There exists, I suppose, some slight chance of this one making it into the State of the Union address, no doubt in a distorted, bellicose, and xenophobic disguise. Typically, there's no chance of any announcement at all.

We're stopping another war.

There are a million qualifications that need to be put on that statement. None of them render it false. A bill looked likely to move through Congress that would have imposed new sanctions on Iran, shredded the negotiated agreement with Iran, and committed the United States to join in any Israeli war on Iran. This would be a step toward war and has become understood as such by large numbers of people. Efforts to sell sanctions as an alternative to war failed. Tons of pushback has come, and is still coming, from the public, including from numerous organizations not always known for their opposition to war. And the bill, for the moment, seems much less likely to pass.

This is no time to let up, but to recognize our power and press harder for peace.

Pushback against the sanctions bill has come from the White House, from within the military, and from elsewhere within the government. But this bill was something the warmongers wanted, AIPAC wanted, a majority of U.S. senators wanted, and corporate media outlets were happy to support. The underlying pretense that Iran has a nuclear weapons program that endangers the world had the support of the White House and most other opponents of the March-to-War bill. That pretense has been successfully sold to much of the public. The additional supporting pretense that sanctions have helped, rather than hindered, diplomacy has similar widespread backing. But when it comes to a measure understood as a step into war, the public is saying no, and that public response is a factor in the likely outcome.

In this instance, President Obama has been on the right side of the debate. I've never known that to actually be true before. But there's been a whole infrastructure of activism set up and fine-tuned for five years now, all based around the pretense that Obama was right on various points and Congress wrong. So, when that actually happened to be true, numerous organizations knew exactly what to do with it. War opposition and Obama-following merged. But let's remember back to August and September. That was a different situation in which . . .

We stopped another war.

Raytheon's stock was soaring. The corporate media wanted those missiles to hit Syria. Obama and the leadership of both parties wanted those missiles to hit Syria. The missiles didn't fly.

Public pressure led the British Parliament to refuse a prime minister's demand for war for the first time since the surrender at Yorktown, and the U.S. Congress followed suit by making clear to the U.S. president that his proposed authorization for war on Syria would not pass through either the Senate or the House. Numerous Congress members, from both houses and both parties, said they heard more from the public against this war than ever before on any issue. It helped that Congress was on break and holding town hall meetings. It helped that it was Jewish holidays and AIPAC wasn't around.

And there were other factors. After the public pushed Congress to demand a say, Obama agreed to that. Perhaps he wanted something so controversial -- something being talked about as "the next Iraq" -- to go to Congress. Perhaps he expected Congress would probably say No. In such a scenario, the decisive factor would remain the past decade of growing public sentiment against wars. But I don't think that's what happened. Obama and Kerry were pushing hard and publicly for those missiles to fly. When they couldn't get the "intelligence" agencies to back their fraudulent case, they announced it anyway. Those lies are just being exposed now, in a very different context from that in which the Iraq war lies or the Afghanistan or Libya war lies have been exposed. Obama told us to watch videos of children suffering and dying in Syria and to choose between war and inaction. We rejected that choice, opposed war, and supported humanitarian aid (which hasn't happened on remotely the necessary scale).

In the space of a day, discussions in Washington, D.C., shifted from the supposed necessity of war to the clear desirability of avoiding war. The Russians' proposal to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons had already been known to the White House but was being rejected. When Kerry publicly suggested that Syria could avoid a war by handing over its chemical weapons, everyone knew he didn't mean it. In fact, when Russia called his bluff and Syria immediately agreed, Kerry's staff put out this statement: "Secretary Kerry was making a rhetorical argument about the impossibility and unlikelihood of Assad turning over chemical weapons he has denied he used. His point was that this brutal dictator with a history of playing fast and loose with the facts cannot be trusted to turn over chemical weapons, otherwise he would have done so long ago. That's why the world faces this moment." In other words: stop getting in the way of our war! By the next day, however, with Congress rejecting war, Kerry was claiming to have meant his remark quite seriously and to believe the process had a good chance of succeeding, as of course it did. Diplomatic solutions are always available. What compelled Obama to accept diplomacy as the last resort was the public's and Congress's refusal to allow war.

These victories are limited and tentative. The machinery that pushes for war hasn't gone away. The arms are still flowing into Syria. Efforts to negotiate peace there seem less than wholehearted. The U.S. puppeteer has stuck its arm up the rear end of the United Nations and uninvited Iran from the talks. The people of Syria and Iran are no better off.

But they're also no worse off. No U.S. bombs are falling from their skies.

There could be other proposals for wars that we'll find much harder to prevent. That's precisely why we must recognize the possibility of stopping those proposals too, a possibility established by the examples above, from which we should stop fleeing in panic as if the possibility that everything we do might have some point to it horrifies us.

Any war can be stopped. Any pretended necessity to hurry up and kill large numbers of people can be transformed into a negotiation at a table using words rather than missiles. And if we come to understand that, we'll be able to start dismantling the weaponry, which in turn will make the tendency to think of war as the first option less likely. By steps we can move to a world in which our government doesn't propose bombing someone new every few months but instead proposes helping someone new.

If we can stop one war, if we can stop two wars, why can't we stop them all and put our resources into protection rather than destruction? Why can't we move to a world beyond war?

Syria/Turkey News - Jan 24

Syrian opposition chief Jarba says Russia not sticking to Assad - THE DAILY STAR

VIDEO (and transcript): Russian FM Lavrov: Geneva II talks must not include any discussion of Syria regime change - EA WorldView

Kerry: Some nations ready to deploy Syria peacekeepers - AFP

Iran president Hassan Rouhani calls for “free and fair elections in Syria,” says Tehran “ready to engage” neighbors - CBS News

Syrian opposition refuses to meet govt face-to-face at Geneva 2 talks - RT News

FSA seeks new US arms supplies as Geneva talks resume - Telegraph

A Revolution in Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood? - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

VIDEO: Syrian President’s Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban goes on fiery rant - CNN

Many Syrians still see Assad as indispensable in saving their country - McClatchy DC

Hope Springs in Syria? How Local Cease-fires Have Brought Some Respite to Damascus - Foreign Affairs

VIDEO: Footage shows Syria 'FSA' militants defecting to the Syrian army - YouTube

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Nearly 1,400 dead since Syria rebel infightiing began, The Observatory says the figure included 760 moderate and Islamist rebels, 426 ISIS fighters - Al Arabiya

VIDEO: Northern Syria: Al-Qaeda's New Home, VICE filmmaker unprecedented access to both al Qaeda factions ISIS and Al Nusra - YouTube

Al Qaeda ISIS militants seize Manbij east Aleppo: activists - ZAMAN ALWSL

VIDEO: FSA fleeing, Manbij retaken by ISIS - LiveLeak.com

MAP: Seems that Islamic Front lost Manbej to ISIS - Transnational Middle-East Observer

VIDEO: In New Video Campaign Islamic Front Appeals To Foreign Fighters, apparently offering them an alternative to the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - EA WorldView

Qaeda chief Zawahri urges end to deadly clashes between rebels - THE DAILY STAR

AUDIO (and English transcript): Syria: Statement of Al Qa’eda Leader al-Zawahiri - EA WorldView

More on Al Qaeda head addressing rebel infighting in Syria - The Long War Journal

