Middle East http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1009&ft=1&f=1009 Middle East news, arts, culture, and politics. Updates on Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Iran, OPEC, and the Persian Gulf states NPR streaming audio. Subscribe to the Middle East RSS feed. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Sat, 18 May 2013 15:09:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Middle East http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1009&ft=1&f=1009 Bashar Assad: A Political Solution In Syria Is 'Unreal' The Syrian president also left no room for his departure. "The captain of a ship doesn't flee when faced with a storm," he said during an interview with an Argentine newspaper. Sat, 18 May 2013 15:09:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/18/185094064/bashar-assad-a-political-solution-in-syria-is-unreal?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/18/185094064/bashar-assad-a-political-solution-in-syria-is-unreal?ft=1&f=1009 The Syrian president also left no room for his departure. "The captain of a ship doesn't flee when faced with a storm," he said during an interview with an Argentine newspaper.

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]]> U.N. Tries To Get Syria Peace Talks Back On Track U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, saying it is important not to "lose momentum" in the effort to convene a peace conference on Syria. Ban was only the latest in a string of foreign dignitaries who have come to Russia, seeking Putin's blessing for such a conference, expected to be held in early June. There's a lot at stake. Russia has been a long-time supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and continues to supply weapons to his regime. U.S. officials have said lately that those weapons include advanced missile systems for attacking ships and airplanes. If Assad already has such weapons, they could pose a real threat to international efforts to impose a no-fly zone, to deliver supplies to the rebels, or to maintain a maritime embargo. Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184845128&ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=184845128&ft=1&f=1009 U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, saying it is important not to "lose momentum" in the effort to convene a peace conference on Syria. Ban was only the latest in a string of foreign dignitaries who have come to Russia, seeking Putin's blessing for such a conference, expected to be held in early June. There's a lot at stake. Russia has been a long-time supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and continues to supply weapons to his regime. U.S. officials have said lately that those weapons include advanced missile systems for attacking ships and airplanes. If Assad already has such weapons, they could pose a real threat to international efforts to impose a no-fly zone, to deliver supplies to the rebels, or to maintain a maritime embargo.

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]]> Doctor: 'We Truly Are Failing The Syrian People' Stephen Cornish of Doctors Without Borders was recently in Syria. He talks to Audie Cornish about how medical personnel are managing to reach patients in the war-torn nation where he says there is a lack of respect for doctors on both sides of the conflict. Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184845130/doctor-we-truly-are-failing-the-syrian-people?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184845130/doctor-we-truly-are-failing-the-syrian-people?ft=1&f=1009 Stephen Cornish of Doctors Without Borders was recently in Syria. He talks to Audie Cornish about how medical personnel are managing to reach patients in the war-torn nation where he says there is a lack of respect for doctors on both sides of the conflict.

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]]> Young Gazan Men Get Unwanted Haircuts, Courtesy Of Police The Islamic group Hamas runs the Gaza Strip and controls the police force. A number of young men say police plucked them from the street and shaved their heads recently, apparently because the officers didn't approve of their hairstyles. Fri, 17 May 2013 10:39:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/17/184482964/young-gazan-men-get-unwanted-haircuts-courtesy-of-police?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/17/184482964/young-gazan-men-get-unwanted-haircuts-courtesy-of-police?ft=1&f=1009 The Islamic group Hamas runs the Gaza Strip and controls the police force. A number of young men say police plucked them from the street and shaved their heads recently, apparently because the officers didn't approve of their hairstyles.

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]]> Reports: Russia Sends More Missiles, Has Ships Near Syria Efforts to stop the war between the Assad regime and those trying to topple it could be set back again by Russia's actions, U.S. lawmakers say. Fri, 17 May 2013 07:04:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/17/184719440/reports-russia-sends-more-missiles-has-ships-near-syria?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/17/184719440/reports-russia-sends-more-missiles-has-ships-near-syria?ft=1&f=1009 Efforts to stop the war between the Assad regime and those trying to topple it could be set back again by Russia's actions, U.S. lawmakers say.

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]]> Underground Tunnels Feed Gaza's Hankering For KFC Gaza Strip residents rely heavily on smuggling tunnels to Egypt. Among many other goods, the passageways are reportedly bringing regular deliveries of fast food. Thu, 16 May 2013 15:51:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/16/184540179/Via-Underground-Tunnels-Feeding-Gazas-Hankering-For-KFC?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/16/184540179/Via-Underground-Tunnels-Feeding-Gazas-Hankering-For-KFC?ft=1&f=1009 Gaza Strip residents rely heavily on smuggling tunnels to Egypt. Among many other goods, the passageways are reportedly bringing regular deliveries of fast food.

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]]> Women In Combat: Some Lessons From Israel's Military The U.S. will soon begin to open combat positions to women. That's already the case in Israel, where women say it is an important step but doesn't guarantee full equality. The military's upper echelons remain male-dominated. Thu, 16 May 2013 12:26:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/16/180045066/Women-In-Combat-Lessons-From-The-Israel-Defense-Forces?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/16/180045066/Women-In-Combat-Lessons-From-The-Israel-Defense-Forces?ft=1&f=1009 The U.S. will soon begin to open combat positions to women. That's already the case in Israel, where women say it is an important step but doesn't guarantee full equality. The military's upper echelons remain male-dominated.

