Iran
Al Assad is becoming a liability to Iran
Author Archives: CJ Radin
Syria
Syrian rebels accuse jihadist groups of trying to hijack revolution
Syria
More than 100 people were shot, stabbed or burned to death by government forces in a village outside the city of Homs. Jordan said it would not allow a surge of Syrian refugees into the country in the event of the collapse of the Assad government.
Tunisia
Security forces arrested a “terrorist” group and seized a large arms cache. The arrests came as security forces went on alert after Islamist militants seized hostages in neighboring Algeria.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: My Enemy’s Enemy
Somalia
Sea piracy falls to 5-year low as Somali gangs retreat
Egypt
Three dissidents were charged in court with “insulting the president” and with a new charge, “tarnishing the president’s image.” The foreign ministry demanded that the United Arab Emirates disclose charges against the 11 Egyptians arrested last month.
Syria
Three car bombs exploded near government facilities in Idlib, killing 24 people. Government forces stepped up attacks in Idlib, Hama, and Homs. Russia suspended its consular operations in Aleppo. Government forces may have used chemical weapons in Homs, but a US spokesman dismissed the report.
Iran
Iran could reach key point for nuclear bomb by mid-2014: U.S. experts
Syria
At least two large explosions hit the campus of Aleppo University, killing at least 80 students. The government said “terrorists” had launched rockets at the campus, but rebels blamed a government aircraft attack. Fighting inside Aleppo reached a stalemate.
Iran
U.S. envoy says Iran working to destabilize Yemen: report
Tunisia
Tunisia goes on the defensive, two years after overthrowing regime
Syria
The government continued to mounted attacks in the Damascus suburb of Daraya, trying to push out rebel forces and increase the buffer zone around the nearby presidential palace. An air and artillery strikes killed 36 people including 14 children.
Egypt
Assailants threw Molotov cocktails and fired birdshot at anti-Morsi protesters camped outside the presidential palace, injuring 15. An appeals court ordered the retrial of former President Mubarak. Mubarak had received a life sentence for the deaths of protesters in 2011.
Syria
Rebel and government forces fought over the strategically important neighborhood of Dariya in Damascus. Heavy fighting continued across northern Syria. Qatar called for an Arab force to intervene in Syria if UN envoy Brahimi’s mission failed.
Syria
Syria may hold uranium stash, Western and Israeli experts say
Syria
Pentagon weighs how to secure Syria’s chemical weapons
Syria
After months of fighting, rebels captured Taftanaz military airport, the largest in northern Syria. The attackers consisted mostly of jihadist fighters from the Al Nusrah Front, Ahrar Al-Sham, and Islamic Vanguard groups.
Kuwait
Kuwait’s Prime Minister said more than 60 Islamists held by the UAE for plotting to overthrow the government were financed by Kuwaiti nationals. The plotters belong to the Muslim Brotherhood.
How many US troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014?
US Commander General Allen has made his recommendations. President Obama is considering his decision.
Iran
The foreign minister invited Egypt’s president to visit Tehran, as Iran worked to improve relations with Egypt. Iran’s sole nuclear power plant is back at full capacity; another one is to be completed by March.
Syria
Rebels, including jihadist groups Al Nusrah and Ahrar al-Sham, raided the strategic Taftanaz military airport in Idlib. Talks between the Assad regime and the UN broke down, as envoy Brahimi said he did not see President Assad being part of a transitional government. The foreign minister denounced Brahimi as “flagrantly biased.”
Palestinian Territories
Rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas have agreed to renew efforts to implement a unity deal. Hamas ousted Fatah from Gaza during clashes in 2007; the two groups signed an accord in 2011 but it was not implemented.
Syria
Syria’s Battle for the Airports
Syria
Syria’s rebels form their own secret police
Syria
A defector’s tale: Assad’s reluctant army
United Arab Emirates
Dubai’s police chief said a militant cell detained in the United Arab Emirates had links to al Qaeda in Yemen. The cell had planned bomb attacks in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other states in the region.
Syria
Rebels released 48 Iranian hostages in exchange for the release of 2,130 rebel prisoners held by the Assad regime. The Iranians were captured by the Free Syrian Army in early August and were suspected of belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Iran
Iran’s oil minister acknowledged that oil exports have fallen by more than 40 percent due to economic sanctions. Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, warned the Iranians not to criticize upcoming presidential elections.
Syria
Fighting between pro and anti regime factions within a Palestinian refugee camp flared up. Half of the camp’s 150,000 residents fled during fighting in mid-December. Government forces shelled rebel positions on the outskirts of Damascus.