European Jihadists in Syria: More and Younger - Gatestone Institute

Interview: How Kuwait Emerged as a Rebel Finance Hub - Syria Deeply

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Syrian Kurds protest "exclusion" from Geneva II talks - AFP

Salih Muslim: The Solution is Democratic Autonomy - The Rojava Report

Christians and Kurds Form Coalition in Syria - Assyrian International News Agency

VIDEO: Press Conference: Christians and Kurds Form Coalition in Syria - YouTuber

PYD to open representative office in Baghdad - Kurdpress News Aganecy

Barzani offers to help in fight against terrorism - Al-Monitor

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New photos thought to show more Syrian torture - Anadolu Agency

PHOTOS: New photo gallery thought to show more Syrian torture - Anadolu Agency

State Dept. Learned in November of Photos Said to Show Torture in Syria - NYTimes.com

Report on Assad's tortures in Syria 'full of inconstistencies' - expert - The Voice of Russia

IIT Exclusive- 10 Reasons to Reject Syria Torture Report as Untrue - LiveLeak.com

Torture Report: Malicious Syria Bashing - rense.com

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Brawl occurs in Turkish parliament arliament during a debate over the corruption scandal - The Washington Post

VIDEO: Turkish lawmakers brawl over judicial reforms - Reuters.com

Draft to mandate Turkish PM’s consent for prosecution of top commanders - hurriyetdailynews.com

Inspection of trucks carrying weapons to Syrian rebels reignites debates on MİT Law - Today's Zaman

Weapons being shipped to Syrian rebels in accordance with MGK decision: Report - Today's Zaman

Intel not tasked with carrying weapons, Turkish main opposition leader says - hurriyetdailynews.com

Syria-bound trucks put spotlight on Turkey - Al-Monitor

French prosecutors ask Turkey for details about Paris murder suspect connections - Today's Zaman

New developments in Paris killings threaten to derail PKK peace talks - Al-Monitor

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Syria/Turkey News - Jan 23

Syrian Geneva II peace talks witness bitter exchanges between opposing parties - Chicago Sun-Times

TRANSCRIPTS: Statements at the Geneva Conference on Syria - unog.ch

VIDEO: Syria rivals exchange blame in Geneva talks - YouTube

Russia's Lavrov says Syrian rivals vowed to hold direct talks - Yahoo News

Syrian enemies may discuss prisoner swaps, local ceasefires and humanitarian aid despite talks acrimony - Reuters

VIDEO: Clashes between pro-Assad men & his oppositionists in Montreux - YouTube

VIDEO: Verbal spat between pro-government and opposition individuals at Montreux - YouTube

VIDEO: Switzerland: Protesters show support for Assad as Geneva II begins - YouTube

Islamist militias full statement: Regime ‘has left no room for dialogue’ - Syria Direct

NCB statement on Geneva II - Transnational Middle-East Observer

Syria hails Aleppo airport reopening as a victory over rebels - Yahoo News

Loyalty to Assad runs deep on Syrian coast - CSMonitor.com

Due to a Shortage of Troops, Assad Issues Decree to Call Back Former Soldiers - The Syrian Observer

Minutes of US envoy Robert Ford past meeting with Syrian opposition: Report - .alalam.ir

Fierce clashes between Al Qaeda's ISIL and rebel groups near Azaz, north Aleppo - ZAMAN ALWSL

Where Is Al Qaeda Holding Its Western Hostages In Syria? - The Daily Beast

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Syria’s Kurds will declare self-rule in the whole Kurdish regions within a week - hurriyetdailynews.com

Syrian Kurds Announce Local Government in Cizire Canton with Qamishli as Capital - CİHAN

VIDEO: Kurds celebrating their self-declared autonomy in Qamishli - Syria

Residents throughout the Cizîre Region Celebrate After Declaration Of Autonomy (VIDEO) - The Rojava Report

The Kurds claim an autonomous government in north-east Syria. Three Christians among the 20 ministers - Fides News Agency

Special Report: Amid Syria's violence, Kurds carve out autonomy - Reuters

Kurdish women fight for equality in Syria - ekurd

KNC Foreign Delegations Head on Geneva II (VIDEO, Kurdish) - Transnational Middle-East Observer

Iraq Kurdish leader sees little gains at Syria conference - Yahoo News

Turkey fighting PYD, PKK, al-Nusra, says Erdoğan - Today's Zaman

The Kurds and Geneva II - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

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Turkey launches new mass purge of police and judiciary, Up to hundreds of police and 96 judges and prosecutors reassigned - GlobalPost

Turkish judicial purge brings corruption investigation to halt - Reuters

Turkey's Main Opposition CHP Exposes Document of Threat Against Prosecutor by Undersecretary - Good Morning Turkey

3 former ministers to be named members of criminal organization in graft indictment, web portal claims - Today's Zaman

Erdoğan gov't abusing regulatory agencies to punish opponents - Today's Zaman

700 party members resign from ruling AK Party in Diyarbakır - Today's Zaman

AK Party's Adana administration board resigns in protest - Today's Zaman

Report: Bill to authorize MİT to transport arms to Syria - Today's Zaman

Turkish intelligence service trucks reveal secrets - Al-Monitor

Turkish Government Would Show off if Trucks were Loaded With Humanitarian Aid to Syria: BDP Leader - Good Morning Turkey

‘MİT profiling directive a crime, contradicts universal law' - Today's Zaman

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Syria government says torture report 'politicized,' photos ‘fake’ - AFP

AUDIO: Syrian government advisor pours scorn on torture report - BBC News

Ministry of Justice dismisses as baseless Carter-Ruck’s torture report- SANA

Who Attacked Ghouta with Chemical Weapons?: Analysis of the Second UN Report shows the opposition has used sarin on at least three occasions - whoghouta.blogspot.com

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Syria News - Jan 22

Syria warring sides join world powers in Montreux for peace talks - AFP

Geneva II: Syrian Regime And Opposition Announce Delegations - haberler.com

Order of speakers at Geneva-II revealed - Anadolu Agency

Syrian National Council quits opposition bloc over the Geneva II peace talks with the Damascus regime - Al Arabiya News

Statement of three rebel groups – the Islamic Front, Jaish al-Mujahideen and Ajnad al-Sham – on Geneva II - YALLA SOURIYA

VIDEO (English): Islamic Front military leader Zahran Aloush dismisses Geneva, denies kidnapping Zeitouneh and describes war on ISIS - Syria Direct

Syrian internal opposition group rejects Coalition offer to join delegation to Geneva II - The Back Channel

Syria to seek 'anti-terror' support in Geneva - Al Jazeera English

Russian-backed Syrian Proposal: Presidential Elections Under International Supervision Within Three Months - The Syrian Observer

TRANSCRIPT: President Bashar al-Assad’s interview with Agence France Presse - SANA, Syria

VIDEO: President Bashar al-Assad's interview with Agence France Presse - YouTube

US getting "messages" from within Syrian regime anxious to end war - AFP

Damascus residents pray for ‘miracle’ at Geneva - GulfNews.com

NGOs: Christian representatives should participate in the peace negotiations at the Geneva 2 conference - Fides News Agency

Obama, Putin discuss Sochi security, Syria talks - Yahoo News

Russia: Booting Iran out of Syria talks 'mistake' but 'not disaster’ - AFP

Syrian Coalition: Iran Must Meet Our Conditions If It Wants To Participate In Geneva II - Syrian National Coalitiion

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US secretly backs rebels to fight al Qaeda in Syria - Telegraph

