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OPEC Cutback
OPEC, the Arab oil-producing nations, announced they would begin cutting back on oil exports to Western nations and Japan. The next day, the five Arab members of the OPEC committee were joined in Kuwait by the oil ministers of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, and Syria. The result was a total embargo that lasted until March 1974 and caused oil prices to quadruple. During the OPEC oil embargo oil prices were increased fourfold. The US experienced a gasoline shortage. -
President Nixon visit to Middle East
Pres. Nixon returned from a 9-day visit to the Middle-East, where he met with leaders of Egypt, Syria, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. -
US Attack on Syria
US jet fighters struck Syrian anti-aircraft positions in Lebanon in retaliation for Syrian-backed attacks on the US peacekeeping force. The Syrian anti-air defense shut down two American airplanes and a pilot was captured. The positions of the Marines at the Beirut International Airport were bombarded. Eight Marines were killed. -
Cease-fire Production by US Secretary of State
US Sec. of State Warren Christopher helped produce a cease-fire between Israel and the Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon. In the “April Understanding” Israel, Lebanon, France, Syria and the US agreed that Lebanese and Israeli civilians would not be targeted in Hezbollah’s drive to end Israel’s occupation. -
US Congress lay out conditions for Mideast negotiations
In a tough speech to the US Congress laying out conditions for Mideast negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Syria and the Palestinians stop terrorists from attacking Israel. -
US Accuses Syria of Chemical Weapons Program
The Clinton administration claimed that Syria has an active chemical weapons program and has armed missiles with the nerve gas sarin. -
Middle East funds Terrorist groups
The US State Dept. annual report on terrorism listed Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria as sponsoring terrorism groups. -
Madeleine Albright Help Resume Peace Negotiations Between Israel and Syria
Israel and Syria agreed to resume peace negotiations following a visit by Madeleine Albright to Damascus. -
Syria and Israel reopen Negotiations in Washington
With President Clinton’s close mediation, Syria reopened peace talks with Israel in Washington. -
Clinton Opens Peace Talks Between Syria and Israel in West Virginia
Pres. Clinton opened peace talks between Syria and Israel in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. -
Clinton has dinner with PM of Israel and Foreign minister of Syria
Pres. Clinton had dinner with Israeli PM Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa. It was the 1st time in half a century that the Israeli and Syrian leaders had shared a meal but no agreement on peace talks was expected. -
Peace Talks end between Syria and Israel without coming to an agreement on new borders, etc.
Peace talks between Israel and Syria recessed in West Virginia without agree-ment on new borders or any other major elements of a land-for-peace treaty. -
Clinton announces talks between the Syria and Israel postponed
The Clinton administration announced that talks between Israel and Syria had been postponed indefinitely. -
Clinton fails to get President of Syria to resume talk with Israel
Pres Clinton met with Pres. Assad of Syria in Geneva but failed to get an agreement to revive peace talks with Israel. -
US State Dept report countries that support terrorism
A US State Dept. annual report on efforts to combat terrorism listed Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria as state sponsors for terrorism. The report indicated a shift from the Middle East to South Asia with Afghanistan and Pakistan listed as threatening. -
Palestinian Immigrant released from Jail
Mazen Al-Najjar, a Palestinian immigrant who had taught at the Univ. of South Florida, was released following 3½ years in jail on secret evidence. He still faced deportation and was suspected of having ties with the Syrian-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad. -
US requests Lebanon and Syria to extradite Palestinian
The US asked Lebanon and Syria to extradite Palestinian and Lebanese Shiites suspected of terrorism in the past 20 years. -
16 Syrian, Jordanian and Lebanese citizens arrested
It was reported that at least 16 Syrian, Jordanian and Lebanese citizens were arrested in Paraguay in the wake of the Sep 11 terrorist attacks in the US. -
Nuclear Posture Review
The Bush administration sent a secret report to Congress, the "Nuclear Posture Review," that said the Pentagon needs to be prepared to use nuclear weapons against 7 nations: China, Russia, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Libya. A furor erupted when it was leaked to the press in March. -
