Syria
Live coverage of the conflict in Syria, including the international response to the Aug. 21 2013 chemical attack. For our current live blog on Syria, go to: http://live.reuters.com/Event/The_battle_for_Syria
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#UN quietly begins debating resolution to see #Syria chemical arms dismantled http://t.co/jK5uuPELt6
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) September 11, 2013 -
Obama offers Assad diplomatic way out – but insists America must bear burdens of leadership if it fails ind.pn/18OO1rr #Syriaby The Independent via twitter 9/11/2013 9:31:28 AM -
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Syrian Electronic Army compromises 200+ Twitter and Facebook accounts associated with Fox TV http://t.co/IhUUBaENeC
— IBTimes UK (@IBTimesUK) September 11, 2013 -
Reuters Graphic illustrating the battle for control in Syria
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RESOURCE: Statement by U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power on Syria, on September 11, 2013 -
Pressed on the key role Russia is taking in the proposed diplomatic solution, and what has changed in the past 48 hours to suggest a change from Russia's history of dissembling over international action on Syria, Carney responds that the difference is the threat of U.S. military action. -
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Carney asked whether Assad's surrender of chemical weapons would insulate him from an international response should he continue attacks with conventional weapons. Carney said that the push for action on chemical weapons is separate from the White House's larger strategy to support the Syrian rebels and move towards a political long-term solution in Syria.
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Carney asked whether he'd agree with the description of recent administration actions on foreign policy as a "zig zag." "Is that a shout out to Politico?" Carney responds, asking the press corps to consider that there have been many developments "along the way," including under the influence of a push for military action, that have required adjustments.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with UN Syria envoy Brahimi in Geneva to hold at least two days of talks starting on Thursday, says State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki (Reuters reporting by Tabassum Zakaria and Paul Eckert)
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Thomas Grove reports that Syrian President Assad said the government will send documents needed to join the international chemical weapons convention. Syria will fulfill an
initiative to hand over its chemical weapons only when the United States stops
threatening to strike Syria, RIA news agency quoted President Bashar al-Assad
as saying in a television interview:"In the next couple of days, Syria will send a petition to the United Nations and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. ... The petition will contain technical documents required to sign the agreement. After that, work will start that will lead to the signing of the convention prohibiting chemical weapons" - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
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Americans have remained consistently dissatisfied with Obama's handling of the Syrian crisis over the past two weeks, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling:
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U.S. State Department spokesperson says that Syria's anti-chemical weapons treaty accession document, which was sent to the United Nations for review, is not a substitute for actions to destroy their chemical arsenal. Spokeswoman Harf added that the U.S. will not allow Syria to use anti-chemical weapons treaty accession moves as a stalling tactic, and that U.S. military option is still on the table.
Harf: U.S. accepts that the removal of Syrian chemical weapons will be complicated and "take some time" but wary of attempts by Syria or Russia to stall. -
Kerry sort of rejects Syria's 30-day time frame: "we believe there is nothing standard about this process"by Jennifer Epstein via twitter 9/12/2013 5:44:31 PM -
Lavrov tells Kerry that moving Syria from confrontation to peaceful resolution of conflict is "our common objective."by Mark Knoller via twitter 9/12/2013 5:44:47 PM -
A noteworthy unscripted moment as the Kerry/Lavrov appearance came to a close, with Lavrov adding a few more words to his initial statement. Kerry missed what was said due to a faulty translation setup, and Lavrov made some sort of joke about what he said. Then:
Kerry to Lavrov: "You want me to take your word for it? It's a little early for that."
— David Chalian (@DavidChalian) September 12, 2013 -
Notes on Thursday's White House press briefing:
- "Unlike Russia, the United States stands up for democratic values" - White House spokesperson Jay Carney says in live remarks
- Carney says the United States will continue to support opposition groups in Syria.
- "Words don't count... actions count" when it comes to Assad's regime.
- Carney reiterates that the White House will not specify what types of assistance opposition groups are receiving.
- UN will release report on its investigations regarding the August 21 chemical weapons attacks -
Syria's UN envoy says "legally speaking" Syria is now a full member of global anti-chemical weapons treaty (Reuters)
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Historian Matthew Pinsker writes in USA Today: "Decisive presidents sometimes make catastrophic mistakes, but so do ill-informed Congresses. War can be declared, but war-making must not be limited by pre-emptive resolutions or public opinion polls. Instead, we must recognize that the template for America's crisis leadership begins, but does not end, with a commander in chief fully prepared to accept his responsibilities alone."
READ: Obama fails Lincoln lesson on Syria -
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon confirms that sarin gas was used in the Aug. 21st attack on a Damascus suburb but stopped short of assigning blame for the incident which killed over 1,400 people. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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Syria Meets First Deadline on Chemical Weapons Pact nyti.ms/1aaUb6Dby The New York Times via twitter 9/20/2013 8:58:29 PM -
US calls for quick Syria chemical weapons deal
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Hollande to urge Iran to help seek political solution for Syria reut.rs/18GT7Knby Reuters World via twitter edited by Margarita Noriega (Reuters) 9/20/2013 8:59:34 PM -
Syria is starting to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal, but an opposition activist says the world is giving President Assad more time to gain an advantage in the civil war. Read more.
Photo: An Islamic flag hangs in the middle of a damaged neighborhood in Homs on October 3, 2013. REUTERS/Yazen Homsyby Margarita Noriega (Reuters) -
As of 27 October 2013, inspectors of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the OPCW-UN Joint Mission in Syria completed verification activities at 21 of the 23 chemical weapons related sites declared by Syria.The two remaining sites have not been visited due to security reasons. Efforts by the Joint Mission to ensure the conditions necessary for safe access to those sites will continue.Syria submitted a formal declaration of its chemical weapons programme three days ahead of the 27 October deadline, together with a general plan of destruction, for consideration by the OPCW Executive Council.The OPCW-UN Joint Mission in Syria was established to achieve the timely elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme in the safest and most secure manner possible.
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International envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi held talks in Damascus on Monday as part of a Middle East tour to promote a "Geneva 2" Syria peace conference next month, but tensions in the region have jeopardized the conference. Reuters journalist Erika Solomon reports from Beirut:
Opposition forces have not yet decided whether they will attend and Gulf Arab states backing the Syrian rebels have soured on the talks after Brahimi said on Saturday that their rival Iran, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main regional ally, should join the international conference.
Brahimi met Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, in Damascus but there was no word on whether Assad would see him. A senior Turkish official said the envoy has not pushed for any deal on his tour, remaining in "listening and watching mode" and leaving active negotiating to Moscow and Washington.
Riyadh and Tehran see the struggle in Syria as determining which of them ends up with greater influence in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia threatened to distance itself from the United States last week over its perceived inaction on Syria and its renewed efforts at reconciliation with Iran.
The diplomatic wrangling has made the Syrian opposition feel weaker and even more reluctant to consider attending Geneva 2. Read more here. -
United Nations Peace Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi (R) waves to journalists during his arrival at a hotel in Damascus, October 28, 2013. Seen at left is Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad. REUTERS/Khaled al-Harir
Iran aims to examine downed plane's black boxes, no plan yet to send them abroad
DUBAI Iran said on Sunday it was trying to analyze the black boxes of a Ukrainian airliner that its military shot down this month, denying a report that a decision had been taken to send the voice and flight data recorders to Ukraine.