More than 1,000 Syrians flee al-Qaeda-linked ISIS in northern border-town of as they mow down children and behead prisoners in cold blood - Al Jazeera

Islamic Front says State of Al Qaeda behind Bab Al hawa suicide blasts - ZAMAN ALWSL

Al Qaeda offshoot ISIS imposes strict Islamic rules in north Syria - Reuters

ISIS release 4 statements that decree new laws on the Syrian citizens in the areas under its control in Raqqah - Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

ISIS Raids Anadolu Agency's Syria Office - haberler.com

VIDEO: ISIS pulled its troops from the Western countryside of Aleppo & left this mass grave - Twitter / joshua_landis

Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon claims Beirut suicide bombing - Yahoo News UK

Eyewitness account: Jabhat Al-Nusra committed "massacres" in Adra - Syria Newsdesk

Prominent doctor freed, activists accused al-Nusra Front of kidnapping - ZAMAN ALWSL

A Third Press Statement on the Kidnapping of Lawyer and Prominent Activist Razan Zeitouneh and Her Colleagues - Violations Documentation Center in Syria

The disillusioned FSA defectors joining Assad's forces - ITV News

AUDIO: Translation of the new audio-message by ISIS chief Abū Bakr al-Baghdādī - pietervanostaeyen

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Syria photos prove mass torture by Assad regime: Report - AFP

Gruesome Syria photos may prove torture by Assad regime (VIDEO) - CNN.com

VIDEO: Gruesome Syria photos may prove torture by Assad regime - YouTube

REPORT into the credibility of certain evidence with regard to torture and execution of persons incarcerated by the current Syrian regime - theguardian

There exist ample reasons to question the assertions made in the Syria war crimes report - comeDonChisciotte.net

Why one day before the Geneva meeting? This report is altogether most unconvincing, based on alleged photos of alleged victims by an alleged 'defector' in Qatar - Media Lens Message Board

The state of Qatar and Al-Jazeera are both clients of London-based law firm Carter-Ruck who commissioned the report - Media Lens Message Board

Carter-Ruck law firm behind new Syria smear defended 'al-Qaeda financier' Yasin al Qadi in 2007 - inagist.com

Human Rights Watch says US undermining efforts to bring Assad's regime before global court - Star Tribune

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Should Syria’s Future Be Decided by Men With Guns?

By Medea Benjamin

Just days before the Syria peace talks known as Geneva II are scheduled to begin on January 22, 2014, in Montreux, Switzerland, Syria's main political opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), has agreed to attend. They will be joined by various officials of the Syrian government, UN officials and representatives from 35 countries. Swiss President Didier Burkhalter will deliver the opening remarks, followed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Then, Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry will address the assembly on behalf of the forum's initiators. But one voice will be notably underrepresented—that of Syrian women, especially the non-violent, pro-democracy activists who represent civil society. “When we talk about women at the table, the men see them as the tablecloth,” said Hibaaq Osman, an NGO leader who has been working with Syrian women and pushing for their inclusion. “The future of Syria should not exclusively be decided by those who carry guns.”

Syrian women have suffered immensely throughout the conflict. The estimated 100,000 killed so far includes not just men, but thousands of women and children. Women activists have been detained as part of government crackdowns on the rebel opposition and have been raped and tortured in detention. An investigation by the Women’s Media Center tracked reports of rape and deliberate, politically-motivated attacks on women. When a soldier in the Free Syrian Army was captured by government forces, women from his family were brought to the prison and raped in front of him. In another sickening story, three sisters recounted how a group of Syrian army soldiers broke into their house in Homs, tied up their father and brother, raped the three women in front of them, and then opened their legs and burned their vaginas with cigarettes, saying “You want freedom? This is your freedom.” There have also been reports of women and children being used as human shields or hostages by armed groups.

In areas controlled by the fundamentalist rebel groups, extremists have imposed oppressive rules on women and girls, reversing freedoms of movement, expression and other rights women had previously exercised. In some cases, women and girls have been prevented from working, going to school or just leaving their homes without a male guardian, even to flee violence. Human Rights Watch has reported that some extremist Islamist groups in northern Syria, such as Jabhat al-Nusra, the Nusra Front, and the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), are imposing strict and discriminatory rules on women and girls, such as requiring them to wear headscarves and full-length robes, limiting their ability to carry out essential daily activities, to move freely in public or to attend school.

The humanitarian crisis is acute. Some 4 million Syrians have been internally displaced. Food and access to it is so restricted in some of the military-contested areas that children are dying from starvation. “There are children who are eating roots and leaves off the trees,” said Kefah Ali Deeb of the National Coordination Committee for the Forces of Democratic Change. “Believe me; this is not my imagination. There is more suffering than you could imagine.”

Syrians desperate to escape the war have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, sometimes arriving by the thousands in a single day. Some three million Syrians are now refugees, over 80% of them women and children. Large numbers of women whose husbands have been killed or are off fighting have suddenly become heads of their households, but bereft of resources to care for their children. Relief agencies and host countries are overwhelmed by the numbers and the need. And although the refugees living abroad are spared the immediate impact of the fighting, many are unfortunately still subjected to violence, sexual assault, and abysmal living conditions.

According to a U.N. Women study, child marriages and domestic violence are on the rise among refugee families. As refugees grow more destitute, parents are more inclined to pull their daughters out of schools or marry them off at younger ages in exchange for dowries. Early marriage is seen as a way to ensure that daughters are cared for and fed, and to generate scarce income for the family. But girls sold into marriage are extremely vulnerable to abuse, lose opportunities for education and risk serious health hazards of early pregnancy.

Some refugee women have been forced into prostitution by their families, under the cover of short-term marriage arrangements. Women and girls sold into marriage are sometimes abandoned or sold again to brothels or traffickers, where their abuse and exploitation only worsens.

Syrian women, many of whom were involved in the initial pro-democracy, nonviolent uprising against Bashar al-Assad, have been risking their lives to address the humanitarian crisis—distributing humanitarian aid, monitoring human rights and providing emergency help. Syrian women have brokered local ceasefires to enable aid to get through. While the fighting has raged around them, women have continued to organize, build civil society groups and train themselves to play a role in designing a unified, democratic Syria.

These women have repeatedly called on the international community to include their voices in peace efforts. From January 11-13, 2014, 47 Syrian women gathered under the auspices of UN Women to hash out their positions. "We cannot remain silent regarding events unfolding in Syria, such as daily death, massive destruction, starvation, displacement of hundreds of thousands of Syrian families in Syria and abroad, the spread of terror and violence, ongoing detentions, acts of kidnapping, destruction of infrastructure and the spread of diseases, particularly among children," said Syrian activist Kefah Ali Deeb at a UN press conference.

The women called for the effective participation of women in all negotiating teams and committees in a proportion of no less than 30%. They called for senior gender experts to be fully integrated into the UN mediation team. “We want there be a meaningful participation of women in the entire political process, including in the formation of the transitional governing body, the constitutional drafting committee, the drafting of the election law, mechanisms of transitional justice, the local administration and local committees for civil peace,” said Syrian activist Delsha Ayo at a UN press conference.

The women are desperate to deal with the immediate human catastrophe. “Large numbers of women have been arrested, kidnapped or disappeared. They include our families, our friends, our colleagues,” said Kefah Ali Deeb, activist and member of National Coordination Committee for the Forces of Democratic Change. “We must get the detainees released from prison and break the sieges that are driving stranded populations to starvation.”

