Experts from the world’s watchdog tasked with destroying chemical weapons are probing reports that toxic arms have been used 45 times in Syria since late last year, the body’s chief said Friday. Director general Ahmet Uzumcu said there was “a huge list of allegations” of the use of toxic arms reported to the operations hub … Read more
After fleeing war in Syria and arriving in America with her family four months ago, for one day Mona Hafez is not a refugee. She is a tourist seeing the sights of New York. “Coming to the park was really fun. Riding the subway was awesome. I love all of New York City,” says the … Read more
Hundreds of civilians and fighters who have been under crippling siege for more than two years left four Syrian towns in fleets of buses Friday under a delayed evacuation deal. Men, women and children packed onto buses leaving government-controlled Fuaa and Kafraya and rebel-held Madaya and Zabadani, with many expressing despair at not knowing when … Read more
A suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town in Syria’s Idlib province on April 4 killed dozens of people. Western powers blamed the incident on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and days later, the United States responded by firing cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase. Here is a recap of developments: On April 4, 2017, an … Read more
A US strike on a Syrian air base is no substitute for a proper investigation and accountability after a devastating suspected chemical weapons attack, Amnesty International’s chief said on Tuesday. “The biggest challenge we have in Syria, the reason why this keeps happening again and again is because there is no accountability and no justice,” … Read more
Turkey said on Tuesday that tests proved the deadly nerve agent sarin was used in a suspected chemical attack in northwestern Syria which killed dozens last week. “It has been identified that sarin gas was used,” Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag said, quoted by state-run news agency Anadolu. The results came from analysis of blood … Read more
Syria is set to dominate Tuesday’s meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Italy, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson under the spotlight before he heads to Moscow, the key ally of President Bashar al-Assad. Washington has warned Damascus that further use of chemical weapons could bring fresh US military retaliation, following missile strikes against … Read more
The US strike on a Syrian air base destroyed a fifth of the Damascus regime’s remaining warplanes, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Monday as Washington fired a fresh salvo of warnings at President Bashar al-Assad. The public assessment of Friday’s missile strike and the forceful rhetoric came as G7 ministers met in Italy to send … Read more
Last week’s US strike on a Syrian air base destroyed a fifth of President Bashar al-Assad’s working warplanes, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Monday. “The assessment of the Department of Defense is that the strike resulted in the damage or destruction of fuel and ammunition sites, air defense capabilities, and 20 percent of Syria’s operational … Read more
The Pentagon believes the Syrian regime likely has additional chemical weapons stocks at the airfield struck by US missiles last week, but these were deliberately left untouched, an official said Monday. US intelligence experts assess Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s military is probably hoarding the weapons in munitions depots at Shayrat airfield near Homs in central … Read more
British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on Sunday accused Russia of being responsible “by proxy” for the death of 87 civilians killed last week in a suspected chemical weapons attack. “Assad’s principal backer is Russia. By proxy Russia is responsible for every civilian death last week,” Fallon wrote in an opinion column published in The Sunday … Read more
Washington’s UN ambassador said that Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad cannot stay in power after a suspected chemical attack that prompted the first direct US military action against his government. Nikki Haley’s comments in an interview airing Sunday came as part of an apparent shift in US policy towards Assad’s government after the alleged chemical attack … Read more
President Donald Trump notified Congress on Saturday of the US missile strikes on Syria days after the event, warning ominously of further actions “as necessary.” In a letter addressed to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate president pro tempore Orrin Hatch, Trump gave details on the missile strike on the Shayrat military airfield, launched in … Read more
Hundreds more Syrian rebels and their families left the last opposition-held neighbourhood of the central city of Homs on Saturday, Syria’s state news agency said. SANA reported that at least 242 rebels had left Waer along with their families under a deal granting them safe passage to opposition-held territory elsewhere in the country. Homs provincial … Read more
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has said “terrorists are celebrating” US strikes on a Syrian airbase. His comments echo the response from Russia, which like Iran is allied to Syria, and from Syria itself. At least six people are reported to have been killed in the missile strikes in the early hours of Friday. The strikes … Read more
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has cancelled a scheduled visit to Moscow next week, his office announced Saturday, saying “developments in Syria have changed the situation fundamentally”. “My priority is now to continue contact with the US and others in the run up to the G7 meeting on 10-11 April,” said Johnson, who was due … Read more
The US envoy to the UN has warned America may take further action after bombarding a Syrian air base suspected of using chemical weapons. Nikki Haley said her country would not stand by when chemical weapons were used, as it was in its “vital interest” to stop their proliferation. Syrian ally Russia accused the US … Read more
The UN Security Council has heard sharp exchanges over the US bombardment of a Syrian air base suspected of using chemical weapons. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged restraint as Russia accused the US of encouraging “terrorists” in the region with its unilateral actions. Russia has promised to strengthen Syria’s anti-aircraft defences. US officials say the … Read more
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday welcomed the US strike on an airbase of the Syrian regime but said it was not enough and more action was needed. “I want to say that I welcome this concrete step as positive,” Erdogan, a longtime foe of President Bashar al-Assad, said in a rally in the … Read more
In the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun, site of an alleged chemical weapons attack, residents still mourning their dead on Friday welcomed US strikes as a way to pressure Damascus. “God bless Trump,” said Abu Ali, in his forties, hours after the US launched a barrage of cruise missiles at a Syrian government air base … Read more