Owen Bennett-Jones appears in the following:
The Case for Inaction in Iraq and Syria
Friday, July 11, 2014
Has the U.S.'s failure to intervene in Syria ultimately allowed ISIS to grow in power and spread to Iraq? Owen Bennet-Jones, host of Newshour on the BBC World Service, argues that inaction might be the wisest response.
Syrian Official Resigns in Protest of Crackdown
Friday, September 02, 2011
A Syrian official has publicly denounced the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and resigned in protest over the government's brutal crackdown of demonstrators. Mohammed Adnan al-Bakkour, the attorney general of Hama, is the highest ranking Syrian official to resign in the last five months of protests. In an internet video released on Wednesday, Bakkour detailed horrific atrocities committed by the Assad government, though the government denies his claims. Owen Bennett-Jones of the BBC reports on the latest from the Syria-Lebanon border.
Pakistanis Want Proof of Bin Laden's Death
Thursday, May 05, 2011
BBC reporter Owen Bennett Jones is in Karachi, Pakistan talking to locals about what they think of Osama bin Laden's death. Many people, he says, don't believe that he has been killed and want more proof. "Once it is proved, then we will accept that Osama has died," says one Karachi resident.
Heavy Shooting in Daraa, Syria
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Syrian army has launched an assault on the southern city of Daraa with reports that troops and tanks have entered the city, which has been the epicenter of the protests. Human rights activists say that more than 300 people have been killed in Syria since the protests began five weeks ago. International journalists are being denied entry the country, but video images are getting out. The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones reports on the violence in the country.
Syria: Next Big Flashpoint in Middle East?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Syria's cabinet passed a draft law on Tuesday lifting the country's 48-year emergency rule, the unfairness of which has been a rallying cry for those in the country who want reform. The cabinet was under pressure to ease the emergency rule, but immediately after the supposed concession, the body passed a law that requires Syrians to seek permission to protest from the Interior ministry. The political upheaval sweeping across North Africa and the Mideast has been compared to a contagious virus, but Syria just may be the most contagious country of all. Syria is centrally located, bordering Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon.
Protests Planned in Syria
Friday, April 15, 2011
More protests are planned in several cities across Syria. So far protests have led to changes in President Bashar al-Assad's government including a new cabinet. However, Syrian security agents have continued to detain and torture undreds of protesters in the past month, according to Human Rights Watch. The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones is monitoring events from across the border in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Bahrain: Update from Pearl Square
Friday, February 25, 2011
"Bahrainis are asking for their rights," says one artist painting in the center of Pearl Square. She says she is painting for her country. Meanwhile, protesters want to change the name of Pearl Square to "Martyr's Roundabout." The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones visited the area to talk to Bahrainis who have camped out there in hopes of gaining a more democratic government.
Insight Into The Taliban's Class War in Pakistan
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Afghan president, Hamid Karzai meets with President Obama in Washington this week. High up on the agenda will be talking about the Taliban, particularly in the Afghan-Pakistan border regions. However, we look deeper into Pakistan with the BBC’s Owen Bennett-Jones. He has just returned from the Punjab, Pakistan’s economic powerhouse, which is a region far away from the border with Afghanistan where the Taliban is gaining in popularity among the poor and disenfranchised.