Top administration officials declared today that they are committed to acting alone if necessary in striking the Bashar al-Assad regime, after a vote last night in Britain’s House of Commons saw the body rejecting Prime Minister David Cameron’s request to endorse British military action against Damascus. President Barack Obama pressed the U.S. case, and...

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European countries are rushing to head off what’s being labeled “jihad tourism,” as evidence emerges that radicalized Europeans are traveling to Syria to fight against the Bashar al-Assad regime. Officials are expressing concerns that their citizens will eventually come home as battle-hardened jihadists: Mounting evidence of a growing number of...

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Britain is placing increased pressure on its European Union partners to formally blacklist parts of Hezbollah as a terror organization: A British drive to blacklist the militant Lebanese movement’s armed wing was discussed twice by a special EU group last month, but British diplomats failed to win over a number of skeptical...

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Members of Congress from both parties are calling on the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Technically the statement is a formal congratulations regarding the formal process initiated by the United Kingdom to blacklist the Iran-backed group. More pointedly, it’s a call to go through with the designation: “It...

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French and British officials have both announced that tests confirm the use of sarin gas by the Syrian government. France’s foreign minister appeared on French television and expressed “no doubt” over the results: “There is no doubt that it’s the regime and its accomplices” that are responsible for use of...

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The European Union is reportedly poised to blacklist the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, following a formal request from the United Kingdom to pursue such a designation. Any of the E.U.’s 27 member states can veto a designation, and France and Germany have both historically blocked such moves. Recent...

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Islamists and relative moderates are fighting for control of, and prominence within, the Syrian opposition. The Islamists – led by the Al Qaeda-linked Al Nusra front – have among other things attempted to impose Islamic law on areas they capture. The relative moderates are backed by the West. The momentum...

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Asked to comment on reports of a second Israeli air strike against Syrian advanced weapons in three days, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary William Hague noted today that though he hadn’t seen confirmation of the incident, Israel has a straightforward obligation to defend itself: “All countries have to look after their...

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A statement by Syria’s grand mufti has citizens of the war-torn country fearing that a full military draft may be in the offing: The statement was issued by the Syrian government’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Ahmad Badredeen al-Hassoun, on behalf of the country’s Supreme Fatwa Council and said: “Military service...

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The Syrian war is producing a new generation of hardened jihadists who may pose a serious threat to Europe, according to comments made by British Foreign Secretary William Hague in a speech outlining the U.K.’s counter-terrorism strategy. Hague suggested that Syria has become the “number one destination” in the world for...

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