Saying neither side could win the conflict, Syria’s vice president called for a negotiated settlement. Both Turkey and Iran put forward plans to end the conflict. The government warned that the rebels may use chemical weapons and blame the attack on the government.
Iran cautiously tests options in Syria beyond ally Assad
Jihadis bankroll aid efforts in Syria to win followers
Propaganda war clouds view of Syria conflict
UN Chief Alarmed by Escalating Violence in Syria
Syrians march in support of Jabhat al-Nusra militants
Hezbollah chief says Al-Qaeda ‘tricked’ to fight in Syria
An Islamist rebel faction captured an infantry base in Aleppo. The air force bombed a Palestinian refugee camp. Iran called for a halt to violence. Lebanese Hezbollah leader Nasrallah said rebels in Syria would not emerge as the victors.
Syrian Islamist rebel faction says its fighters have taken control of infantry base in Aleppo
Syria war fuels Christian flight from Middle East
Rebel forces made gains in the northern area of Aleppo. Government troops assaulted a rebel-held area southwest of Damascus. US officials said Syrian government forces had loaded dozens of bombs and shells with chemical weapons.
European Leaders Push for End to Ban on Arming Syria Rebels
US troops will man Patriot batteries along Turkey’s border with Syria
Syrian rebels and the US urged Russia to help push the Assad regime from power. But Russia said it would continue to support the regime.
Iyad al Tubasi is thought to have been killed in Daraa. He is believed to have been replaced by Abu Anas al Sahhaba, another associate of former al Qaeda in Iraq emir Abu Musab al Zarqawi.
According to a Moroccan press report, Ansar al Sharia Morocco does not hide its sympathy for AQIM, uses the same flag as other Ansar al Sharia chapters, and is suspected of recruiting jihadists to fight in Syria.
Five units in Western Aleppo that are linked to the Al Nusrah Front vowed “to establish the Islamic Khilafah state, and to use it to end decades of colonization and enslavement.”
The Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant said two of its suicide bombers attacked the Interior Ministry yesterday.
Syrian Rebels Training On Anti-Aircraft Weapons In Jordan
Russia’s deputy foreign minister said the Assad regime was losing control of Syria; NATO’s Secretary General assessed that the regime was approaching collapse. The Syrian Army fired SCUD ballistic missiles at rebel positions for the first time. Two car bombs exploded southwest of Damascus, killing 24 people.
Top Russian Envoy for Syria Says Assad Is Losing Control
US lawmakers says Syria’s chemical weapons are ready to use
Syrian rebels gaining ground against Assad’s air power
The US recognized the opposition Syrian National Coalition as the “sole legitimate representative” of the Syrian people. More than 100 countries also recognized the opposition coalition. Russia, China, and Iran did not.
“We can have ideological and political differences with certain parties,” the head of the Syrian National Coalition said, referring to al Qaeda’s branch in Syria.
The establishment of the Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al-Zour is a step in the unification of jihadist groups in Syria. Syrian opposition groups rally around the Al Nusrah Front after the terrorist designation by the US.
The US government added the Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant and two of its senior leaders to the list of global terrorists and entities. The US said Al Nusrah was formed and is commanded by al Qaeda in Iraq and its emir, Abu Du’a. Rebel groups across Syria rejected the US […]
The rise of Syria’s ‘third army’, Jabhat al-Nusra
The US government called the Al Nusrah Front “a new alias” for al Qaeda in Iraq, and said Al Nusrah is under the direct control of the emir of the Iraqi terror group.
Government forces adopted a new strategy, withdrawing troops from indefensible bases and concentrating them in Damascus and other cities deemed strategically important. After weeks of fighting, rebels captured a large army base in northern Syria.