US immigration officials seize Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian
The CIA questioned him and then handed him over to Syrian intelligence where he was held and tortured for 10 months before being released. The case came to be called an instance of "torture by proxy." In 2006 a Canadian government report said the US "very likely" sent the software engineer to Syria, where he was tortured, based on the false accusations by Canadian authorities that he was suspected of links to al-Queda. -
US cuts off oil flow between Iraq and Syria
US forces about this time cut off oil flow from Iraq to Syria. Oil flow had reached 130,000 barrels a day providing both countries over $10 million a month in profits. -
Farouk Hijazi is Delivered to Syria by US forces
Farouk Hijazi, who once helped run Saddam Hussein's intelligence service and was linked to al-Qaida, was delivered by Syria to US forces. -
Bush administration orders sanctions on Syria
The Bush administration ordered economic sanctions against Syria for supporting terrorism. Food and medicine were excepted. -
Bush Adminstration claims $3 billion of Saddam's former government
Bush administration officials said some $3 billion of Saddam Hussein's former government was being held in Syria and Lebanon. -
Syria reject US pressure for $250 million of Saddam's regime
Syria continued to reject US pressure to hand over an estimated $250 million that Saddam Hussein's regime had deposited there. -
Bush calls for economic penalties against Syria
Pres. Bush signed legislation calling for economic penalties against Syria for not doing enough to fight terrorism. -
John Kerry meets with Syria's president
Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry met with Syria's president and said he was hopeful that strained U.S.-Syrian relations could be improved. -
Syria and Iran join forces
Syria and Iran announced a united front amid perceived US threats. -
Bush appeals to Europe and the Middle East
In Brussels President Bush appealed to Europe to move beyond animosities over Iraq and join forces in encouraging democratic reforms across the Middle East. He also prodded Russia to reverse a crackdown on political dissent, demanded that Iran end its nuclear ambitions and told Syria to get out of Lebanon. -
Capture of Saddam Hussein's half-brother and former adviser
Iraqi security forces reported the capture of Saddam Hussein's half-brother and former adviser. Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, the 6 of diamonds, was No. 36 on the list of 55 most-wanted Iraqis. Syria captured al-Hassan and 29 other fugitives and handed them over to Iraqi security. 2 American soldiers were killed in an ambush in the capital. -
Bush orders Syria to leave Lebanon
President Bush demanded in blunt terms that Syria get out of Lebanon. -
Bush insists Syria leave Lebanon after 30 year occupation
President Bush said authoritarian rule in the Middle East had begun to ease, and he insisted anew that Syria had to end its nearly three-decade occupation of Lebanon. -
Coalition soldiers fight insurgents near Qaim
Coalition soldiers fought suspected insurgents near Qaim, a Syrian border town, in a battle that killed 12 militants, injured a 6-year-old girl and wounded six coalition soldiers. -
Syria cuts off military and intelligence cooperation with US
Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha said Syria has cut off military and intelligence cooperation with the US over the last 10 days amid strains in relations between the two countries over the insurgency in Iraq. -
Israel accuses Syria of test firing 3 Scud Missiles
According to Israeli sources Syria test fired 3 Scud missiles, one of which broke up over two Turkish villages causing no injuries, in an act of defiance to the US and the UN. Syria denied the charges. -
Suicide bomber detonates in crowd of Iraqi army recruits
A suicide attacker detonated an explosives belt in a crowd of Iraqi army recruits in Rabiya near the Syrian border, killing at least 52 and wounding 93. After the blast, US and Iraqi troops opened fire believing they were under attack. Some of the army recruits were killed by the gunfire. -
UN demands Syria close offices of Islamic Jihad and prevent terror actions
The US joined with the UN, Russia and the EU in demanding Syria immediately close the offices of Islamic Jihad in Damascus and prevent use of its territory for terror actions. -
UN resolution demand Syria to assist with invetigation of Lebanese leader murder