But they are also looking down the road, and many have been working on principles for a new constitution. “We have been watching what happened in Tunisia and Egypt and Libya and there are a lot of lessons to prepare ourselves,” said Sabah Alhallak, the women’s coordinator for the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs. They insist that any eventual constitution guarantee women’s equality and penalize all forms of discrimination and violence against women.

While Lakhdar Brahimi has met with the women several times and has encouraged their participation as observers, he has not agreed to grant them an official role. Unfortunately, even at the peace table, the men with guns will continue to have the loudest voices.

In response, the groups CODEPINK, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), MADRE, Karama and the Nobel Women’s Initiative are gathering at the talks under the banner of “Women Lead to Peace” to support Syrian women. The day before the official talks begin, they will hold a Women’s Summit with women from former conflict zones such as Bosnia, Liberia, Guatemala and Ireland speaking about their experiences of transitioning from war to peace. Syrian women and humanitarian aid workers will share their stories and experiences of life in Syria and refugee camps. There will then be a modeling of the negotiations: a look at what the official peace talks could and should look like. On January 22, the women will stage a peace rally outside the official talks. You can sign their petition to the international community and watch the Summit.

The Syrian women and their global allies understand that the Syria crisis is so deep and complex that it will take a long time to end the fighting and even longer to rebuild, but they see no other option. “We are lawyers, engineers and professors; we are housewives, nurses and other medical professionals; we are 50 percent of society and we are determined to stop the war,” said Rafif Jouejati, director of FREE-Syria (the Foundation to Restore Equality and Education in Syria). “If Geneva II fails, then we will keep going to make Geneva III, IV or V work. We will keep pushing the men who are making war until they make peace.”

Medea Benjamin is cofounder of www.codepink.org and www.globalexchange.org, and author of eight books, including Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control.

MIT Report by Former UN Weapons Inspector: U.S. Claims on Syria Were False

Report: PDF.

Syria/Turkey News - Jan 20

United Nations Invites Iran To Geneva Syrian Peace Negotiations - NPR

Saudi, UAE back Syria opposition vote to join peace talks - THE DAILY STAR

US envoy Robert Ford to Syria Opposition: Go to Geneva 2, Changes are on the Way in Riyadh over Syria - alalam.ir

China and Russia may hold joint naval drill in the Mediterranean designed to tackle terrorist threats and improve joint rescue operations at sea - RT News

Syrian opposition says to attend Geneva peace talks, backed by some rebel groups - Reuters

VIDEO: Syria opposition votes to attend Geneva peace talks - euronews

Opposition: Geneva ‘funeral’ for Syrian regime - Al Arabiya News

FSA General Salim Idriss' statement laying out the essential prerequisites for any negotiations at the upcoming Geneva II 'peace talks’ - facebook.com/RadioFreeSyria

Syria says Interfax Assad comments on not giving up power inaccurate - Reuters

UN Confirms First Delivery Of Aid To Starving Palestinians In Syria - huffingtonpost.com

VIDEO: Good supplies enter besieged Palestinian suburb of Syrian capital - ITV

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Renewed battles between opposition battalions and ISIL in Aleppo - Syria Newsdesk

Two suicide bombings in Aleppo kill five - Syria Newsdesk

Rebels counteract ISIL's reinforcement in Manbij north Aleppo -ZAMAN ALWSL

Rebels target ISIL's sites in Aleppo western countryside - ZAMAN ALWSL

Al-Mujahideen Army ousts ISIL from Ratyan in Aleppo - Syria Newsdesk

Syria: Umar al-Shishani & ISIS Claim Advance From Al-Bab To Manbij in Aleppo, Capture FSA Base - EA WorldView

ISIS leader urges end to rebel clashes - THE DAILY STAR

AUDIO: ISIS leader Al Baghdadi 16-minute recording calls for reconciliation and to re-focus minds on the “greater enemy”, followers of Shia Islam - YouTube

Statement from Zawahiri's representative shows Syrian rebel group Ahrar al Sham tied to al Qaeda - The Long War Journal

AUDIO: Al-Qaeda Envoy Abu Khaled al-Suri calls for Zawahiri to intervene concerning ISIS in Syria - YouTube

Protesters attack Shariaa Committee warehouses in Rif Dimashq - Syria Newsdesk

41 bodies found in former ISIL stronghold - Syria Newsdesk

The Foreign Policy Essay: Charles Lister on “The anti-Jihadist Revolt in Syria” - Lawfare

VIDEO: Large demonstrations in E Ghouta in favor of Islamic State of Iraq & Sham(ISIS) - YouTube

VIDEO: New ISIS-mass grave found in Syria - LiveLeak.com

VIDEO: A look inside a stormed ISIL headquarters in Aleppo - LiveLeak.com

VIDEO: Islamic Front Guns Down Female Suicide Bomber On The Turkish Border - LiveLeak.com

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Syrian Kurds feel left out of Geneva II - Al-Monitor

PKK Umbrella Group Warns it Will Ignore Geneva II Resolutions - Rudaw

Large Rallies for Rojava in Istanbul, Izmir, and Diyarbakir demanding the rights of Kurds be recognized at the Geneva-II peace conference - Rojava Report

Kurds on the streets days before Geneva II - ekurd

Sidelined Syrian Kurds take Geneva II protest to Twitter - ekurd

Syrian opposition accuse Kurdish YPG fighters of anti-revolution efforts - ekurd

Syrian government introduces Kurdish in universities - Al-Monitor

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Police break up protest against new Internet law - Today's Zaman

VIDEO: Clashes in Turkey as internet censorship protests turn violent - euronews

Turkish authorities purge regulators, state TV employees in backlash against graft probe - The Washington Post

Turkey approves controversial medical aid bill making it a crime for doctors to provide emergency first aid without government authorisation - AFP

Erdoğan gov't rolls back judicial reforms in violation of EU, CoE rules - Today's Zaman

‘Clean Hands' prosecutor: With HSYK bill, thieves would choose their judges - Today's Zaman

Turkish gendarmerie stops seven Syria-bound trucks dispatched by intelligence agancy MİT, finds weapons and ammunition - Today's Zaman

Al-Qadi denies al-Qaeda link in newspaper ad - Today's Zaman

Alleged Erdogan ties to al-Qadi a national security concern - Today's Zaman

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Syria/Turkey News - Jan 18

Syrian government submits plan for truce, prisoner swap - latimes.com

VIDEO: Syria offers truce, prisoner swap with rebels - YouTube

Syria ready to help speed humanitarian assistance: Russia - Yahoo News

Syria allows aid into 2 contested areas - The Washington Post

Syrian gov't ready to join forces with opposition to combat terrorism - FM - Voice of Russia

Russia steps up military lifeline to Syria's Assad -sources - Reuters

Geneva-2 to take place whether opposition wants it or not - The Voice of Russia

Russia Says Iran Essential for Finding Syria Peace - ABC News

Iran says 'good coordination' among Syria allies on talks - THE DAILY STAR

Kerry: Assad Must Accept Peace Conference Terms - ABC News

'You need to go to Geneva': Opposition source reveals threat made by Britain and US over Syria peace talks - The Independent

Syria builds dollar reserves, thanks partly to Assad's enemies - Reuters

Iraqi FM warns against "poisonous" extremism in Syria

The Syrian War's Private Donors in the Gulf Lose Faith - The New Yorker

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Syrian rebels push Qaeda affiliate ISIS from northwest stronghold - Reuters

