The Lebanese army today deployed into Tripoli and vowed to impose calm on the city, which has been roiled by days of intense fighting. Fighting between forces alinged with and against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria had left at least six dead and 38 wounded. At least 29 people...

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Israeli officials are closely watching the conflict in Syria to improve their understanding and intelligence capabilities of Syria’s long range missiles, according to statements made during a public conference titled “Aerial threats in the Modern era” and held Monday at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv....

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Hezbollah’s critical role in bolstering the Bashar al-Assad regime is costing the Shiite organization support across the Arab world. The Iran backed group has been critical in helping the Syrian government reverse months of Sunni rebel gains. An Al-Jazeera online survey that drew almost half a million votes saw 72%...

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The Middle East, model 2013, is returning with surprising speed to its old habits. Sunnis and Shiites are again at war in three Arab states. In Iraq, a thousand people were killed in sectarian fighting last month. In Syria, Shiite Hezbollah is fighting in the Alawite regime’s war of survival...

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Analysts continue to unpack the implications of an interview given last week by Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad to Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV. On some issues – Assad was vague on whether advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles had yet been delivered from Russia to Syria. Regarding his desire to have the Arab world...

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Israeli officials are casting further doubt on reports made earlier this week that had Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad asserting that Syria had begun to receive advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had said Tuesday the missiles still hadn’t been shipped to Syria. Former defense official...

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Hezbollah forces, assisted by Syrian troops, have taken control of most of the strategic border town of Qusayr, marking a massive setback for rebel forces seeking the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Both sides have acknowledged the reality in the city, which until recently had been a key opposition...

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The regime is in the midst of an offensive against opposition forces and has been making steady gains in seizing rebel positions. Fighting has been raging around the strategically critical city of Qusayr, and Free Syrian Army chief Salim Idris fears that an atrocity is looming: Gen Idriss made an...

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Hezbollah appears to be shrugging off a 24-hour ultimatum issued yesterday by Free Syrian Army chief Salim Idris instructing the Iran-backed terror group to withdraw from Syria, and is instead pouring extra fighters from Lebanon into the battle raging in the Syrian city of Qusayr: Government fighter jets early Wednesday...

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Opposition forces battling the Bashar al-Assad regime have stolen at least two “virtually indestructible” U.N. vehicles in recent months from the U.N. Disengagement Force (UNDOF) along the Golan Heights. The acknowledgment of the thefts by UNDOF will renew speculation that Israel may have to act to reestablish stability amid the...

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