A UN resolution sponsored by the US, France and Britain demanded that Syria assist fully with a probe into the February killing of former Lebanese leader Hariri. The P-5 ambassadors (the five permanent council nations) from the US, Russia, China, Britain and France, conducted intense negotiations to try to reach agreement on the resolution. -
US and Iraqi troops launch attack on insurgent fighters from Syria
Iraqi and US troops, trying to stem the flow of insurgent fighters from Syria, launched a dawn assault on a border town killing some 50 militants. This continued Operation Steel curtain begun on Nov 5. Police in Baghdad said a car bomb detonated near one of their patrols outside a gate leading into the fortified Green Zone, killing two South Africans. -
Bush orders Asef Shawket's assets be frozen
Pres. Bush ordered assets of Asef Shawkat, head of Syria’s military intelligence, to be frozen and barred trade with him because of violent meddling in Lebanon. -
Armed Islamic militants attempt to take the US Embassy
In Syria armed Islamic militants attempted to storm the US Embassy. Four people were killed, including three of the assailants. One of Syria's anti-terrorism forces was killed and 11 other people were wounded. -
Iraq restores diplomatic relations with Syria
Iraq restored diplomatic relations with Syria as part of a wider regional effort to clamp off violence in Iraq. Iraqi and US forces raided Baghdad's Sadr City and detained seven militia members, including one believed to have information about an American soldier kidnapped last month. A young boy and two other people were killed in the early morning raid. A US soldier died of a non-hostile injuries north of Baghdad. -
Iraq Study Group calls for complete overhaul of US policy in Iraq
The top-level bipartisan Baker-Hamilton panel, the Iraq Study Group (ISG), called for a complete overhaul of US policy in Iraq. This included talks with Iran and Syria, a withdrawal of most combat troops by 2008, and threats to press Iraqi leaders to quell violence. -
Jordanian military court sentences 3 Syrians & 1 Iraqi to death
A Jordanian military court convicted three Syrians and one Iraqi and sentenced them to death for firing rockets at two US warships in August 2005. -
Syrian President said he was ready to talk with US
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he was ready for dialogue with the United States but warned Washington against giving Damascus orders. -
Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after being falsely labeled
Canada apologized to software engineer Maher Arar, who was deported to Syria by US agents after Canadian police mistakenly labeled him an Islamic extremist, and paid him C$10.5 million ($8.9 million) in compensation. -
Syria-US cooperation is last chance to avoid civil war in Iraq
Syria’s President Bashar Assad said cooperation, and negotiations, between Syria and the US could be the "last chance" to avoid full-scale civil war in Iraq. -
Syria claims to paticipate in Baghdad-organized conference
Syria said it would participate in a Baghdad-organized conference of Iraq's neighbors that the US plans to attend. Iran said it was considering whether to take part. -
Syria US hourse members claim belief in opportunity for dialogue
In Syria US House members meeting with President Bashar Assad said they believed there was an opportunity for dialogue. -
Bush denounces Democrats for spring break and HS Nancy Pelosei's Syria trip
President Bush denounced Democrats for going on spring break without approving money for the Iraq war; he also criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria. -
HS Nancy Pelosi speak with Syria's leader pressing for elimination of Syria suppoert for militant groups
In Damascus US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with Syria's leader despite White House objections, saying she pressed President Bashar Assad over his country's support for militant groups and passed him a peace message from Israel. -
Secretary of State meets with Syria's foreign minister for first time in high-level talks in years
In Egypt a conference of nearly 50 nations opened at Sharm el-Sheik to rally international support, particularly from Arab nations, for an ambitious plan to stabilize Iraq. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Syria's foreign minister in the first high-level talks between the two countries in years. Hours after the chief military spokesman in Iraq said Syria had moved to reduce "the flow of foreign fighters" across its border. -
Iraqi Intelligence officer claims 70% of fighters in Iraq come from Gulf Countries (1)
