A study by a defense consultant is showing that up to 45,000 of the 100,000 estimated fighters in the Syrian insurgency are either hardline Islamists or with groups showing similar sentiments.
The report also says an additional 30,000 fighters belong to moderate groups that have an Islamic nature to their group leaving only a very small portion of the rebels as having purely secular motives for fighting the Assad regime. Continue reading
Author Raymond Ibrahim has reported the Muslim Brotherhood in the Egyptian city of Dalga is forcing Christians to convert to Islam or pay “jizya”, or a tax.
Ibrahim explained “that conquered non-Muslims historically had to pay to their Islamic overlords ‘with willing submission and while feeling themselves subdued’ to safeguard their existence.” Continue reading
The U.N. inspection team has reportedly collected a “wealth” of evidence regarding the use of chemical weapons by the government of Bashir al-Assad…but will not actually make a direct accusation against it.
Three U.N. diplomats connected to the investigation have told Foreign Policy magazine the team will present a very strong circumstantial case pointing strongly in the direction of the Syrian government. Continue reading
Russia’s plan to have Syria surrender all chemical weapons is causing problems at the United Nations as multiple countries demand specific dates for the handoff.
The U.K., U.S. and France are demanding a timetable and consequences for that timetable not being met by Syria. American officials said they will “not fall for stalling tactics.” Continue reading
Russia surprised the international community by announcing Monday they would push for Syria to surrender their chemical weapons to an international group and then quickly dismantle them in an attempt to stave off a U.S. missile strike.
The announcement came hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had said Syrian President Assad could resolve the crisis by surrendering the weapons. Kerry also said he believed Assad “isn’t about to do it.” Continue reading
The United Nations’ refugee agency has reported the total number of Syrians fleeing the country’s civil war has climbed to over 2 million.
The number includes only those who have registered as refugees with U.N. related organizations so the number could be higher. The total has risen more than one million in the last six months. Continue reading
While Great Britain withdraws from action against Syria after a vote in their parliament and President Obama defers a decision on action to Congress, France has come out declaring boldly that the Syrian government is behind the chemical weapons attack that led to hundreds of deaths.
France is pushing for military action to punish the Assad regime for killing civilians with chemical weapons. Continue reading
A report in the Independent newspaper in London shows that the British government authorized the export of two chemicals that can create Sarin gas to be sold and shipped to Syria last year.
Business Secretary Vince Cable is now facing an inquiry by British members of parliament about the sale and approval. Continue reading
The Syrian Electronic Army, who support the government of Bashir al-Assad in its battle against rebels, launched a massive cyberattack Tuesday against the New York Times and Twitter.
The attack was the most severe yet for the group which in the last few months has also hit the Financial Times, BBC, CNN and the Washington Post. Continue reading
The United Nations is sending strongly worded complaints to the Syrian government after the body’s chemical weapon inspection team was fired upon by snipers as they tried to reach the site of last Wednesday’s chemical weapons attack.
The team was forced to retreat when one of their cars was struck by sniper fire in the tires and windshield. They were entering an area considered a “buffer zone” between rebels and government troops at the time of the attack according to the BBC. Continue reading