http://cryptogon.com…
August 21st, 2008
Via: MINA:
The Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” is ready to head from Murmansk towards the Mediterranean and the Syrian port of Tartus. The mission comes after Syrian President Bashar Assad said he is open for a Russian base in the area. The “Admiral Kuznetsov”, part of the Northern Fleet and Russia’s only aircraft [...]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/…
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appears to be keeping his options open
Kevin O’Flynn in Moscow and James Hider, Middle East Correspondent
Syria raised the prospect yesterday of having Russian missiles on its soil, sparking fears of a new Cold War in the Middle East. President Assad said as he arrived in Moscow to clinch a series of [...]

http://www.alternet.org/…
By Center for Constitutional Rights
Posted on August 14
The following is a release by the Center for Constitutional Rights.
August 14, 2008, New York — The Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued an extremely rare order that the case of Canadian rendition victim Maher Arar would be heard en banc by all of the active judges on [...]

http://www.haaretz.com/…
By Haaertz Service
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday refrained from saying the U.S. would prevent Israel from mounting a much-touted attack against Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear aspirations.

http://www.afp.com/…
PARIS (AFP) - Lebanon and Syria said on Saturday that they had agreed to establish diplomatic relations, opening embassies in each others’ capitals for the first time since their independence from colonial rule.

http://www.iht.com/…
The Associated Press
Friday, June 6, 2008
MOSCOW: Russia’s parliament on Friday ratified an agreement to write off nearly three-quarters of Syria’s roughly US$14 billion (?9 billion) debt from the Soviet era.
The State Duma, the lower house, registered its approval of the 2005 deal and a 2007 supplement in a 401-40 vote.
According to the law passed by [...]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…
By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 6, 2008; A10
The Department of Homeland Security inspector general’s office has reopened its investigation of the government’s treatment of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian who, after being falsely named as a terrorist, was seized in September 2002 and sent to Syria, where he was tortured.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/…
Tue May 27, 6:54 PM
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday dismissed Israeli demands that Syria abandon an alliance with Iran as a requirement for a peace deal.

http://www.reuters.com/…
Sun May 25, 2008 1:47pm EDT
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran’s defense minister hailed his country’s “strategic ties” with Syria on Sunday, just days after Israel called on Damascus to distance itself from Tehran, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/…
By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer
Fri May 9, 5:37 PM ET
The Bush administration accused Iran and Syria on Friday of fueling ongoing violence in Lebanon by inciting members of the radical Shiite Hezbollah movement to take up arms against the country’s western-backed government.