Salon.com > Dale Gavlak

Obama re-election signals new phase in Syria war

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:30:00 +0000

ZAATARI, Jordan (AP) — Within hours of President Barack Obama's re-election the deadlocked Syrian conflict moved into a new phase Wednesday, with Britain's prime minister urging the U.S. to join him in working directly with Syrian rebels and Turkey saying Washington has discussed protecting a safe zone inside Syria with Patriot missiles.

The changes would mark a profound shift in Western efforts to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, and indicate that leaders have been waiting for the result of the U.S. presidential election before embarking on a new strategy to end the civil war that has killed more than 36,000 people.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, visiting a camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan, said the U.S., Britain and other allies should do more to "shape the opposition" into a coherent force and open channels of communication directly with rebel military commanders. Previously, Britain and the U.S. have acknowledged contacts only with exile groups and political opposition figures inside Syria.

Meanwhile, a Turkish official said Turkey and allies, including the United States, have discussed the possibility of using Patriot missiles to protect a safe zone inside Syria.

Abbas defends unity deal against US criticism

Mon, 23 May 2011 17:18:25 +0000

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sought Monday to defend his new unity government with the militant Hamas movement, saying criticism by U.S. President Barack Obama represented a "wrong understanding" of the deal.

Abbas' comments followed talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in the Jordanian capital and were noted in a royal palace statement.

They were his first remarks on major speeches the U.S. president delivered in recent days.

Last week, Obama outlined his policy on the Middle East, roiled by popular Arab uprisings, and endorsed Israel's 1967 boundaries as the basis of negotiations for a future Palestine.

Hoping to revive stalled Israel-Palestinian peace talks, Obama addressed the powerful Jewish lobby group, AIPAC, in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. He repeated a request for the Palestinians drop their plans to appeal for U.N. recognition and raised concerns about an emerging Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas.

Abbas said that there was a misunderstanding of the unity government with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

"There is a wrong understanding of the government, that it is a power-sharing government between Fatah and Hamas," he told reporters after talks with Abdullah.