Islamist rebels seize Base 46, last HQ for ISIS west Aleppo -ZAMAN ALWSL

ISIS adopts suicide attacks as best war strategy against rebels - ZAMAN ALWSL

Analysis: Shifting dynamics of rebel infighting in Syria - The Long War Journal

Syria opposition calls for more arms to fight al-Qaeda - FT.com

Alleged message to ISIS from Zawahiri's Syrian representative posted online - Threat Matrix

Who Pulls the Strings of the Islamic Front’s Shura Council? | Al Akhbar English

The Politics of the Islamic Front, Part 4: The State - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Syrian refugees suffer as rebel group infighting slows aid - CBS News

Abuse and torture rife in secret ISIS jails in Syria, says Amnesty - Reuters

VIDEO: Bodies of 5 summarily executed men near Alatareb, Aleppo, activists accused the ISIS - YouTube

PHOTO: ISIS beheads FSA rebels in Jarablus - LiveLeak.com

VIDEO: ISIS fighter posing chopped head and put it into a bag - LiveLeak.com

VIDEO: A Nun speaks about brutal crimes against Syrian people - LiveLeak.com

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Top administrative court rejects ministries' appeal of controversial amendment - Today's Zaman

Justice Ministry undersecretary called İzmir prosecutor to stop fraud probe: CHP leader claims - hurriyetdailynews.com

Reassignments -- new mobbing on massive scale by gov’t to silence dissent - Today's Zaman

Turkish authorities remove senior officials from banking regulatory body - Today's Zaman

Police officers to be removed identified by data at TİB - Today's Zaman

No arrest warrant for Turkish PM’s son, justice minister says - hurriyetdailynews.com

Parliament panel approves controversial judicial reform bill - hurriyetdailynews.com

MİT to monitor all religious groups as potential parts of parallel state - Today's Zaman

Information reached the police on January 10 of another weapons shipment heading through Turkey to Syria - Aydinlik

An operation has revealed a number of details showing the connection between MIT, al-Qaeda and the Islamist ‘‘charity’’ organisation IHH - Aydinlik

Turkey: Islamic charity IHH workers released from custody - UTSanDiego.com

Victim's families: Lift confidentiality of Paris murders probe - Today's Zaman

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Syria/Turkey News - Jan 17

Nearly 1,100 killed in Syria rebel-ISIS jihadist battles: activists - Yahoo News

U.N. Reports mass executions in Northern Syria carried out by armed opposition groups, in particular by ISIS - NYTimes.com

Battles rage to push ISIS out of north Syria - THE DAILY STAR

Rebels expel ISIS's Jihadists from Jarabulus - ZAMAN ALWSL

Alleged ISIS car bomb kills 26 in north Syria, mostly rebels - AFP

ISIS Controls Raqqa, 250 Fighters, 50 Civilians Killed - The Syrian Observer

Islamic Front to take control of Aleppo industrial zone from ISIS - ZAMAN ALWSL

The Story of Two Armenians Executed by ISIS - Al Akhbar English

Young Christian killed and beheaded by jihadists - Fides News Agency

Interview with Free Syrian Army (FSA) chief Gen. Salim Idris - ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

The Politics of the Islamic Front, Part 2: An Umbrella Organization - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Politics of the Islamic Front, Part 3: Negotiations - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

About What Is Going On From the Fighting Between the [Islamic] State and the Mujāhidīn of al-Shām - JIHADOLOGY

6 Rebel groups pledge allegiance to Al Nusra Front - ZAMAN ALWSL

Suicide car bomb kills three in Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon near Syria - Reuters

Statement from Jabhat al-Nuṣrah in Lebanon claims responsibility for the suicide car bombing: “Martyrdom Operation Upon the Stronghold of Ḥizb Irānī in the Hermel” - JIHADOLOGY

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PYD leader Salih Muslim: Kurds will not attend Geneva II unless Kurdish question is on agenda - ekurd

If Kurds are not recognised as a third party they'll reject Geneva: PKK leader Sabri - ekurd

KCK Executive Council Releases Statement on Geneva II - ekurd

Syria Kurdistan Goes to the Polls - The Rojava Report

Syrian Kurds aim to benefit from Islamist infighting - Al-Monitor

Efrin: end of al-Qaeda’s ISIS siege north Syria - aranews.org

YPG buries 39 Kurdish fighters in Qamishli, died by clashes against the ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamist rebel fighters - Transnational Middle-East Observer

VIDEO: Funeral parade of YPG martyrs in Qamislo - YouTube

ISIS executes Kurdish civilians in Tel Ebyad - Transnational Middle-East Observer

“PYD have established a model for Syria”: Prominent UK human rights lawyer Margaret Owen - ekurd

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New analysis of rocket used in Syria chemical attack undercuts U.S. claims - MiamiHerald.com

REPORT (Full Text): Possible Implications of Faulty US Technical Intelligence in the Damascus Nerve Agent Attack of August 21 - s3.amazonaws.com

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‘Dismissed ministers received millions in bribes’ - Today's Zaman

Gov't assault on police to evade graft probe intensifies - Today's Zaman

İstanbul police again defy arrest order as top prosecutors reassigned - Today's Zaman

Nearly 20 İstanbul prosecutors removed from post - Today's Zaman

Guards of prosecutors in al-Qaeda probe replaced - Today's Zaman

Turkish government to move ahead with judiciary plan, despite main opposition refusal - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkish president signals veto on government-led judicial bill - hurriyetdailynews.com

Jurists ask PM to take his hands off judiciary - Today's Zaman

Top business group head warns that Turkey may slip into ‘police state’ - hurriyetdailynews.com

Erdogan declares war on Gulen's 'empire of fear’ - AFP

Ruling AKP moves to expel deputy known for close ties with Gülen movement - hurriyetdailynews.com

European Parliament calls on Turkey to preserve impartial judiciary amid graft probe - Today's Zaman

Turkish intelligence agency MIT denies claims over Paris killings but launches internal probe - hurriyetdailynews.com

Investigative reporter Baransu exposed the spy agency MIT illegally profiled opposition party members & relayed the confidential memo to Erdogan - Twitter / abdbozkurt

Benghazi weapons shipped to Syrian rebels through Turkish IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation - larouchepac.com

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Syria News - Jan 16

Western intelligence talking to Damascus about the jihadist threat, Syrian minister says - BBC News

VIDEO: Interview: Western intelligence talking to Damascus about the jihadist threat, Syrian minister says - BBC News

European Spies Reach Out to Syria to Share Information on Jihadists - WSJ.com

VIDEO: European Spies Reach Out to Syria to Share Information on Jihadists - WSJ.com

Flow of Westerners to Syria Prompts Security Concerns - NYTimes.com

The Spanish Foreign Fighter Contingent in Syria - Combating Terrorism Center at West Point

Syrian rebels kill Belgian commander linked to al Qaeda’s ISIS: activists - Reuters

Canadian killed in Syria: Calgary man, 22, joined fight after converting to Islam - National Post

Syria's Assad slams Saudi Wahhabi ideology as 'threat to world' - Yahoo News

Syria’s internal political opposition may not attend Geneva II - Al-Monitor

US to stop financing Syrian opposition if it refuses to go to Geneva - The Voice of Russia

