Middle Orient

France backs buffer-zone between Syria and Turkey

French President Francois Hollande Wednesday said he would back the creation of a buffer zone between Syria and Turkey to protect displaced civilians fleeing the bloody Daech offensive. Talking to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over phone, Hollande discussed the “alarming situation in northern Syria mainly in Kobani city” which …

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Intensified air strikes help Kurdish militia push back IS in Kobani

Intensified air strikes helped Kurdish militia push back Islamic State jihadists fighting for Kobani, as pressure mounted yesterday for more international action to save the key Syrian border town. Across the frontier in Turkey, the government’s lack of action against the jihadists was drawing a furious response, with at least 19 …

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Syria buffer zone not yet to be considered by Pentagon

The idea of a buffer zone along the Syrian border to protect displaced people “is not something that is under consideration right now,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Wednesday, while a Pentagon spokesman said the idea was not under active consideration “as a military option.” The remark …

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Syria unveils four chemical facilities

Syria has declared four chemical weapons facilities it hadn’t mentioned before, a special representative of the UN secretary-general has told the Security Council. The news heightened concerns that the Syrian government hasn’t been fully open about its chemical weapons program. Diplomats said Sigrid Kaag told them during closed consultations that …

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Syrian opposition takes control of new areas in south of country

Opposition forces on Monday seized control of new sites in the governorate of Daraa, south of Syria, as part of a plan to open a way to break the siege on western Ghouta areas, on the outskirts of Damascus. The regime’s troops, meanwhile, controlled Al-Dakhakniya neighborhood on the capital’s outskirts.

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France to increase the number of air patrols over Iraq

The French Ministry of Defense says Paris is going to step up its military presence in Iraq by increasing the number of air “patrols” over the crisis-hit country. “We will increase the rate of our patrols,” said French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday, adding, “With nine Rafale (aircraft) in the …

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Turkey, US discuss no-fly zone over Syria

Turkey reiterated to the U.S. on Friday the importance of a safe haven inside Syria and a no-fly zone in order to halt a massive Syrian refugee inflow into its territories where already 1.5 million people have sought refuge. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden discussed the terrorist …

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