Syria Live Coverage: The Uncertainties Over Chemical Weapons

President Assad on Wednesday with families of those killed in the conflict

See also today's Israel, Palestine (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Obama Visits West Bank
Wednesday's Syria Live Coverage: Trading Blame Over "Chemical Attacks"
Syria Special: Assessing Tuesday's "Chemical Weapons Attacks"...and Who is Responsible

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1938 GMT: Whole Neighborhoods Leveled in Aleppo. In the last two days, many districts in Aleppo have been intensely bombed by Assad's airforce. By the end of last night, more than a dozen civilians were killed and dozens more injured as homes collapsed in the Sukary district, trapping many in the rubble.

Today, this video shows some of the devastation in the Tal Zarazir district, in the southwestern part of the city, close to Sukkary (map).

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Syria Special: Assessing Tuesday's "Chemical Weapons Attacks"...and Who is Responsible

Damage in the town of Khan al Asal, west of Aleppo

UPDATED at 1611 GMT.

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In the end, what evidence suggests that the insurgents did this? There is none, beyond the late-emerging claims of the regime and its supporters. On the other hand, there is evidence that the regime was firing missiles and dropping bombs on these locations. Only one side, the regime, is known to possess the weapons needed to do this --- both the chemicals, and the delivery systems.

We have documented insurgent crimes before. As recently as last Monday, we published information that might embarrass those in the West who support the rebels. On this occasion, however, the evidence does not support the theory that an insurgent group has conducted this attack.

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Israel (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Obama Pays A Visit

1908 GMT: Israel Press Conference. Obama was pressed (with at least 4 questions) from Chuck Todd to explain his slow progress with regards to the peace process with Palestine. Obama seemed to insinuate that he'd like to focus more on this issue in term two, but that politics in Israel and Palestine have gotten in the way, just as they have with his domestic agenda.

He stressed that Israel will be more secure, Palestine stronger, and the entire region enriched by a solution, but it's a six-decade-old problem that won't be easy to solve.

Netanyahu, seeming to forget all of Todd's questions, went back to Iran. He said that Iran was enriching uranium, but that they could develop a weapon within a year. The enrichment process is ongoing, however, so every day is one day closer to a nuclear Iran.

Neanyahu stressed that Obama had pledged historically-significant levels of support for Israel, including a ten-year commitment to extend military support for Israel.

1905 GMT: Israel Press Conference. Netanyahu stressed that Israel has a right to defend itself. Obama stressed that there was "not a lot of daylight between our two countries" as far as their intelligence concerns with Iran were concerned.

Each country has to make its own decision re military action.

On the Palestinian issue, Obama stressed that he was disappointed with the rate of progress. He did praise the role of the Palestinian Authority, and suggested that he hoped that Palestinians could feel that they were "masters of their own fate" and that they could take part in a thriving regional economy.

This hasn't happened, neither has Israel been freed from the fear of rockets falling on them.

Then an interesting line from Obama - he'll consider the trip of a success if he spends more time listening than talking.

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Iraq Audio Analysis: The 2003 War...and What Came Next --- Scott Lucas with the BBC

I did a series of BBC interviews yesterday, on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, complementing my written analysis of the conflict and its consequences.

BBC Hereford and Worcester: The discussion begins at the 2:06.30 mark.
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire: The item starts at the 1:04.53 mark.
BBC WM: The discussion starts at the 54:13 mark.

Iran Analysis: Reading the Lack of Progress at This Week's Nuclear Talks

Why is Iran choosing to give a message this way --- through an unnamed source --- rather than criticising the West's proposals more directly via named officials speaking to State media?

The answer is likely because Iran at this stage is seeking only to test the waters before the more serious resumption of negotiations in Almaty next month.

If the West does not budge on its proposals, we are likely to see a stronger, official response from Iran at that stage.

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Iran Live Coverage: An Iranian New Year

1531 GMT: Supreme Leader Watch. The Supreme Leader delivered his annual Nowruz address today, but there are different versions depending on which outlet you read.

While Fars News -- close to the Revolutionary Guards -- focused on Ayatollah Khamenei's references to political and economic developments, English-language PressTV gave its Western readers a different message: "Iran's enemies" had failed to isolate it.

Fars described how Khamenei looked ahead to the events of the new Iranian year, including the election, and said he called on Iranians to create a "political and economic epic".

Press TV preferred the Supreme Leader's review of the events of the last year, with his declaration and how he said that Iran's enemies had been "defeated in their attempts to paralyze Iran by imposing economic sanctions". He added that Iran had been successful, for example, in its hosting of the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Both news outlets agreed on one point of presentation: the Supreme Leader's call on Iranians to turn out en masse for the June 2013 Presidential election.

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Syria Live Coverage: Trading Blame Over "Chemical Attacks"

1940 GMT: Rebels Capture Mosque in Center of Daraa. The Omari Mosque has been captured by the Syrian rebels who continue to push deeper and deeper into the center of Damascus (map).

Al-Omari mosque in #Daraa has be librated. It is the cradle of the revolution #Syria youtube.com/watch?feature=…

— SND - Support Syria (@sndlifesyria) March 20, 2013

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Iran Live Coverage: What Happened in the Nuclear Talks in Istanbul?

See also Iran Feature: So What is The Regime's "Must Read" US Book?
Monday's Iran Live Coverage: "Sedition is On the Way"

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1955 GMT: Education Watch. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the dismissal of the heads of Tehran University and Tarbiat Muddares University, Khabar Online reports.

Khabar published what it said was a letter from the President to Kamran Daneshjoo, the Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, calling for the firings.

Reports also claim Ahmadinejad is insisting on the dismissal of the head of Jahad Daneshqai University and Amir Kabir University.

An EA correspondent suggests that the reason for these requests is because the four University Presidents oppose Ahmadinjad's close confidante and advisor Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai studying for a Master's degree.

Some observers believe the Guardian Council could use Rahim-Mashai's lack of a postgraduate degree to prevent him from standing for President.

1915 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Faezeh Hashemmi, the daughter of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been released from prison after serving a six-month term.

Hashemi was detained in September on charges, imposed in 2011, of spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic. The court also banned her from political activities for five years.

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Syria Live Coverage: Opposition Coalition Names Ghassan Hitto as Prime Minister

2050 GMT: Rebels Advance in Southeast Damascus. Not far from the site of the other reported chemical weapons attack in Otaybah, the rebels are engaged in an assault on the Conference Hall and Palace near the Damascus International Airport (map). This video reportedly shows smoke rising from the Palace as the result of rebel attacks. Other videos show the rebels launching weapons at the target:

This weekend, rebels pushed closer and closer to the airport. Meanwhile, rebels appear to be advancing deeper into the Jobar and Al Maamouniyeh districts of east-central Damascus (map). In the west, the rebels have continued to rebuff the regime's attacks against Darayya, and are edging towards key bases further to the southwest. Remarkably, the regime has not yet pushed this most recent wave of rebel advances back.

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Iraq Opinion: Three Thoughts on the War --- Lies, Disaster, and the Unexpected Outcome

A reflection 10 years to the day that US warplanes launched the first phase of the war on Iraq: this was a conflict deliberately designed on deceptions and whose consequences are still proving disastrous - most of all for the Iraqi people.

Far from producing the anticipated result, at least for the Bush Administration, the invasion of Iraq led to the opposite; rather than demonstrating the "unipolar" nature of American power, Iraq has become an ongoing illustration of the limits of that power.

Today, as Iraq tries to recover from the past decade, events extending beyond its borders to the wider Middle East highlight the twist in the tale --- that the US, good or bad, is rarely centre stage. Quite often, it is waiting in the wings.

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