Caught Between Al Qaida And Iran, U.S. Struggles Over Syria Conflict -- Hannah Allam, McClatchy News
WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON The bloodshed in Syria has continued for so long that extremist forces have taken charge, with U.S. officials saying they now face two familiar enemies in the struggle to find a resolution: al Qaida in Iraq cells and Iranian-backed sectarian militias.
Those groups were responsible for thousands of American and Iraqi casualties during the eight years U.S. forces fought them next door in Iraq. Now, U.S. officials and some analysts say, the Sunni Muslim extremists of al Qaida have regrouped in Syria as the Nusra Front, the leading rebel faction fighting President Bashar Assad’s regime. The Syrian military, meanwhile, is relying increasingly on backup from the thuggish pro-Assad militias known as shabiha, elements of which receive Iranian training and funding, U.S. officials say.
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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
Tipping Point for Syria’s Assad -- P.J. Crowley, Daily Beast
Intervention in Syria risks blowback -- Seumas Milne, Gulf News
Syrian rebel infighting could take dangerous turn if Assad falls -- Tom peter, Christian Science Monitor
A hollow victory likely in Egypt -- The Australian
Why Is Israel On a Settlement-Construction Spree? -- Michael J. Koplow, The Atlantic
Egypt’s Referendum: As Second Vote Nears, National Unity Nowhere in Sight -- Ashraf Khalil, Time
A Tough Woman in a Tough Job -- Gi-Wook Shin and David Straub, New York Post
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Peace in Afghanistan: Will Pakistan Play Ball? -- Robert Dreyfus, The Diplomat
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Why Has Moscow Passed a Law to Ban U.S. Adoption of Russian Orphans? -- Simon Shuster, Time
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