Skip to main content

Syrian crisis: Keeping up with key developments

By CNN Staff
September 9, 2013 -- Updated 1807 GMT (0207 HKT)
A mother comforts her baby in an area where she and her family have taken shelter after fleeing their village turned battlefield in Syria's Idlib province on Sunday, September 22. More than 100,000 people reportedly have been killed in Syria since a popular uprising spiraled into a civil war in 2011. Syria has agreed to a Russian-U.S. timeline for the removal of its chemical weapons, but the plan has to be sanctioned as a U.N. resolution. Click through to view the most compelling images taken since the start of the conflict: A mother comforts her baby in an area where she and her family have taken shelter after fleeing their village turned battlefield in Syria's Idlib province on Sunday, September 22. More than 100,000 people reportedly have been killed in Syria since a popular uprising spiraled into a civil war in 2011. Syria has agreed to a Russian-U.S. timeline for the removal of its chemical weapons, but the plan has to be sanctioned as a U.N. resolution. Click through to view the most compelling images taken since the start of the conflict:
HIDE CAPTION
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
Syrian civil war in photos
<<
<
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
>
>>

(CNN) -- Congress is returning to Washington on Monday after a monthlong summer break to jump right into debate and votes on a resolution giving President Barack Obama the authorization to strike Syria.

Obama said there's no doubt that Syria used chemical weapons on its own civilians on August 21, and he wants to launch attacks, but he first wants to get Congress' approval.

Here are the latest developments Monday:

Latest developments

• State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said Monday that classified information will help persuade lawmakers to back authorization for military force in Syria.

• The United States will take a "hard look" at a Russian proposal for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to put his nation's chemical weapons under international control, but "we have some serious skepticism" about whether al-Assad would follow through, Harf said. Saying this has emerged amid a threat of military action, Harf said Monday that al-Assad has resisted efforts to get rid of chemical weapons and this development could be a stalling tactic.

• National Security Adviser Susan Rice said Monday that failing to respond to the chemical weapons attacks in Syria would send a "perverse message": "You can use these weapons blatantly and just get away with it," she said.

• Rice said that only the al-Assad regime had "the capacity" to use chemical weapons in the August 21 attack in the Damascus area. "There's no doubt about who is responsible for this attack," she said Monday.

Diplomacy

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia will urge Syria to put its chemical weapons supply under international control if it will avert U.S. military action.

• Syria "welcomes" Russia's proposal, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said in Moscow on Monday.

• A U.S. official called Secretary of State John Kerry's remarks in Britain on Monday a "major goof," saying Kerry "clearly went off script here." The official was referring to Kerry's assertion that al-Assad "could turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons" to avoid potential U.S. military action. "There is no one in the administration who is taking this Syria proposal seriously," the official said.

• Al-Assad "could turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week," Kerry said during a news conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, before Moallem's statement. "But he isn't about to do it, and it can't be done, obviously."

• Al-Assad told CBS's Charlie Rose that "you should expect everything" if there's an attack. "The government's not the only player in this region. You have different parties, different factions, different ideologies. You have everything in this decision now," he said.

• Lavrov called for international talks in Moscow to promote a peace process for Syria and avert an American military strike. He blamed U.S.-backed rebels in Syria for preventing a peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

• Kerry said it is al-Assad who will not negotiate as long as he is not prevented from using chemical weapons. Despite American support for militarily targeting the regime's ability to use chemical weapons, Kerry said, "The end to the conflict in Syria requires a political solution. There is no military solution."

• Moallem said his government questioned "the aim of this aggression that seeks to degrade the capability of the Syrian army in favor of al Qaeda and its affiliates."

• British Foreign Secretary William Hague said his country and the United States are aligned in four areas: creating conditions for a Geneva peace process, addressing the humanitarian tragedy, supporting the moderate Syrian opposition and "mustering a strong international response to the use of chemical weapons."

• U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that he is considering urging the Security Council to demand the Syrian government immediately hand over its chemical weapons to be destroyed.

• A top Obama administration official says he believes that the congressional votes favoring a military strike against Syria will be there "at the end of the day." The goal of a strike would be to "deter" and "degrade" al-Assad's "ability to use chemical weapons," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told CNN's "New Day."

• The Syrian president and his regime used chemical weapons, Rhodes argued. "No doubt in our mind," he said. "We're going to show Bashar al-Assad there are consequences for the use of these weapons."

American public opinion

• A CNN/ORC International poll shows that even though eight in 10 Americans believe that the al-Assad regime gassed its own people, a strong majority doesn't want Congress to pass a resolution authorizing a military strike against it.

• More than seven in 10 say that such a strike would not achieve significant goals for the U.S., and a similar amount say it's not in the national interest for the U.S. to get involved in Syria's bloody two-year-long civil war, the poll says.