Kerry pledges another $380M in humanitarian aid for Syria - TheHill

VIDEO: Kerry Announces Aid Package for Syrians - NBCNews.com

New analysis of rocket used in Syria chemical attack undercuts U.S. claims - MiamiHerald.com

UN Chief Urges Syrian Opposition to Join Talks - ABC News

U.N. says it abandons aid delivery after Syria insisted on dangerous route - Reuters

Syria: UN agency determined to reach starving Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus - United Nations News Centre

Hamas urges militants to leave Damascus Palestinian camp - AFP

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Turkey/Syria News - Jan 15

Turkish police detain at least 23 in anti-al-Qaeda operation, after the raids two anti-terror police unit chiefs were dismissed - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkey cracks down on Islamic charity İHH suspected of arming Al Qaeda affiliates in Syria (VIDEO) - CSMonitor.com

Profile: Islamic charity IHH, a significant actor in the global jihadist movementy - The Long War Journal

Policemen relieved of duties following discovery of ammunition on buses heading from Turkey to Syria - Today's Zaman

Interior Ministry approves lists for new wave of police purges - Today's Zaman

Turkey president urges shift in Syria policy - Yahoo News

Turkish PM to show ‘no mercy’ to ‘group’ behind graft probe - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkish gov't to ‘freeze’ judicial bill if opposition agrees to charter change on key body - hurriyetdailynews.com

'Gov't must await Constitutional Court approval to implement HSYK law' - Today's Zaman

Former graft prosecutor Öz files formal complaint against PM Erdoğan after ‘threat’ claims - hurriyetdailynews.com

New graft prosecutors request unfreeze of suspects' assets - Today's Zaman

Supreme State Council able to try Turkish Armed Forces commanders - Today's Zaman

Gülen to file criminal complaint over illegal wiretapping - Today's Zaman

US, EU step up pressure on Turkey over judicial independence - hurriyetdailynews.com

Brussels asks Turkey to be consulted to ensure judicial bill in line with EU legislation - hurriyetdailynews.com

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Turkey's Intelligence Agency MİT denies any link to Paris killings of Kurds - Today's Zaman

Voice recording suggests MİT ordered killings of PKK members in Paris - CİHAN

AUDIO: Tape released allegedly features Paris killings suspect voice - ANF

TRANSCRIPT: Full transcript of alleged Paris killings suspect Ömer Güney recording - ANF

Following the audio recording, leaked “secret" document could link Turkish MIT to the Paris assassinations (Document text translated) - The Kurdistan Tribune

Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) at center of political storm - Al-Monitor

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U.S., Russia call for trust-building moves ahead of Geneva talks such as prisoner exchanges, localized cease-fires and an end to blockades - The Washington Post

VIDEO: Kerry, Lavrov zero in on ceasefire in Syria - Yahoo News

U.S. Presses Syrian Opposition to Join Talks - NYTimes.com

Vatican urges Syria ceasefire as Kerry visits - Yahoo News

VIDEO: John Kerry talks Syria with Pope's aide - Yahoo News

Ambassador Ford to opposition: Geneva II without preconditions or guarantees - ZAMAN ALWSL #syria

Syrian opposition holds firm to Geneva II preconditions - ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

Syrian Coalition: Political Solution Impossible Without Assad's Departure - Syrian National Coaltion

Syrian Coalition: Participation in Geneva II Will Be Dependent On the Response of the International Community to Our Basic Demands - Syrian National Coaltion

Syrian Coalition: Russia’s And Assad’s Attitudes To The Syrian Revolution Are Identical - Syrian National Coaltion

The Politics of the Islamic Front 1: Structure and Support - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The names of the Syrian government delegation to Geneva leaked - all4syrian

The Baath Battalions Move Into Damascus - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

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Regime advances near Aleppo, ISIS tightens grip on Raqqa - THE DAILY STAR

ISIS Kills Nusra Front Emir in Raqqa - The Syrian Observer

Syria: How Did Raqqa Fall To The Islamic State of Iraq & ash-Sham? - EA WorldView

ISIS ihadists seize Syria town near Aleppo, execute 60 - Yahoo News

ISIS car bomb kills 8 rebels at Syria checkpoint - THE DAILY STAR

ISIS is planning to assassinate Massoud Barzani: source - Kurdpress News Aganecy

Two Christians beheaded by ISIS in Idlib in Syria - OrthoChristian.Com

Italian Jesuit Priest Kidnapped By ISIS In Syria Being Held In Prison - YALLA SOURIYA

More proof of ISIS torture of Kurds - Transnational Middle-East Observer

VIDEO: Three “spies" are executed by the Mujahideen: western Homs - LiveLeak.com

VIDEO: al Nusra Front terrorists beheading a syrian citizen+Subtitles - LiveLeak.com

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Damascus: Yarmouk Starves as Relief Convoys Attacked by Rebels - Al Akhbar English

VIDEO: Yarmouk residents waiting for the promised aid today that never arrived - YouTube

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Syria/Turkey News - Jan 13

Friends of Syria group urges opposition to attend Geneva talks - Reuters

US: Syria peace talks test credibility for parties - NewsObserver.com

For Russia, terrorism is priority at Syria conference - Al-Monitor

'Syria’s destiny concerns us' - Lavrov to Jarba - The Voice of Russia

Jarba Says 'Friends of Syria' Agree No Role for Assad and Family in Country Future - Naharnet

Damascus steps up economic measure ahead of Geneva talks, reports revealed that a new line of credit between Syria and Russia will be signed soon - Globaltimes.cn

Kurds should demonstrate they can control own regions: PYD official - Kurdpress News Aganecy

Aleppo's Kurds: Living Under Siege - Al Akhbar English

Officials: Efforts to lift Yarmouk siege have failed - Maan News Agency

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Qaeda-linked ISIS regains ground in northeast Syrian city of Raqqa - Reuters

Al Qaeda's ISIS unit executes dozens of rivals in Raqqa -activists

ISIS has summarily executed 100 Ahrar ash-Sham captives in ar-Raqqah north of Syria - Ahrar ash-Sham Media Office

16 ISIS suicide attacks target Syria rebels in one week - GlobalPost

Syrian opposition and ISIS continue Idlib battle - ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

Activists: Nearly 700 dead in Syrian rebel clashes - The Washington Post

VIDEO: Claim of Mass Grave Discovered At ISIS HQ Near Al Burayj, Aleppo - YouTube

VIDEO: Convoy of the pro-ISIS Liwa Dawood, including four T-72 & T-62 tanks, 4 BMP-1 armoured vehicles, and 13 more vehicles - YouTube

Protesters attack Sharia Committee headquarters in Saqba - Syria Newsdesk

Syria activists freed from dungeons breathe new life - Saudi Gazette

New ISIS Leaks Reveal Particulars of al-Qaida Strategy - Syria Comment

Pressed in Syria, Jihadists sneak into Iraq - Azzaman English

Syria's civil war being fought with fighters high on drugs - Telegraph

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Punches fly as Turkish MPs debate judicial reform - Reuters

VIDEO: Turkish bizarre: MPs throw tablets, punchs and a kick in heat - YouTube

Turkish PM slams opposition, head of judges association over session marred by brawl - hurriyetdailynews.com

Erdoğan blasts judge who was kicked by AK Party lawmaker - CİHAN

CHP asks Parliament to punish AK Party deputy for flying kick - CİHAN

Tens of thousands protest against Tayyip Erdogan - thenews.com.pk

VIDEO: Thousands protest corruption in Turkey - YouTube

VIDEO: Police fires tear gas and water cannon at anti-government protesters - CNN

