Middle East

World News

U.S. Withdrawal From Syria Leaves A 'Tangled Mess,' Journalist Says

1:48pm October 22, 2019

by Terry Gross

Washington Post Beirut Bureau Chief Liz Sly has covered the Syrian civil war since it began in '11. "There is an inevitability that Russia is going to emerge as the dominant power in Syria," she says.

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World News

How Does Turkey's Offensive In Syria Fit Into Its Broader Agenda?

11:44am October 22, 2019

NPR's Noel King talks to Douglas Silliman, former deputy chief of mission in Turkey, about Turkey's strategy against Kurdish forces in northern Syria. NPR's Tom Bowman weighs in on the issue.

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World News

Putin, Erdogan To Discuss Turkey's Offensive In Northern Syria

11:35am October 22, 2019

by Lucian Kim

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkey's president in Russia, as Putin cements his role as the main external power-broker in Syria.

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World News

Netanyahu Drops Bid To Form Israeli Government Amid Political Deadlock

7:29am October 22, 2019

by Naomi Zeveloff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a new government which means his rival Benny Gantz will now get the chance.

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News Brief: Northern Syria, Impeachment Inquiry, Canadian Election

6:12am October 22, 2019

The U.S. is likely to keep some troops in northern Syria. The acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine is to testify in the impeachment inquiry. Justin Trudeau wins a second term as Canada's prime minister.

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World News

What The U.S. Withdrawal From Syria Looks Like From The Ground

5:43pm October 21, 2019

by Jane Arraf

Syrians angered at the U.S. betrayal of former Kurdish allies pelted military vehicles with stones and potatoes as U.S. forces left Syria for Iraq. Displaced civilians are also streaming across.

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World News

Hundreds Of Thousands Of Protesters Fill Main Squares In Lebanon

5:43pm October 21, 2019

by Daniel Estrin

Protests continue to rage in Lebanon where people are demanding an overhaul of their political system. The anger was sparked by plans to introduce a tax on WhatsApp calls, widely used in Lebanon.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seen during a news conference last month in Jerusalem, has told President Reuven Rivlin that he can't form a government. The move opens the door for his rival, Benny Gantz, to attempt to do so in his stead.

World News

Benjamin Netanyahu Abandons Bid To Form Government Amid Israel's Political Deadlock

5:43pm October 21, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

Israel's longtime prime minister had been given a mandate to form a governing coalition after last month's close election. The mandate now falls to his chief rival, Benny Gantz.

U.S. military vehicles drive on a road in the town of Tal Tamr on Sunday after pulling out of a base in northern Syria. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says some troops may remain in northeast Syria to secure oil fields.

Some U.S. Troops May Remain In Northeast Syria To Protect Oil Fields

4:15pm October 21, 2019

by Laurel Wamsley

Other U.S. troops will pivot to fighting ISIS in Iraq rather than immediately heading home. Some 300,000 people have reportedly been displaced since Turkey's offensive began.

World News

5-Day Truce Between Turkish And Kurdish Forces Expires Tuesday

11:14am October 21, 2019

by Jane Arraf

Kurdish-Syrian fighters say they have withdrawn from a key border city as part of a U.S. brokered deal with Turkish forces. But both Turkey and the Kurds accuse the other of breaking the ceasefire.

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