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Middle East

Syria Cracks Down On Southern City

There are reports of heavy gunfire in Daraa, the southern Syrian city that has become a symbol of the uprisings against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Residents there say the Syrian army stormed a mosque that was a rallying point for anti-regime demonstrators. Kelly McEvers, who is following the story from Beirut, discusses the latest developments with host Guy Raz.

Syria Cracks Down On Southern City

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U.N.-Led Syria Probe A Win For U.S. Diplomacy

Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-Wha Kang of Korea speaks during a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Friday. The council agreed to launch an urgent investigation into Syria's bloody crackdown on protests. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

World

U.N.-Led Syria Probe A Win For U.S. Diplomacy

The UN Human Rights Council voted Friday to investigate Syria's bloody crackdown on protesters. The action gives the Obama administration a reason to argue the council was worth joining, despite critics who say it's not worth the effort.

U.N.-Led Syria Probe A Win For U.S. Diplomacy

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Iran Suddenly Turns Silent As Protests Spread In Syria

Syrian anti-government protesters demonstrate in Banias on April 29, the "Day of Rage" called by activists to pile pressure on President Bashar Assad as his regime enacted a violent crackdown on dissent. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Iran Suddenly Turns Silent As Protests Spread In Syria

Iran's government supported the protests in Bahrain, Yemen and Egypt, but it fears losing an ally if Syrian President Bashar Assad falls. Among other benefits, the Syrian connection is crucial for Iran's relationship with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran Suddenly Turns Silent As Protests Spread In Syria

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World

U.N. Human Rights Council Condemns Syrian Violence

Michele Norris interviews Ambassador Eileen Donahoe, the United States representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council, about the council's meeting regarding Syria. She says the action by the international community sends a strong message to the Syrian government that it cannot mistreat its people — and sends messages to the protesters that they are not alone.

U.N. Human Rights Council Condemns Syrian Violence

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Witness Describes Syrian Crackdown On Protesters

Syrian tanks and troops descended on Daraa Monday, clamping down on protests and bringing life there to a standstill. Melissa Block speaks with a resident of Daraa, Syria, about the situation there.

Witness Describes Syrian Crackdown On Protesters

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Protesters Take To The Streets In Syria

Despite a massive country-wide security crackdown, thousands of Syrians took to the streets in several cities and towns Friday, calling for the overthrow of the government.

Protesters Take To The Streets In Syria

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Members Of Syria's Baath Party Resign In Protest

There are some signs of cracks in the regime of Syria's President Bashar al Assad. More than 200 members of the ruling Baath Party have resigned to protest the government's violent crackdown on demonstrators. Hundreds of protesters have been killed in recent weeks.

Members Of Syria's Baath Party Resign In Protest

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Africa

Hard Times For Libya Refugees In Egypt

Egypt has come under harsh criticism for the way it's dealing with migrant workers who fled the fighting in eastern and western Libya. There are 600 asylum seekers and thousands more third-country nationals who are living at the border.

In Egypt, Libyan Refugees Find Tough Conditions

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Fatah, Hamas Deal Could Affect Mideast Peace Process

Israeli left- and right-wing activists demonstrate in Tel Aviv on April 21, when prominent leftist Israeli intellectuals signed a petition in favor of creating a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. Ariel Schalit/AP hide caption

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Ariel Schalit/AP

News

Fatah, Hamas Deal Could Affect Mideast Peace Process

Palestinian officials are preparing to seek a resolution from the U.N. General Assembly declaring statehood. Israeli officials have criticized the idea — and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no hope for peace with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas.

Fatah, Hamas Deal Could Affect Mideast Peace Process

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Fatah, Hamas Reach Deal To End Rivalry

The infighting between rival Palestinian groups has been going on for years. On Wednesday, members of Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement on reuniting their governments in the West Bank and Gaza.

Fatah, Hamas Reach Deal To End Rivalry

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Syrian Expatriates Discuss Recent Violence

As the tanks roll into to the suburbs of Damascus and opposition activists release reports of more deaths at the hands of President Bashar Assad's regime, Syrians in neighboring countries say their families back home are beginning to turn against Assad.

Syrian Expatriates Discuss Recent Violence

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Do The Threats In Syria Have Muscle?

European countries are trying to exert pressure on the regime in Syria as the Syrian government escalates its bloody crackdown on protesters. More than 400 people have been killed since protests began nearly six weeks ago. European Union countries summoned Syrian ambassadors Wednesday and warned they could impose sanctions and freeze assets if the killing continues. For more on the situation in Syria, Melissa Block speaks with Ted Kattouf. He is a former U.S. ambassador to Syria and now president and CEO of AmiEast, a non-profit dedicated to education, training and development in the Middle East.

Do The Threats In Syria Have Muscle?

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Obama's Foreign Policy: The First Two Years

President Obama delivers his address on Libya at the National Defense University in Washington on March 28, 2011. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Opinion

World

Obama's Foreign Policy: The First Two Years

Fresh Air

The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza details President Obama's response to the ongoing uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. He explains why the president's actions — in Egypt and then in Libya — say a great deal about the administration's larger foreign policy ideology.

Obama's Foreign Policy: The First Two Years

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Protesters Want Changes To Syria's Power Structure

The Assad family, which has ruled Syria for the last 40 years, belongs to the Alawite religious sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam. It includes only 12 percent of the country's population. Syria expert Joshua Landis talks to Steve Inskeep about how the family has maintained its power.

Protesters Want Changes To Syria's Power Structure

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