An Iraqi intelligence officer alleged in a published report that 70% percent of insurgents fighting in Iraq come from Gulf countries via Syria where they are provided with forged passports. A suicide bomber walked into a packed market café in the town of Mandali, and blew himself up, killing 15 people and wounding 20 others. A suicide bomber (17) blew himself up in the house of two brothers who were supporting a Sunni alliance opposed to al Qaida in the Anbar province, killing 10 people, includi -
Iraqi intelligence officer claims 70% of fighters in Iraq come from Gulf Countries (2)
ing the men, their wives and their children. A parked car bomb exploded in a parking lot in Jbala, killing three civilians and wounding 15 others. Gunmen drove into a commercial area in central Baghdad and opened fire on shops, killing four civilians and injuring 14 others. US-led forces discovered a cache of Iranian money and bomb-making equipment during a raid in the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad. Two suspected militants were killed in the raid and 19 others detained. At least 10 -
Iraqi Intelligence Officer claimes 70% of fighters in Iraq come from Gulf Countries (3)
4 people were killed in sectarian violence or found dead, including 32 who died in suicide bombings. US authorities examined a body found in a river south of Baghdad and identified it as Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., one of three US soldiers seized in an ambush on May 12. 2 US soldiers were killed during combat operations in Anbar province. -
National Salvation Front protested against Syrian Government
In Washington, DC, some 100 supporters of Syria’s largest exile opposition group, the National Salvation Front, gathered outside the Damascus embassy to protest against the government of Pres. Assad. -
Monzer al-Kassar was arrested in Spain
In Spain Monzer al-Kassar (61), a Syrian arms dealer previously accused of arming militants from Iraq to Somalia, was arrested on suspicion of plotting to send millions of dollars worth of weapons to Colombian rebels. A federal indictment unsealed in NYC said al-Kassar has provided weapons and military equipment to violent factions in Nicaragua, Brazil, Cyprus, Bosnia, Croatia, Somalia, Iran and Iraq. Tareq Mousa al Ghazi and Luis Filipe Moreno Godoy, also included in the indictment, were arrest -
Los Angeles Time reports percentage of foreign militants birth country
The Los Angeles Times reported that about 45 percent of all foreign militants targeting US troops and Iraqi security forces were from Saudi Arabia, 15 percent from Syria and Lebanon, and 10 percent from North Africa. -
Syrian president tells Iraq to make a timetable for withdrawal of troops (2)
least 7 people and wounding more than 20. Thousands rallied against the US in Sadr City, waving Iraqi flags and shouting "No, no to America." -
Syrian president tells Iraq to make a timetable for withdrawal of troops (1)
Iraq's embattled PM Nouri al-Maliki came to Syria on his first visit here as prime minister amid efforts to garner neighbors' support for curbing violence at home. Syria said Iraq should set a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops. A roadside bomb killed Mohammed Ali al-Hassani (52), the governor of the predominantly Shiite Muthanna province, along with his driver and guard. Two bombings struck the Shiite district of Sadr City and a busy market district elsewhere in Baghdad, killing at -
US lawmakers apologize to Maher Arar for was tortured and imprisoned falsely
US lawmakers offered apologies to Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian, who was deported in 2002 by US counterterrorism officials to Syria, where he says he was imprisoned and tortured. -
Syria's state-run media calls on US to begin direct dialogue
Syria’s state-run media called on the US to begin a direct dialogue, a day after an influential US senator said Washington could "bridge the gap" between Israel and Syria. -
US impose sanctions on owner of tv station in Syria and leader of Iranian Quds Force
The US imposed sanctions on Mishan Jaburi, owner of Al Zawra television in Syria, and Brig. Gen. Ahmed Foruzandeh, leader of the Iranian Quds Force, for broadcasting attacks on American troops and calls to violence. Jaburi, a former parliamentarian in Iraq, had fled to Syria in 2006 amid charges that he had embezzled millions from Iraq’s treasury. The BBC said the station was last seen July 27. -
42 people are killed across Iraq
At least 42 people were killed across Iraq. A roadside bomb hit a bus traveling in southern Iraq, killing at least 16 civilians, while gunmen opened fire on another bus in the capital, leaving one person dead. The Pentagon said up to 90% of the foreign fighters in Iraq cross from Syria. -
President Jimmy Carter makes a trip to Syria
Former US Pres. Jimmy Carter arrived in Syria where he met Pres. Bashar Assad, the political leader of the militant Palestinian Hamas group and Syrian businessmen. -
