President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, which has been ravaged by conflict for almost three years, said Monday his country is being confronted by a major offensive by Islamist extremists. "The country is facing a takfiri ideology," Assad said, using a term for Sunni Muslim extremists....

  The only way to be assured that Syrian chemical weapons will not be used in the future is not through a military strike but through a successful international effort. Regardless of the  postponed congressional vote regarding the use of military force...

 More than 300 people have been killed in a week of air raids on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and nearby towns by President Bashar Assad’s forces, a monitoring group said on Monday. Many of the casualties, who included scores of women and children, were...

  At least 32 Nusra Front gunmen were killed in east Lebanon in a weekend ambush sprung by Hezbollah fighters, a senior security source said Monday, adding that a member of the Lebanese group was also killed in ensuing fighting. The ambush took place early Saturday...