To the Point
Syria on the Sunni-Shia Fault Line
The rebellion against Syria's al-Assad regime have aroused hostilities between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. What are the consequences for the US and the rest of the Mideast.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenThe rebellion against Syria's al-Assad regime and its bloody response have aroused hostilities between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, a religious conflict that goes back hundreds of years. We hear how it's spreading from Syria to the rest the Middle East and what the consequences might be for a volatile region and for the United States. Also, the US makes its stealth raid over Korea well known, and the President wants Americans to tell Congress they want gun control but polls show the momentum is slowing down.
Banner image: A Free Syrian Army fighter mourns near the grave of his comrade who died in what the FSA said were clashes with forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, March 25, 2013. Photo by Trad al-Zouhouri//Shaam News Network/Handout
In this episode
3 storiesUS Makes Stealth Raid over Korea Well Known
Two American B-2 stealth bombers were anything but stealthy today on a 13,000-mile round trip from their base in Missouri to South Korea and over the Yellow Sea, where they dropped dummy bombs on a target range. A military press release said, "It demonstrates the US ability to conduct long range, precision strikes quickly and at will."
Read the story7 minViolence and the Politics of Religion in the Middle East
Two years of bloody violence against a brutal dictatorship in Syria have awakened the ancient rivalry between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. It's become a religious battle, pitting neighbors against each other in Syria and across the Middle East, and is accentuating hostilities between nations, including Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Read the story34 minThe President Speaks Out on Guns and Newtown, Again
One hundred days after the Newtown massacre, polls show that public support for gun control is declining, but President Obama is putting pressure on Congress with an appeal to Americans to demand action. At the White House today, he stood before police officers and victims of shootings.
Read the story9 min
