Fighters loyal to al Qaida have opened up a new offensive against a U.S.-backed rebel group that once escorted U.S. Sen. John McCain into northern Syria, according to Internet postings and news accounts. The Islamic State of Iraq and Sham, an al Qaida affiliate whose fighters come from a...

He who listens to some of the Syrian opposition leaders’ conditions for attending the Geneva II conference can tell how distant they are from the difficult political reality. One of them announced a list of demands and said those organizing the Geneva II conference must fulfill these demands...

Alarmed by the rise of al Qaeda in Syria, Saudi Arabia is trying to strengthen rival Islamists with ties to Riyadh and this week helped engineer a consolidation of rebel groups around Damascus under a Saudi-backed leader. That might bolster the opposition militarily as President Bashar...

The  United Nations  is shifting its aid effort for  Syria  to prepare for long-term help to neighbouring countries to cope with the humanitarian crisis, the head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday. More than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria's...