Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — For the first time, Congress has openly threatened U.S. military aid to Egypt. Senate leaders said they would examine prospects to sever or reduce the annual $1.3 billion in U.S. military assistance to Egypt. They said the military regime in Cairo, which cracked down on U.S.-financed non-governmental organizations, has repeatedly […]
Sol W. Sanders Looking around the world, the striking characteristic is waiting out a number of crises. Their outcome seems almost artificially suspended, and their interaction on one another and their ultimate effect on the world is at issue. We start with the Euro. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s supplications in Beijing were perhaps laudable but a […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — The regime of President Bashar Assad has launched a massive offensive, using tanks and artillery, to roll back the gains of Sunni rebels. Opposition sources said the Syrian Army and security forces have conducted major operations in several cities captured or controlled by the rebels in January. They said the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The State Department said it was examining the prospect of closing the U.S. embassy in Damascus and evacuating American staffers. The department said a final decision could be taken by next month. “While no decision has been made, we have serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Damascus,” the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Rebels are preparing for a major offensive against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Free Syrian Army said it was planning a major offensive against Assad that could begin as early as Jan. 8. FSA, based in Turkey and which claims a force of 20,000, said its unilateral […]
Special to WorldTribune.com BAGHDAD — Despite the troop withdrawal, the United States expects to be heavily engaged in military projects in Iraq in 2012. U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad James Jeffrey said Washington has been committed to a range of military programs in Iraq that would last up to 2020. Jeffrey said the value of these […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — France is reportedly training rebels in their effort to topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. A major Turkish newspaper reported that France has sent military advisers to train the Free Syrian Army. FSA, based in Turkey, was said to have received training in weapons and combat skills in […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — After the heady and often dizzying political changes optimistically described as the Arab Spring, many of these same Middle Eastern states may be heading for what sadly looks like an Arab Winter. The seasonal political shift was predictable, but the end results remain in flux. The three great Middle […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — The United States has urged its nationals to leave Syria immediately. The U.S. embassy in Damascus has urged the immediate departure of Americans from the Arab League state. In a statement, the embassy warned that Americans could be stranded in Syria when airlines suspend service to the war-torn state. “The […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — President Bashar Assad has offered amnesty to the thousands of Sunni soldiers who joined the rebels. Assad issued a general amnesty for all who failed to report to military duty. The beleaguered president, fighting a revolt since March, gave defectors until January 2012 to return to their units. “President Bashar […]