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]]> Ex-Ambassador To Iraq Weighs In On Talking To 'Monsters' As the death toll in Syria climbs and critics blast the Obama administration for not taking more decisive action, former ambassador Christopher Hill points instead to a failure of diplomacy in an op-ed in the <em>New York Times</em>. Hill talks about what the U.S. faces in facilitating talks between the regime and Syrian rebels. Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/184524658/ex-ambassador-to-iraq-weighs-in-on-talking-to-monsters?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/184524658/ex-ambassador-to-iraq-weighs-in-on-talking-to-monsters?ft=1&f=1009 As the death toll in Syria climbs and critics blast the Obama administration for not taking more decisive action, former ambassador Christopher Hill points instead to a failure of diplomacy in an op-ed in the New York Times. Hill talks about what the U.S. faces in facilitating talks between the regime and Syrian rebels.

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]]> Obama, Erdogan To Discuss Syrian Conflict Moving Into Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets President Obama at the White House on Thursday. Their talks will focus on the Syrian conflict. Erdogan has been pushing the U.S. to do more to resolve a conflict. Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/184399450/obama-erdogan-to-discuss-syrias-conflict-spilling-into-turkey?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/184399450/obama-erdogan-to-discuss-syrias-conflict-spilling-into-turkey?ft=1&f=1009 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets President Obama at the White House on Thursday. Their talks will focus on the Syrian conflict. Erdogan has been pushing the U.S. to do more to resolve a conflict.

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]]> For Some Syrians, A Trip To The Hospital Takes Days Syrian government troops are besieging the western town of Qusayr, a stronghold of rebel forces. For civilians and rebel fighters injured in the fierce clashes and intense aerial bombing campaigns in and around that Syrian border town, the nearest hospital is in another country: Lebanon. Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/184399452/for-some-syrians-a-trip-to-the-hospital-takes-days?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/184399452/for-some-syrians-a-trip-to-the-hospital-takes-days?ft=1&f=1009 Syrian government troops are besieging the western town of Qusayr, a stronghold of rebel forces. For civilians and rebel fighters injured in the fierce clashes and intense aerial bombing campaigns in and around that Syrian border town, the nearest hospital is in another country: Lebanon.

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]]> Syrian Minister: Removal Of Assad Means Destruction Of Syria Melissa Block talks with Syria's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Faisal Mekdad, about the upcoming international conference on Syria in Geneva and about the Syrian government's view of the civil war. Mekdad says the government of President Bashar al-Assad believes a peaceful settlement is necessary to solve the conflict in Syria. However, Mekdad says the replacement of President Assad "means destruction of Syria, means no international conference, and means support of terrorism." Mekdad says Syria will not participate in the conference with any preconditions. Wed, 15 May 2013 16:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184268553/syrian-minister-removal-of-assad-means-destruction-of-syria?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184268553/syrian-minister-removal-of-assad-means-destruction-of-syria?ft=1&f=1009 Melissa Block talks with Syria's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Faisal Mekdad, about the upcoming international conference on Syria in Geneva and about the Syrian government's view of the civil war. Mekdad says the government of President Bashar al-Assad believes a peaceful settlement is necessary to solve the conflict in Syria. However, Mekdad says the replacement of President Assad "means destruction of Syria, means no international conference, and means support of terrorism." Mekdad says Syria will not participate in the conference with any preconditions.

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]]> After Two Years In Hiding, A Bahraini Blogger Escapes Ali Abdulemam was perhaps the most prominent online activist in Bahrain when he went into hiding in March 2011 to avoid arrest. He recently escaped the Gulf nation and made his first public appearance in more than two years on Wednesday. Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/15/184193663/after-two-years-in-hiding-a-bahraini-blogger-escapes?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/15/184193663/after-two-years-in-hiding-a-bahraini-blogger-escapes?ft=1&f=1009 Ali Abdulemam was perhaps the most prominent online activist in Bahrain when he went into hiding in March 2011 to avoid arrest. He recently escaped the Gulf nation and made his first public appearance in more than two years on Wednesday.

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]]> Teaching The Rules Of War In Syria's Vicious Conflict War crimes are increasingly defining the conflict in Syria. But a recent workshop for opposition fighters held in southern Turkey hopes to teach them international humanitarian law that helps them be "Fighters Not Killers." Wed, 15 May 2013 13:36:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/183964565/teaching-the-rules-of-war-in-syrias-vicious-conflict?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/183964565/teaching-the-rules-of-war-in-syrias-vicious-conflict?ft=1&f=1009 War crimes are increasingly defining the conflict in Syria. But a recent workshop for opposition fighters held in southern Turkey hopes to teach them international humanitarian law that helps them be "Fighters Not Killers."

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]]> A Sign Of Disunity? Iranian Candidates Jockey For Position The country is gearing up for a presidential election next month, and the lack of a clear front-runner, analysts say, is a sign the political elite isn't united behind a single candidate. The late entrance of a former president, in particular, will likely alter the shape of the race. Tue, 14 May 2013 16:57:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/14/183967299/a-sign-of-disunity-iranian-candidates-jockey-for-position?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/14/183967299/a-sign-of-disunity-iranian-candidates-jockey-for-position?ft=1&f=1009 The country is gearing up for a presidential election next month, and the lack of a clear front-runner, analysts say, is a sign the political elite isn't united behind a single candidate. The late entrance of a former president, in particular, will likely alter the shape of the race.

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]]> For Palestinians, Google's Small Change Is A Big Deal Google unilaterally changed "Google: Palestinian Territories" to "Google: Palestine." Many Palestinians were thrilled, while Israel's Foreign Ministry questioned the move. Tue, 14 May 2013 16:25:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/183966785/for-palestinians-googles-small-change-is-a-big-deal?ft=1&f=1009 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/14/183966785/for-palestinians-googles-small-change-is-a-big-deal?ft=1&f=1009 Google unilaterally changed "Google: Palestinian Territories" to "Google: Palestine." Many Palestinians were thrilled, while Israel's Foreign Ministry questioned the move.

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