This is Beirut - United States

Blinken on ME Tour: Pledges to Work with Iraq Against IS Jihadists

This is Beirut, 2024-12-13 17:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Antony Blinken United States Iraq ISIS syria

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Friday to work with Iraq to ensure no resurgence of the Islamic State group after Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in neighboring Syria. On a regional tour devoted to a suddenly-changed Syria, the top US diplomat flew to Baghdad from the Turkish capital Ankara and headed into talks with Iraqi Prime ...

Damascus: HTS Leader Congratulates the People and Calls for Celebrations

This is Beirut, 2024-12-13 12:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The leader of the Islamist-dominated armed coalition that seized power in Syria on Friday called on residents to take to the streets en masse to celebrate the "victory of the revolution." In a video, Abou Mohammad al-Jolani, now using his real name, Ahmad al-Chareh, "congratulated the Syrian people on the revolution’s victory" and urged the ...

NATO Chief Calls for Defense Surge to Avoid 'Big War' with Russia

This is Beirut, 2024-12-12 17:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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NATO chief Mark Rutte issued a stark warning Thursday to "turbo-charge" defense spending, saying European nations were not prepared for the threat of future war with Russia. "We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years," Rutte said in a keynote address in Brussels, his first major speech since taking office as NATO ...

US warships, Merchant Vessels Attacked by Houthis

This is Beirut, 2024-12-11 10:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Houthi Palestine United States

Two American destroyers defeated a drone and missile attack by the Houthis while escorting three merchant vessels through the Gulf of Aden, the US military said Tuesday, confirming a claim from the Houthis. The Houthis began striking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, part of the region-wide fallout from Israel's devastating ...

UN General Assembly to Vote on 'Unconditional' Ceasefire in Gaza

This is Beirut, 2024-12-11 09:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The UN General Assembly will vote Wednesday on a draft resolution that seeks an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a symbolic gesture after the US previously vetoed a similar action in the UN Security Council. In addition to calling for "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," the draft resolution seeks "the immediate and unconditional ...

Assad Exit Puts US at Perilous Crossroads in Syria

This is Beirut, 2024-12-11 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Syria HTS war

For more than a decade, the United States has sought to keep out of Syria's political debacle, seeing no viable partner. Islamist rebels' toppling of strongman Bashar al-Assad has forced a change of tune and a debate over just what US interests are. Donald Trump, who returns to the White House in little more than a month, on the eve of Assad's ...

US Continues Mission Against ISIS in Syria

This is Beirut, 2024-12-10 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States isis syria fights

The United States is committed to continuing its mission against ISIS in Syria. During a Monday press briefing, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh explained that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed his Turkish counterpart that the US is closely monitoring opposition groups in Syria. Singh said, “And just yesterday, US Central ...

26 Years Old Suspect Arrested After US Insurance Executive's Murder in New York

This is Beirut, 2024-12-10 05:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States New York Murder

A 26-year-old man was arrested Monday over the targeted killing of a health insurance executive on the streets of New York, with investigators charging him with possession of fake IDs and a gun. Investigators continued to interrogate Luigi Mangione in connection with last week's brazen murder, which triggered a nationwide manhunt and global ...

Syria: Blinken Warns Against ISIS Resurgence and Fragmentation

This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 21:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Antony Blinken United States Syria ISIS

The United States is determined to prevent the Islamic State group from reestablishing safe havens in Syria, as well as the fragmentation of the country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday. "ISIS will try to use this period to reestablish its capabilities, to create safe havens. As our precision strikes over the weekend demonstrate, we ...

Ceasefire in Lebanon: US, France, UNIFIL and LAF Hold Their First Meeting

This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 16:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The international committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel held its first meeting on Monday. “The United States, France, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Lebanese Army (LAF) and the Israeli army met on December 9 in Naqoura to coordinate their support for the cessation of ...

The Fall of Assad Brings a New Middle East

This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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It took just 11 days for Syrian rebels to force Bashar al-Assad to flee the country and impose a new revision of the strategic map in the Middle East. The Syrian strongman had for nearly 14 years held off an uprising that many believed had been exhausted. But his downfall followed a series of battlefield convulsions for other allies of ...

Biden Calls For Assad To Be 'Held Accountable'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-08 21:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Joe Biden United States Syria Bashar al-Assad

US President Joe Biden on Sunday said deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. In the first full US reaction to Assad's overthrow by an Islamist-led coalition of rebel factions, Biden ...

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