MESOP SYRIA COVERAGE – THE WEEK / Click for Full Texts

On Sunday, the crisis in Syria escalated withrockets falling on Beirut – an apparent jab at Hezbollah, in protest of support for President Bashar al Assad. We looked at the battle that sparked the escalation (In Qusayr, the Gloves are Off) and ran an oped from Joyce Karam on Hezbollah in Syria (Brace for a Long Conflict).
We
featured a profile of the Syrian Electronic Army and spoke to Syria’s Neighboring Civilians as the Conflict Spills Over. We heard about cartoonist Ali Ferzat’s Sarcastic Revolution and went One on One with Kelly McEvers, Beirut Bureau Chief for NPR. Mohammed Sergie’s Social Media Buzz looked at Extremists in the Spotlight, in YouTube videos, while the Brown Moses blog sent us an item Delving Into Detail on Chemical Weapons. Jenan Moussa of Al Aan TV shared Syria’s Untold Story, from her speech at the Oslo Freedom Forum.

As always, to help you review, here’s our day-by-day roundup of Syria headlines this week:

Monday: Offensive on Qusayr Deepens; Warm Weather Could Threaten Syrian Refugees; Tensions Over Syria Convulse Lebanese City of Tripoli

Tuesday: Regime Names Negotiating Team for Peace Talks; Sudden Halt in Syria Refugees to Jordan; Israel, Syria Exchange Cross Border Fire

Wednesday: Opposition Urges Rebels to Join Qusayr Battle; Friends of Syria Meet as Conflict Escalates; World Bank Boosts Funds for Refugees

Thursday: Syria-Linked Clashes inTripoli; Turkey Shuts Syria Border Crossing After Deadly Bombs; Kerry Warns Assad Against Rejecting Political Solution

Friday: Opposition Leader Moaz al-Khatib Suggests Transition Plan as Qusayr Battle Rages On; Syrian Regime ‘Will Attend Geneva Peace Talks’