No, Obama did not just confer international legitimacy on Assad
There's no such thing as a perfect solution to Syria's crisis, so any path President Obama takes will naturally draw criticism for its shortcomings. His administration's current approach, to seek a...
View ArticleVladimir Putin’s New York Times op-ed, annotated and fact-checked
Russian President Vladimir Putin has an op-ed in today's New York Times urging President Obama not to strike Syria. It's a fascinating document -- a very Russian perspective translated into American...
View ArticleEverything is a negotiation: How to understand the Obama-Putin-Assad standoff
Watching the maneuvering between the United States, Russia and Syria over the plan to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons, it can look like a catastrophic mess. No one seems to be...
View ArticleWhat Syria looks like to Red Cross workers on the ground
Most foreign embassies in Damascus have shut down and several non-governmental organizations operating in the country have either pulled out or downsized. The International Committee of the Red Cross...
View ArticleThe U.N. chemical weapons report is pretty damning for Assad
The United Nations has released a report on its formal investigation into the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian city of Damascus. The report appears to strongly confirm that chemical weapons,...
View ArticleAn infographic guide to Syria’s chemical weapons, how they work and how to...
Syria is thought to have one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemical weapons. Those weapons have recently been used against Syrian civilians, compelling the world to respond to the country's...
View ArticleWhy Obama’s indecisive, wishy-washy Syria strategy is actually working
The Obama administration's awkward journey on Syria policy over the past few weeks has opened it up to a great deal of criticism. Officials have changed tacks a number of times, sent mixed messages...
View ArticleStill doubt Assad’s forces were behind Syria’s chemical attack? Look at this...
The United Nations finally released, on Monday, the results of its investigation into the deadly Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria. While the team was legally barred from assigning blame for the...
View ArticleDid we just get a glimpse of Syria’s second civil war?
Open fighting has broken out between two Syrian rebel groups, one moderate and one extremist, in the northwestern town of Azaz, along the Turkish border. Control of any border crossing is significant,...
View ArticleYes, Iran is watching Obama’s handling of Syria closely. Why that’s great news.
President Obama's decision not to strike Syria, and to instead pursue Russia's plan to remove Syria's chemical weapons, has come in for a lot of criticism from some Iran-watchers. They warn that Obama...
View ArticleAn e-mail to the United States from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
In his interview on Wednesday with Fox News, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the U.S.-Russian plan to destroy Syria's chemical weapons would cost approximately $1 billion, a bill he argued...
View ArticleAmericans are tweeting about ‘Syria’ almost as much as ‘twerking’– sometimes...
In the past 90 days, Twitter users sent 7.7 million tweets about Syria. That puts Syria in the same category, in terms of Twitter interest, as "twerk." Continue reading →
View ArticleFor once, the U.N. General Assembly actually matters. Here are eight big...
The annual United Nations General Assembly, in New York, is usually a pretty formulaic affair. Heads of state run through some diplomatic boilerplate, a few delegations might walk out in protest. At...
View ArticleRead: Full text of Obama’s speech to the United Nations on Syria, Iran and war
President Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday morning, discussing the U.S. approach to the Middle East. He advocated for greater international action on Syria's ongoing civil...
View ArticleWhy Obama’s big U.N. speech on Syria was so awkwardly inconsistent
In his address to the United Nations on Tuesday, President Obama did his best to rally the organization to action on Syria. His case was forceful but, at moments, the logic seemed strained, even...
View ArticleDid the window for arming Syrian rebels just close?
Syria's myriad opposition groups reorganized dramatically this week, with many factions breaking away from the Western-backed umbrella group that long represented the "moderates" in the Syrian...
View ArticleBombings in Iraq aren’t just killing Iraqis – they’re also helping Syria’s Assad
Yet another wave of bombings struck Iraq on Monday, killing at least 51 in the latest of the country's worsening violence. The attacks are typically conducted by extremist groups, including al-Qaeda's...
View ArticleThe awkward politics of Banksy’s satirical Syria video
The British street artist known as Banksy has released a satirical video about Syria. His first piece on the two-plus-year civil war, "Rebel Rocket Attack" is a spoof on the YouTube videos that Syrian...
View ArticleThe price of oil just went up because traders misread a tweet
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the October War, in which Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against Israel but were defeated. The official Twitter account for the Israeli Defense...
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