ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on Sunday holding talks with Turkish leaders in Istanbul on issues ranging from Syria to last year’s failed coup. After arriving from Ukraine, Tillerson met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and later held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, officials on both sides said. No statement was issued after the late night talks at the Istanbul residence of Erdogan by the Bosphorus. […]
Tag: Syrian conflict
Syrian conflict risks becoming more complex: analyst
(Reuters) — Both the United States and Russia have made clear that they have been trying to avoid getting drawn deeper into the Syrian conflict, a Syrian analyst said Tuesday. Despite the efforts to reach a political settlement for the Syrian crisis, the situation on the ground has grown increasingly complex over the past few months. In mid-March, Syrian government forces and the opposition engaged in the most intense fighting in almost a year in […]
1 in 3 Syrian children have known ‘nothing but a lifetime of war,’ according to UNICEF
Amman, Jordan (AFP)–One in three Syrian children have known nothing but a lifetime of war, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund said Monday, as the country’s conflict enters its sixth year this week. Forced from their homes and schools, orphaned by violence and drafted into work or fighting, a generation of Syria’s children is being shaped by the conflict, UNICEF said in a new report. “Every Syrian child under the age of five has known […]
Leaders hail ‘real progress’ in Syria
Paris, France—World leaders hailed “real progress” in Syria on Friday, but fresh air strikes showed the fragility of the week-old truce as the opposition cast doubt on its attendance at talks next week in Geneva. Warplanes struck a key rebel bastion east of the Syrian capital for the first time since the United States-Russia-brokered truce — which excludes the fight against jihadists — began last weekend, a monitor said. “Two air strikes hit the edge […]
Intense Russian air strikes on rebel bastions ahead of ceasefire: monitor
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Russian warplanes carried out intense air strikes on rebel strongholds in Syria on Friday hours before a ceasefire is due to come into force, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. “From last night to this morning there have been Russian air strikes that are more intense than usual on rebel bastions including on Eastern Ghouta east of Damascus, in the north of Homs province and in the west of Aleppo province,” […]
All eyes on Syria as ceasefire deadline looms
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — US President Barack Obama warned Russia and Damacus that the “world will be watching”, hours before a partial truce was due to come into force in war-torn Syria on Saturday. Obama said “the coming days will be critical” for the ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington, and agreed to by both President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Syria’s top opposition grouping. The deal — which excludes the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group and […]
Obama warns Russia ‘world will be watching’ Syria ceasefire
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Barack Obama put the onus for upholding a ceasefire in Syria firmly on the regime and its Russian ally Thursday, warning Moscow and Damascus that the “world will be watching.” Hours before the Saturday cessation of hostilities comes into force, Obama huddled with his top national security advisors to plot the way forward and discuss the campaign against the Islamic State group. “Everybody knows what needs to happen,” Obama […]
Obama says U.S. will prevail in fight against Islamic State
WASHINGTON D. C., United States (Reuters) — U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday (February 25) expressed confidence that the United States would prevail in its fight against the Islamic State, but said that an end to the conflict in Syria would be key to dismantling the group. Obama made the comments following a meeting with the National Security Council at the State Department. Obama said his security team was realistic about how difficult the fight […]
Push for safe zone for Syrian refugees near Israel frontier
JERUSALEM, Israel (Reuters) — A safe zone should be set up for displaced Syrians camping on the Syrian border with the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, the leader of a Syrian-focussed charity and a leading Syrian opposition figure said on Thursday (February 18). There is a growing encampment in the area where civilians fleeing the five-year Syrian conflict have been gathering. American-Israeli businessman and founder of the Amaliah charity, Moti Kahana, and Syrian politician, Kamal al-Labwani, told […]





