian grounds'

(Newser) - A Syrian fighter pilot deserted today—and he took his jet with him. A pilot identified as Colonel Hassan Hamada, 44, went AWOL during a training mission near the Jordanian border today, then landed in Jordan and requested political asylum, Reuters reports. His motives aren't terribly mysterious: His hometown...

CIA Guiding Weapons to Syrian Rebels

Help for rebels balanced by fear of al-Qaeda getting weapons

(Newser) - Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are buying and funneling automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition, and even antitank weapons to Syrian rebels—and in the middle of that shadowy network, a small number of CIA officers are helping to coordinate who gets those weapons, reports the New York Times . The CIA...

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