The peace conference in Geneva has failed to deliver humanitarian aid to a starving population. Will opposing sides be able …
arab uprisings
Facing Calls for Diplomacy, Many Syrian Rebels Reject Talks With Assad Regime
Just back from the front, where he watched his rebel-commander father die in a rocket attack launched by the Syrian army, Berri al-Hamad stalks the worn carpet of his family’s temporary refuge in Lebanon, swearing vengeance. …
Qatar Haunted by Its Decision to Back the Arab Spring’s Islamists
As far as snubs go, Egypt’s precipitous return of $2 billion in aid from Qatar earlier this week couldn’t have been any clearer. Then Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry turned down a Qatar Airways request to increase the …
Syria’s Rebels Turn on One Another, and That’s Not a Bad Thing
Ongoing clashes between rival groups within the armed opposition intensified in Syria’s Aleppo province this past week following protests against the heavy-handed tactics of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and …
Al-Qaeda’s Proxies Among Syria’s Rebels Scared by Threat of U.S. Strikes
Correction appended: Sept. 6, 2013
As the U.S. Congress inches closer towards authorizing the use of military force in Syria, rebel groups on the ground are preparing for an offensive that could fundamentally alter the …
Mubarak and the Arab Spring’s Other Villains: Where Are They Now?
The popular uprisings across the Arab world that began more than two and a half years ago transformed the politics of the region and ousted four entrenched leaders. But news that an Egyptian court has ordered the release from prison of former President Hosni Mubarak underscores the extent to which the glow of 2011’s upheavals has faded. …
The Would-Be Prime Minister: Could ElBaradei Stabilize Egypt?
He may not be a man of all the people, but as Prime Minister, Mohamed ElBaradei could bring his country’s new government the international credibility it now lacks
Why Reports of Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria May Never Be Confirmed
Updated April 13, 2013
One witness said he smelled chlorine. Another remembered the scent of rotting garbage. There were photos of dead farm animals in a yard, and video footage of survivors struggling to breathe. But of the …
France May Aid Syrian Rebels Unilaterally If EU Doesn’t Lift Arms Embargo
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said March 14 Paris may begin supplying arms to anti-Assad rebels if partners don’t respond to a Franco-British appeal to lift the embargo.
The Art of War: Syria’s Artists Find Pain and Fame on the Front Lines
Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss projected onto a bullet-pocked wall in Damascus. Goya’s iconic execution squad from Third of May 1808 superimposed onto a bombed-out alley. Matisse’s nudes from The Dance skipping over rubble. When …
France’s Colonial Hangover: Apologizing Abroad, Ignoring Injustice at Home
French President François Hollande took strides to heal wounds between France and Algeria, but his recognition of “unjust” colonial history overlooks continued prejudice Algerian descendents still face in France.
France Recognizes Syria’s Opposition—Will the West Follow Suit?
French President François Hollande becomes the first Western leader to recognize the newly-formed coalition leadership of Syrian rebel forces, and ups pressure on other nations to follow his lead.
Will the Next Front in the Syrian Revolt Be with Turkey?
Several days of cross-border shelling raise tensions between Ankara and Damascus. What are the dangers of escalation?