Jimmy Carter meets with Khald Mashaal and Moussa Abu Marzouk
In Syria defying US and Israeli warnings, former President Jimmy Carter met again on with Khaled Mashaal, the exiled leader of the militant Hamas group, and his deputy, Moussa Abu Marzouk. -
Syria dismisses US accusations of NK helping build Nuclear Reactor
Syria dismissed US accusations that North Korea was helping it build a nuclear reactor that could produce plutonium. Israeli warplanes bombed a site in Syria on Sept. 6, 2007, that private analysts said appeared to have been the site of a reactor, based on commercial satellite imagery taken after the raid. Syria later razed the site. -
US Embassy in Madrid said suspected Monzer al-Kassar extradited to US
The US Embassy in Madrid said suspected Syrian arms dealer Monzer al-Kassar was extradited to the US. He was arrested in Spain in June 2007 as part of a US sting operation. The United States said he had plotted to buy weapons for leftist rebels in Colombia. -
Two American journalists kidnapped by taxi driver and brought to Syria
Two American journalists, Holli Chmela (27) and Taylor Luck (23), who went missing during a vacation in Lebanon eight days ago were released in Syria and returned to Jordan. The next day they said they had been "kidnapped" by their taxi driver and taken into Syria, where they were held in custody for a week before being released. -
Four US helicopters attack a civilian building in Syria
under construction shortly before sundown in Sukkariyeh about five miles inside the Syrian border. A government statement said eight people were killed, including a man and his four children and a woman. An Associated Press journalist at the funerals in the village's cemetery saw the bodies of seven men, none of them minors. The area targeted is near the Iraqi border city of Qaim, which had been a major crossing point for fighters, weapon and money coming into Iraq -
Syrian government orders an American school in Damascus be closed
The Syrian government ordered that an American school and a US cultural center in Damascus be closed in response to a deadly raid by US helicopters near the Syrian border with Iraq. -
Jimmy Carter makes another trip to Syria
In Syria former US President Jimmy Carter met with Khaled Mashaal, the exiled leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, for the second time this year. -
US Government Accountability Office released a report on sponsors
The US Government Accountability Office released a report saying 4 countries designated a terrorism sponsors received $55 million from a US supported program promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy under the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation program. Between 1997 and 2007 Iran received over $15 million, $14 million went to Syria, while Sudan and Cuba received over $11 million each. -
Syria rejects Obama administration's decision to renew sanctions
Syria rejected the Obama administration's decision to renew economic and diplomatic sanctions against Damascus and urged Washington to abandon "foolish polices." -
Two Syrian detainees are transported from Guantanamo prison
Portugal said it has agreed to take two Syrian detainees from Guantanamo prison. -
2 Syrians formerly held at Guantanamo Bay arrive in Portugal
Portugal’s government said 2 Syrians previously held at Guantanamo Bay have arrived in Portugal as free men. -
Syria and Iran defend strong ties
Syria and Iran defended their strong ties and dismissed US efforts to break up the 30-year-alliance, saying America should not dictate relationships in the Middle East. -
US renews sanctions against Damascus
The US renewed sanctions against Damascus, saying Syria has made some progress containing terror networks that use the country to infiltrate Iraq but that Damascus continues to support terrorists and pursue weapons of mass destruction. -
Obama byspasses Congress to name first US ambassador in Syria in 6 years
President Barack Obama bypassed Congress to name the first US ambassador to Syria in nearly six years. Obama took the controversial step of forcing through the appointments of Ambassador Robert Ford and five other officials while the Senate, which normally needs to confirm nominations, was out of session. -
Syria's first American Ambassador in 6 years arrives in Syria
Syria’s first American ambassador since 2005 arrived in Damascus at a time of regional turmoil and with Syrian-US relations still mired in mutual distrust. -
Syrian army shells residential areas in Homs
