Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad (R) meets International peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus December 24, 2012 in this handout photograph released by Syria’s national news agency  BEIRUT (Reuters) – Kuwait will host an international conference next month to tackle Syria’s humanitarian crisis, the ruling emir said on Monday, as foes of President Bashar al-Assad voiced frustration with international efforts to end the civil war. In Damascus, special international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi metAssad but the Syrian opposition vented its anger at what it called a “silence” over the unabated killing of civilians by governmentforces, most recently in the central town of Halfaya. Assad is under growing pressure from … Continue reading Kuwait to host Syria crisis meeting, envoy meets Assad

MAFRAQ, Jordan — Encouraged by what they view as fatal setbacks to the Syrian regime, several thousand of an estimated 250,000 Syrian exiles in Jordan have left in recent weeks to join the rebellion in their homeland. The exodus has emptied hundreds of the safe houses, apartments and refu­gee tents that housed Syrians in Mafraq and other northern Jordanian cities, according to Syrian activists and Jordanian officials. Jordanian security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, said as many as 8,000 Syrians have crossed the border back into Syria … Continue reading Thousands of Syrians leave Jordan for the front lines