Turkey will push ahead with judicial reforms, says Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - The Guardian

HSYK opposes gov’t proposal, say planned changes violate Constitution - CİHAN

Witch hunt in bureaucracy draws ire: McCarthyism creates collateral damage - Today's Zaman

Parents of former graft prosecutor say son targeted for ‘doing justice' - Today's Zaman

Protecting "Qaeda financier" al-Qadi may come with a big price tag for Erdogan - Today's Zaman

CHP proposals to eradicate corruption get support from analysts - Today's Zaman

Power struggle between Erdogan and Gul heats up - New Straits Times

Turkey's power struggle affects Kurdish issue - Al-Monitor

In Scandal, Turkey’s Leaders May Be Losing Their Tight Grip on News Media - NYTimes.com

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Syria News - Jan 12

500 reported killed in rebel infighting in Syria - The Boston Globe

Rebels clash in north Syria, bodies pile up in hospital -monitors - Reuters

Rebels, ISIS jihadists in fierce battle at Syria's Saraqeb - GlobalPost

Rebels make gains in western countryside of Aleppo against Al Qaeda's ISIS - ZAMAN ALWSL

FSA Claim Control of Northern Syrian Town of Addana from ISIS - ibtimes.co.uk

Tens freed from ISIS prison in Addana near Idlib - ZAMAN ALWSL

ISIS advance on Syria's Raqqa, on the back foot in parts of Aleppo and Idlib: activists - ZAMAN ALWSL

Raqqah: ISIS takes over the Tal Abyad border crossing with Turkey after clashes with the Islamist movement - Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Al-Qaeda Leaks from a Former Leader of ISIS: Baghdadi and Golani Fight Over the Levant Emirate - Al Akhbar English

Syrian troops seize rebel-held town north of Aleppo and push toward the second city, taking advantage of fighting between rebels and jihadists - GlobalPost

Syrian army purges holy shrine of militants near Damascus - PressTV

Syria Militants Said to Recruit Visiting Americans to Attack U.S. - NYTimes.com

Al-Qaeda-Linked Groups Desecrate Churches In Syria - Eurasia Review

PHOTO: A whole family: mother, daughters, son & aunt were killed by "rebels" - Syrian Perspective

PHOTO: Children Hassan Hishmeh, Fayez Hishmeh & their mother Sanaa were killed by the "Islam Army" in Adra - Syrian Perspective

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Syria opposition groups to form new coalition - Qatar Tribune

Syrian Opposition Issues Cordoba Declaration For 'Assad-Less Transition' - haberler.com

Syrian Coalition: Assad Monopolizes Terrorism Industry in the Region - Syrian National Coaltion

Sarah: Russia Blocking the UNSC Statement Is an Attempt Divert Geneva II’s Focus - Syrian National Coaltion

The Istanbul-based Syrian interim government seeks to form new Free National Army unifying FSA and Islamic Front - ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

White House press secretary: no decisions have been made yet regarding the resumption of nonlethal assistance" to Syrian rebels - TheHill

Iran will not attend Syria peace talks: U.S. officials - chicagotribune.com

UN has not invited Kurds to Geneva II: Salih Muslim - Kurdpress News Aganecy

BDP asks Ban Ki-Moon to invite Syria Kurds to Geneva II - Kurdpress News Aganecy

Interview with Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Selahattin Demirtas: PYD’s ‘Third Way’ is Best Option for Syria - Rudaw

Why Rebel Groups Fighting Each Other Are Still Fighting Together against the PYD, a Kurdish militia group Near Qamishli - Syria Deeply – Syria News

Kurdish female fighters in Syria: We preserve dignity - aranews.org

Syrian Electronic Army Targets Microsoft Twitter Accounts With Hacks - mashable.com

Syrian Electronic Army takes over Xbox social media accounts - TechGeek

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Food, medical shortages kill Palestinians in Syria - Globaltimes.cn

Abbas: those who entered Palestinian camps to fight are betrayers of Palestinian Cause- SANA, Syria

PHOTO: Starving children in Palestinian camp Yarmouk - Syrian Perspective

UN food program chief says large swathes of eastern Syria had become even harder to access due to hard-line Islamist rebels - Catholic Online

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Turkey News - Jan 11

Turkey's top judicial board HSYK confronts gov’t on move for more control describing it as “unconstitutional" - hurriyetdailynews.com

Which Constitutional Articles Does The HSYK Bill Violate? - en.haberler.com

AK Party takes action to prevent police chiefs being investigated by HSYK - Today's Zaman

Turkey Parliamentary Speaker launches probe over reports that ombudsman threatened graft prosecutor on behalf of PM Erdoğan - hurriyetdailynews

New draft law grants immunity to Telecommunications Directorate personnel - Today's Zaman

Changes by the the ruling Justice and Development Party to Internet law may lead to censorship, analysts say - CİHAN

Erdogan pushing Internet censorship forward - DW.DE

Vimeo blocked in Turkey, raising concerns over freedom of expression - Today's Zaman

Turkey's ruling AKP worried about new graft probes before local polls - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkish police seize buses carrying weapons near Syria border: media - Reuters

PYD a threat to Turkey: Ahmet Davutoglu - Kurdpress News Aganecy

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Syria/Turkey News - Jan 10

Syria opposition under pressure to attend Geneva II talks - AFP

Syrian opposition groups holds first unified meet ahead of Geneva talks including National Coalition, domestic opposition and Islamic Front - Reuters

Syria Rebels Schooled in Tactics Before Talks With Assad - Bloomberg

Syrian National Coalition On Brink Of Collapse - NPR

Coalition Fears Rival Body has Support From Islamic Front - The Syrian Observer

Syrian Coalition: Temporary Resignations are Attempts to Express Personal Views - Syrian National Coaltion

UN Secretary asks Coalition leader to confirm attending Peace Conference ASAP - ZAMAN ALWSL

Russia regrets part of Syrian opposition setting terms for participating in Geneva-2 - The Voice of Russia

Rouhani says Syria talks will fail without Iran - THE DAILY STAR

Iraq Is New Schism for Saudis in Strained Alliance With West - Businessweek

Radicals make al-Assad look less evil, The regime and ISIL are in a partnership backstage: Turkish FM - hurriyetdailynews.com

Syria’s War Economy - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

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ISIS fighting back in north Syria against rebels groups - Yahoo News

Car bomb near a school in Syria Shia village kills up to 18, mostly women and children - latimes.com

Rebel mortar attack near a mosque in Syria's Homs kills 7 - Xinhua | English.news.cn

Syria Reports 2 Rebel Attacks on Chemical Arms Sites - NYTimes.com

At least 45 Syrian rebels killed by Syrian army in Homs fighting - Yahoo News

VIDEO: 40 killed rebels in Homs confirmed by National Defense Forces video - YouTube

Islamic Front Expels Al-Qaeda Militants from Al-Bab, Aleppo - The Syrian Observer

Islamist rebels seize HQ of ‘Iraq and The Levant’ in Al Dana, Idlib - ZAMAN ALWSL #syria

Three citizen-journalists among hostages executed by ISIS - Reporters Without Borders

Journos tell of mock execution horror in Syria - The Local

VIDEO: Freed Prisoners Speak About Islamic State of Iraq’s Torture & Executions - EA WorldView