The Syrian army shelled residential areas in Homs, the country's third-largest city, leaving at least 10 dead as part of an offensive to crush demonstrations against President Bashar Assad's rule. An official, who was not identified, said two soldiers were killed and five wounded during confrontations. Al-Jazeera said that Dorothy Parvaz, one of the network's journalists with extensive connections in the US and Canada, has been sent to Iran following her detention last month in Damascus. -
US puts sanctions on Syrian President
The US slapped sanctions on Syrian Pres. Bashar Assad and six of his senior officials for human rights abuses. -
Obama hits 7 companies for violating US ban on Iran
The Obama administration hit seven foreign companies, including Venezuela' state-owned oil company and an Israeli shipping firm, for engaging in trade with Iran in violation of a US ban. At the same time, the administration imposed separate sanctions on more than 15 people and companies in China, Iran, North Korea, Syria and elsewhere for illicit trading in missile technology and weapons of mass destruction. -
Syrian soldiers open fire on tens of 1000s of protesters
Syrian activists said troops and tanks stormed the town of Khan Sheikhon in the northern province of Idlib amid heavy gunfire. Syrian soldiers opened fire on tens of thousands of protesters who flooded the streets shouting "We will not kneel!" Security forces killed at least 15 protesters. The US stepped up calls for a global trade embargo on oil and gas from Syria. Four people were killed in Aleppo as security forces attacked protesters. -
US federal grand jury charges man with 6 counts for spying
A US federal grand jury charged Mohamad Anas Haitham Soueid (47) with six counts for spying on activists in the United States and Syria opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Soueid of Leesburg, Va., was arrested on Oct 11. -
Security forces in Syria kill 4 people in Homs
Syrian security forces killed four people in Homs, while government troops clashed with gunmen believed to be defectors from the military. The US pulled its ambassador, Robert Ford, out of Syria, saying threats against him make it no longer safe for him to remain. -
2 US senators request investigation of companies monitoring activities in Syria
US Senators Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Robert Casey, D-Pa., sent a letter to the State and Commerce departments requesting an investigation into companies whose technology has been used to monitor activities of Syrian citizens. US companies included NetApp Inc. and Blue coat Systems Inc. of Sunnyvale, Ca. The Syrian Internet surveillance project, headed by the Italian company Area, was designed to intercept and catalog virtually every e-mail flowing through Syria. -
US closes its embassy in Damascus
in a dramatic escalation of pressure on President Bashar Assad to give up power. Activists said shells slammed into a makeshift medical clinic and residential areas in Homs, killing at least 23 people in the third day of a new offensive on the epicenter of the country's uprising. Another 10 people were reported killed elsewhere. State-run news said that gunmen killed three soldiers and captured others at a checkpoint in the Jabal al-Zaw region of Idlib province. -
Syrian Forces renew assault on Homs (2)
ations. Other Western powers including Britain, the United States and Italy have called back their top envoys in the wake of new violence. -
Syrian forces renew assault on Homs (1)
Syrian forces renewed their assault on the flashpoint city of Homs as Russia's foreign minister stressed the need for reform and dialogue during talks in Damascus with President Bashar Assad about the country's escalating violence. Activists reported that at least 15 people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed in violence across the country. The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council said it is pulling its ambassadors from Syria. France said it is recalling its ambassador to Syria for consulta -
NY Times journalist dies from asthma attack as preparing to leave for Syria
NY Times journalist Anthony Shadid (b.196), a Lebanon-born 2-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, died from an apparent asthma attack as he prepared to leave Syria. -
Two journalists are killed while fleeing bombardment from Syrian Forces
In Syria veteran American war correspondent Marie Colvin (57) of Britain's Sunday Times and freelance French photojournalist Remi Ochlik (28) were killed while fleeing a bombardment in the besieged rebel city of Homs. Freelance photographer Paul Conroy and journalist Edith Bouvier of Le Figaro were wounded. 24 others were also killed in Homs. Syrian citizen journalist Rami al-Sayyed, who provided live footage on the Internet from Baba Amr, was also killed.