Middle East Policies - Page 667

December 20, 2015

What Israel wants to hear from Iran’s new president

As the U.S. prepares to engage Iran in a new round of possible talks over its nuclear program, Israel's leaders are watching closely to see if newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rowhani is serious about abandoning the pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

December 20, 2015

Intelligence in Syria suggests US saw attack coming, didn't act

Questions are being raised about why the United States didn't act in advance of last week's chemical weapons attack in Syria, amid indications that U.S. intelligence was picking up warning signs that an attack was imminent in the days leading up to the strike.

December 20, 2015

President Obama turns to Congress to OK strike against Syria

President Obama said Saturday the United States should take military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons on civilians but also turned to Congress for approval -- dealing a potential setback to America's foreign policy and setting up what will likely be a hard-fought Washington debate on the issue.

December 20, 2015

Any US strike on Syria likely to extend beyond Damascus, sources say

The impending U.S. military action in Syria is likely to extend beyond the capital city of Damascus, and will be focused on the delivery systems for the Syrian regime's chemical weapons arsenal, sources told Fox News. 

December 20, 2015

Obama advocates 'shot across the bow' for Syria, as concerns grow in Congress

In an interview with PBS, Obama for the first time said publicly the U.S. has concluded the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack against civilians last week.

December 20, 2015

Report: Syria chemical attack evidence 'not a slam dunk'

The intelligence linking Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle to an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed at least 100 people is no "slam dunk," with questions remaining about who actually controls some of Syria's chemical weapons stores and doubts about whether Assad himself ordered the strike, U.S. intelligence officials say.

December 20, 2015

As all signs point to Syria strike, some question US endgame

The rumblings on Capitol Hill are starting to get louder as to whether the Obama administration has a clear endgame for a military strike on Syria, as the likelihood increases of such a strike in response to last week's alleged chemical weapons attack. 

December 20, 2015

US prepares to bypass UN on Syria response

The State Department made clear Wednesday that the Obama administration plans to bypass the United Nations Security Council as it prepares for a possible strike on Syria, after having failed to win support from Russia. 

December 20, 2015

Intercepted call reportedly clinched US claim on Syria chemical weapons strike

U.S. intelligence officials were able to confirm that chemical weapons were used in Syria last week in part because they intercepted panicked phone calls in which a Syrian defense official demanded an explanation for the attack from an official in a chemical weapons unit, according to a new report. 

December 20, 2015

Syria: Connecting the Dots

As the Obama administration appears to move ever closer to a strike on Syria, the White House has confirmed that the Damascus suburb allegedly hit by chemical weapons was first under assault by the Syrian military.