For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, the Cradle, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from the Cradle; other reports or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 3-4-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM MARCH 8  2 days of clashes and revenge killings in Syria leave more than 1,000 people dead, by Bassem Mroue and Sarah el Deeb | AP  BEIRUT — The death toll from two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria’s conflict began 14 years ago. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and the Cradle, and HERE for March 9 report from Middle East Eye.

–   –   –

FROM MARCH 8  Intensifying violence tests new Syrian government. Reported by Jane Arraf and Scott Detrow | NPR  In Syria, fighting is intensifying as clashes between Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to former President Bashar Assad have left hundreds of people dead. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

FROM MARCH 7  UK lifts sanctions on Syria’s de facto govt as civilian massacres continue. From the Cradle. The British government has lifted sanctions on 24 entities in Syria, including the country’s central bank, coming during a severe economic crisis and an indiscriminate government crackdown on the uprising launched this week . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM MARCH 6  The U.S. begins ‘normalization’ pressure on Syria, Lebanon, by Ghassan Jawad | The Cradle  The U.S. “Special Envoy to the Middle East” under President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, has expressed optimism about persuading Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, with suggestions that Syria and Lebanon could follow suit — both recently having . . . READ MORE . . .

.