Russia Thursday proposed a new draft resolution condemning the violence in Syria, giving rise to hopes the U.N. Security Council will end its relative silence on the nine month crackdown on protestors. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States is ready to work with Moscow on the proposal. Officials here say the Russian [...]
Tag: violence
December 16, 2011
December 16, 2011
US Ends Military Mission in Iraq
The U.S. military has formally ended its mission in Iraq. At a ceremony in Baghdad, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta watched as American troops lowered their command’s flag, marking an end to the nearly nine-year war that drove out Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein. It was a solemn, low-key ceremony outside a terminal at Baghdad’s airport [...]
December 15, 2011
US Congressional Panel Seeks to Aid Syrian Opposition
A congressional subcommittee panel on Wednesday examined U.S. policy toward Syria, asking what lawmakers can do to help the opposition as the Damascus government crackdown on the Syrian people continues. Some lawmakers questioned whether the Obama administration should continue to advocate for a peaceful resolution in Syria in the face of widespread violence. Members of [...]
December 15, 2011
Syrian Army Defectors Reportedly Kill 27 Soldiers
Rights activists say Syrian army defectors have killed at least 27 soldiers and security force members, while a new report accuses military officials of authorizing the halting of protests by “any means necessary.” The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the deaths occurred during multiple clashes early Thursday in the southern province of Daraa. [...]
December 15, 2011
US female rape study ‘astounding’
15 December 2011 Last updated at 03:27 GMT The study revealed that sexual violence against men is also prevalent Nearly 20% of women in the US are raped or suffer attempted rape at some point in their lives, a US study says. Even more women, estimated at 25%, have been attacked by a partner or [...]
December 14, 2011
Rights Activists: Syrian Forces Kill 5 in Hama
Rights activists say Syrian security forces have opened fire on a car in the restive central province of Hama, killing five people. The activists said the shootings happened Wednesday near the town of Khattab, a day after a surge in deadly violence in Syria. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says loyalist forces killed [...]
December 14, 2011
Panetta in Afghanistan, Calls 2011 a ‘Turning Point’
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is on a surprise visit to Afghanistan, where he says 2011 will mark a turning point in the 10-year-old war. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Kabul for a visit with troops and a first-hand assessment from the man who commands them, General John Allen. Speaking on his [...]
December 13, 2011
UN Says Syria Crackdown Death Toll Exceeds 5,000
The United Nations says the death toll from months of unrest in Syria has now surpassed 5,000 people. U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said Monday her office has received credible reports from a variety of sources that indicate the death toll since the unrest began in March “probably exceeds 5,000.” She released the statement [...]
December 13, 2011
Pakistan Denies Holding Talks with Taliban
Top officials in Pakistan have denied the government is engaged in a peace dialogue with homegrown Taliban, reiterating the militants will have to lay down their arms and surrender, before such talks are held. Taliban militants also have issued conflicting statements about entering into peace negotiations with the government. The latest reports of peace [...]
December 13, 2011
Pakistani PM: Blockade of NATO Likely to Last Weeks
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says his country likely will continue to block NATO convoys into Afghanistan for several more weeks. In an interview with the BBC, Mr. Gilani also did not rule out closing Pakistan’s airspace to the United States. The supply routes were shut down following a November 26 NATO airstrike in [...]
December 12, 2011
December 11, 2011
Polls Open in Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast voters are going to the polls in the country’s first parliamentary elections in more than a decade. An election official is quoted as saying some polls in Abidjan had not opened nearly two hours after voting started Sunday, but that those polling stations will stay open late. The Election Commission says almost 1,000 [...]
December 11, 2011
Despite Boycotts, Hopes High for Parliamentary Vote in Ivory Coast
On Sunday, Ivory Coast will vote in its first parliamentary elections since 2000, when former President Laurent Gbagbo first took power. Six months after his ouster, there is still the threat of violence but most Ivorians are looking to return to peace and prosperity. In what is being called “the election to exit the crisis,” [...]
December 10, 2011
Syrian Forces Kill At Least 24 as Protests Spread
Syrian activists say security forces have killed at least 24 people, including several children, as anti-government protests spread nationwide. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says three boys, ages 10, 12, 14, were shot and killed Friday in and around the restive city of Homs. Meanwhile, a 12-year-old girl was shot in the southern [...]