Word: syria
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...judgment. The thrust of Blair's argument is that, to counter Islamic extremism, diplomacy needs a kick start. He wants a "whole Middle East strategy," grounded first of all in a robust drive by the U.S. to make peace between Israel and Palestine, but including enhanced dialogue with Syria and Iran as long as they behave better, and some changes in Iraqi arrangements too. That approach, he argues, will help "pin back" the extremism that fuels terror both inside and outside Iraq. Viewed from 10,000 m up, that's perfectly sensible. But down at the level where bullets...
...Syrian backers. Far more is at stake than just another round of Lebanese political infighting. The U.S. supports Siniora's government as an example of a budding Arab democracy and as a useful counterweight to Syrian and Iranian regional ambitions. But an anti-Western alliance that includes Iran, Syria, Hizballah and Hamas wants to roll back U.S. influence in the Middle East, using Lebanon as the pivot. "Lebanon will be the defeat point for Israel and America," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei said last week. The country is holding its collective breath to see whether the demonstrations will escalate...
...report states that the ICU sent "approximately a 720-person-strong military force to Lebanon to fight alongside Hizballah against the Israeli military" during this summer's monthlong war. In exchange, Hizballah's leadership "has made arrangements" for governments like Iran's and Syria's to contribute arms and supplies to the ICU. And senior leaders within the ICU, including co-leader Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, allegedly have direct ties to al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, a radical group suspected of links to al-Qaeda...
Those aren't their only weapons. The U.N. watchdog report circulated to the Security Council last week says Syria has equipped and trained the ICU military. On July 27, the report says, "200 fighters from the ICU were transported by aircraft to Syria to undergo military training in guerrilla warfare." The report also says a Syrian plane delivered a "large quantity" of arms, including surface-to-air missiles, to the ICU in early September. On at least two occasions, Iran supplied the ICU with arms, including a shipment on July 25 of 1,000 machine guns and grenade launchers...
...surface-to-air missiles and launchers. The U.N. also charges that "at the time of writing of this report, there were two Iranians in Dhusa Mareb engaged on matters linked to the exploration of uranium in exchange for arms to the ICU." In separate letters written to the U.N., Syria and Iran denied having any involvement...