UN warns on Syria's Yarmouk camp, Syria State media says aid convoy 'blocked' by rebels, at least 15 have died from hunger - THE DAILY STAR

Truce between rebels and government in Barzeh district enters into force, life comes back - ZAMAN ALWSL #syria

A table of the most up-to-date estimates of the numbers of Westerners who have fought and died in the Syrian insurgency - The Murphy Raid

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Global Persecution of Christians Doubled In 2013, With Syria Accounting For Half Of Killings - btimes.com

Lebanon Christian Library with 80,000 Books Is Burned Down After Owner Was Falsely Accused of Insulting Islam, Mohammed (PHOTOS) - TheBlaze.com

Tripoli mobilizes after historic Christian library torched - THE DAILY STAR

VIDEO: Syria/Aleppo - Alleged Christian Armenian converted to Wahhabi-Islam - LiveLeak.com

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US concerned about Turkey`s crisis, urges a system "where no one is above the law and allegations against public figures are investigated impartially" - AFP

EU members concerned over graft probe purges - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkey government’s move to reshape the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors most likely annulled by the Constitutional Court - hurriyetdailynews

Ruling AKP deputy likens Turkish prosecutor Öz’s fate to prosecutor found dead at home - hurriyetdailynews.com

Police Department has denied reports of a reduction in the number of bodyguards protecting graft prosecutor Öz,- Today's Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news

CHP leader says greater corruption claims to emerge in upcoming days - Today's Zaman

POLL: Turkey’s Erdogan Sees Support Slide - WSJ

POLL: New survey indicates Turkish people support secular democracy - Today's Zaman

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Syria/Turkey News - Jan 9

Syrian rebel groups seize Al Qaeda-linked ISIS headquarters in Aleppo - Fox News

ISIS militants kill at least 50 prisoners, 300 escape in ISIS’s main headquarters in Kadi Askar in Aleppo - ZAMAN ALWSL

10 media activists among those prisoners killed by Al Qaeda affiliate ISIL in Aleppo (VIDEO-Funeral) - ZAMAN ALWSL

VIDEO: Prisoners Executed by Jihadists' in Syria's Aleppo - YouTube

Ex-ISIS detainees tell horror stories of captivity - THE DAILY STAR

VIDEO (Arabic): Interview with journalist detained by ISIS in Aleppo - YouTube

ISIS besieged by opposition fighters in Raqqa, Activists say 50 prisoners freed from militant compound in city - ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

VIDEO: Prisoners liberated from ISIS in Raqqa - YALLA SOURIYA

Al Nusra Front Leader in Syria Urges Truce and Islamic Court to End Rebel Infighting - NYTimes.com

AUDIO: Statement from Jabhat al-Nusra leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani calling for an immediate cessation of infighting - jihadology

Al Qaeda- linked ISIS vows to attack Syrian rebels, opposition leaders - Reuters

AUDIO: The ISIS spokesman, replying to al-Joulani’s call for a cessation of “in-fighting”, says that “jihad is the only way... through blood, flesh, and skulls” - YouTube

Syria: Truce Between ISIS’s Abu Umar al-Shishani & Ahrar ash-Sham On Eastern Front in Aleppo Province (VIDEO) - EA WorldView

VIDEO: The leader of the FSA-aligned Syrian Revolutionaries Front (SRF), discussed his organization's recent campaign against ISIS - YouTube

Hostilities between rebels groups and ISIS have affected at least 40 separate municipalities, with ISIS having lost control of as many as 24 - Foreign Policy

Pushing Back Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant: The Syria Revolutionaries’ Front and the Mujahideen Army - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Pushing Back Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant: The Islamic Front - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

2 Swedish journalists freed in Syria amid concern for hostages - McClatchy

PLO Official: Al-Nusra and ISIS among factions preventing Yarmouk siege relief - ZAMAN ALWSL #syria

Survivor recounts how terrorists beheaded a youth on Homs-Marmarita road - Syrian Truth - English

VIDEO: Decapitation video - YouTube

VIDEO: Islamic State in Iraq Execute Syrian Truck Drivers (Not Sure if Repost) - LiveLeak.com

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Syria opposition delays decision on Geneva peace talks until Jan 17 - AFP

Coalition presidential polls, Geneva peace talks spark resignations - THE DAILY STAR

Hijab and Sabbagh quit National Coalition in serious escalation - ZAMAN ALWSL

Divisions and Accusations Behind Jarba Re-election - The Syrian Observer

Islamic Front to blacklist Geneva II participants - ZAMAN ALWSL

Kerry seeking cease-fire, aid for Syria - KansasCity.com

German foreign minister backs inviting Iran to Syria meet - AFP

Saudis Back Syrian Rebels Despite Risks - NYTimes.com

Kuwaiti Charity Tied To Global Muslim Brotherhood To Cordinate Kuwait’s Aid To Syrian Refugees - The Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Watch

International Appeal calling for Kurdish representation at Geneva II - ekurd

KNC Kurd leader elected as Syria Coalition deputy chief - Kurdpress News Aganecy

Elections to be held in Kurdish areas of Syria in four months - Transnational Middle-East Observer

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Turkish police purge reaches top ranks amid graft scandal - Reuters

Probe launched into police for not complying with court order - Today's Zaman

Turkish government moves for more control on judiciary - hurriyetdailynews.com

Graft prosecutor says threatened by officials dispatched by Erdoğan - Today's Zaman

Turkish army says military tutelage over - hurriyetdailynews.com

Insight: 'Earth is gold' - graft probe turns eyes to Turkey building boom - Reuters

Meet Corruption Probe Suspect Rıza Sarraf, the Great (Turkish) Gatsby - Vocativ

VIDEO: Leak Video of Ex-Ministers brother-in-law while receiving bribe money - YouTube

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Turkey/Syria News - Jan 8

Turkish PM Erdogan hit by allegations of son’s meeting with ‘Al Qaeda financier' suspected in a scandal over the sale of public land - The National

PHOTO: Erdoğan's son meets 'Al Qaeda financier' - Twitter / reportturk

More on Erdogan’s Son Caught with 'Al-Qaeda Financier' - Alex Jones' Infowars

'Al Qaeda financier' Yasin al-Qadi escorted by PM's security detail, daily reports - Today's Zaman

Hundreds of Turkish Police Officers Reassigned Amid Graft Scandal - NYTimes.com

Turkish police detain 25 in tender rigging investigation - Today's Zaman

MİT warned PM about relationship between ministers and Zarrab who is currently under arrest as part of a major investigation into alleged corruption and bribery - Today's Zaman

CHP leader to PM: Did you warn ministers about MİT report? - Today's Zaman

CHP: Turkish PM Erdoğan to stand before judges one day - hurriyetdailynews.com

Bahçeli accuses prime minister of reckless misconduct while in office - Today's Zaman

Turkey declares vanishing truck to Syria 'state secret' - Al-Monitor

Turkish FM: Truck intercepted in Hatay was carrying aid to Syria's Turkmen - Today's Zaman

Syria peace meet must seek future without al-Assad: PM Erdoğan - hurriyetdailynews.com

Turkish mediation to heal rift within Syrian key opposition: source - ZAMAN ALWSL

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They Never Announce When You Prevent a War

Syria/Turkey News - Jan 24

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Should Syria’s Future Be Decided by Men With Guns?

MIT Report by Former UN Weapons Inspector: U.S. Claims on Syria Were False

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