U.S. Congress

The House and Senate are in session at 2 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to take the first procedural steps to overcome an anticipated filibuster over whether to officially take up the Syria resolution.

• Obama will give a preview of his address to the nation when he does a round of interviews with major TV and cable outlets. CNN's Wolf Blitzer will report on his interview with the president on "The Situation Room."

• All House members get an intelligence briefing from Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Rice will also brief members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

• Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, said he understands the citizenry's skepticism over military action and said it would be a "horrible mistake" to move ahead without winning '"enough votes" and "confidence" in Congress.

• Rogers said chemical weapons pose a "serious problem" and pointed to "national security consequences for the United States." He said Congress needs to focus on the "consequences of doing something and the consequences of not doing something."

"What I hope happens this week is we have that dialogue, that discussion and that debate as we should as members of Congress about national security issues."

• Sen. John McCain criticized Kerry's comment that a Syria strike would be "unbelievably small." In a Twitter message, McCain called the comment "unbelievably unhelpful."

He was referring to Kerry saying, "We're not going to war. We will not have people at risk in that way. We will be able to hold Bashar al-Assad accountable without engaging and troops on the ground or any other prolonged kind of effort, in a very limited, very targeted, very short-term effort that degrades his capacity to deliver chemical weapons without assuming responsibility for Syria's civil war. ... That is exactly what we're talking about doing. Unbelievably small, limited kind of effort."

CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

ADVERTISEMENT
Part of complete coverage on
Syrian crisis
September 16, 2013 -- Updated 1331 GMT (2131 HKT)
Now comes the real test. Of Syria's sincerity. Of Russia's resolve. Of America's gamble. Get up to speed on the latest developments.
September 22, 2013 -- Updated 1931 GMT (0331 HKT)
Fawaz Gerges speaks with Fredricka Whitfield about the General Assembly meeting this week to talk about Syria and Iran.
September 20, 2013 -- Updated 1027 GMT (1827 HKT)
A former sniper position on slopes of mount Trebevic gives a view of Bosnian capital Sarajevo, on April 2, 2012. Bosnia on Friday marks 20 years since the start of a war that has left the country's Muslims, Serbs and Croats deeply divided.
A panel of experts discusses whether the Bosnian conflict is really a model for the current crisis in Syria.
September 19, 2013 -- Updated 0313 GMT (1113 HKT)
Despite the dangers many Arab cartoonists face, some of the region's more contentious countries are having a political satire renaissance.
September 16, 2013 -- Updated 0158 GMT (0958 HKT)
Increasing numbers of Syrian children are suffering from malnutrition as vital supplies are cut off, as CNN's Arwa Damon reports.
September 15, 2013 -- Updated 2219 GMT (0619 HKT)
CNN's Ivan Watson reports on how al Qaeda-linked militants from outside have joined rebel fighters in Syria.
September 11, 2013 -- Updated 1236 GMT (2036 HKT)
Megan Bradley says the global community must help to keep borders open for fleeing refugees and the aid displaced still in Syria.
September 11, 2013 -- Updated 0440 GMT (1240 HKT)
In his speech about Syria Tuesday night, President Obama tried to make a graceful turn on a fast-moving platform.
September 16, 2013 -- Updated 1842 GMT (0242 HKT)
More than 2 million Syrians have fled their country, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
September 11, 2013 -- Updated 0132 GMT (0932 HKT)
Facing the threat of U.S. military action, Syria has said it welcomes a Russian proposal to hand over its stockpiles of chemical weapons.
September 10, 2013 -- Updated 0711 GMT (1511 HKT)
The younger brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is described by analysts as someone even more brutal than his sibling.
September 6, 2013 -- Updated 1033 GMT (1833 HKT)
Majid Rafizadeh asks how this reserved child and Western-educated ophthalmologist misgoverned Syria.
September 8, 2013 -- Updated 1611 GMT (0011 HKT)
From the Western Front to Iraq, chemical weapons have been used when armies get bogged down and commanders get frustrated.
September 8, 2013 -- Updated 0045 GMT (0845 HKT)
Part of the story behind the Syrian crisis is that Bashar al-Assad has had trouble changing the old ways of his father.
September 6, 2013 -- Updated 2224 GMT (0624 HKT)
The Syrian civil war has birthed rebel groups across a wide ideological and geographic spectrum.
How did Syria go from an internal uprising to a wider clash drawing funding and fighters from across the region? In a word, Middle East experts say, religion.
August 31, 2013 -- Updated 1122 GMT (1922 HKT)
For 13 years, Bashar al-Assad has governed Syria, for the last two, he's faced repeated calls from inside and outside the country for his resignation.
August 28, 2013 -- Updated 0226 GMT (1026 HKT)
CNN's Fred Pleitgen obtains exclusive video footage of the aftermath of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria.
August 29, 2013 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT)
As the Syrian civil war rages on, the president's high-profile wife, Asma, has kept a low profile.
ADVERTISEMENT