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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Heavy New Pressure on Syria's Bashar al-Assad

    Army defectors attacked a military intelligence building in Syria today as pressure builds on dictator Bashar al-Assad to stop killing his own people...

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    By Warren Olney • Nov 16, 2011 • 50m Listen

    Army defectors attacked a military intelligence building in Syria today as pressure builds on dictator Bashar al-Assad to stop killing his own people. Would outright civil war serve his interests or those of a divided opposition? Also, US Marines head to Australia to balance China's power, and the Republican race for the presidential nomination's become a roller coaster with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich the latest to be on a rise. We talk with one of his former aides.

    Banner image; Delegates assemble during a meeting comprising of Arab league member states and Turkey to discuss a response to the crackdown in Syria, in Rabat on November 16, 2011. Photo by Abdelhak Senna/AFP/Getty Images

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:00

      US Marines Head to Australia to Balance China's Power

      In Australia today, President Obama announced that 250 US Marines will be stationed in that country, with plans to increase their number to 2500. The President said the rotations for joint training and exercises will "bring our militaries even closer and make them even more effective."

      Read the story
      8 min
    2. 7:42

      Violence, Protest and Regional Pressure: What's Next for Syria?

      Syrian army defectors reportedly attacked notorious Air Force intelligence sites near Damascus today, although reports are sketchy and hard to confirm. The Arab League is meeting in Morocco to uphold its suspension of Syria and find other ways to isolate the regime. Turkey, a non-Arab neighbor, is there.

      Read the story
      36 min
    3. 43:20

      The Ups-and-Downs of Gingrich and the GOP Presidential Field

      While Mitt Romney stays at the top of the pack, a series of Republican presidential contenders has risen and fallen as polls show that likely voters are politically fickle. The latest to move up is Newt Gingrich , with a possible backlash as what political pros call his "negatives" rise to the surface.

      Read the story
      7 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Caitlin Shamberg

      KCRW

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Katie Cooper

      Producer, 'One year Later'

      NewsNationalPolitics

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:008 min

      US Marines Head to Australia to Balance China's Power

    2. 7:4236 min

      Violence, Protest and Regional Pressure: What's Next for Syria?

    3. 43:207 min

      The Ups-and-Downs of Gingrich and the GOP Presidential Field

    Back to To the Point