Rebel attacks on Syria’s two key cities had raised expectations that Assad was about to fall, but those may have been the Syrian equivalent to Vietnam’s Tet Offensive
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Russia and Syria’s Assad: The End of the Affair?
It has become clear to many officials in Moscow that the Assad regime cannot restore the pre-rebellion status quo in Syria, forcing them to consider backing away from a longtime client
A Dispatch from ‘Free’ Syria: How to Run a Liberated Town
Like many other rebel towns, Saraqeb is learning to govern itself while retaining as much of the bureaucracy of the regime it wants to overthrow
In Rebel Syria: Celebrating Assad’s Departure–Even Though He’s Still Staying
Pummeled by regime firepower, a rebel town allows itself a brief moment to pretend he’s gone. And then it’s back to reality.
The Syrian Army Strikes Back: Eyewitness to Assad’s Retaliation on a Rebel Town
Saraqeb rejoiced when the heart of the regime was struck. Then the President’s soldiers hit back
Is Syria Facing a Yugoslavia-Style Breakup?
Even if the regime loses its grip on growing swaths of territory, the civil war’s sectarian dimension could see it opt to retreat into enclaves controlled by its base of Alawite, Christian and non-Sunni support
What Assad’s Regime Lost in a Devastating Damascus Blast
In a severe low to the regime’s inner circle, Assad lost four of his top lieutenants, including his brother-in-law. He also lost the all-important sense of invulnerability.
Syrian Defense Minister Killed as Rebels Strike at the Heart of Power
The fighting in Damascus is not quite an indication that the Assad government is about to fall. But it is a sign of how balkanized Syria is—and is likely to be.
Must-Reads from Around the World, July 6, 2012
Among today’s stories: a rumored Syrian defection, hardline rhetoric in China’s Xinjiang province and Mumbai slum dwellers use film to fight evictions.
Can the U.S. and Russia Agree on How to End Syria’s War?
A conference chaired by U.N. peace envoy Kofi Annan in Geneva aims to bring some resolution and peace to the bloody Syrian conflict. But regional geo-politics will get in the way.
Military Intervention Still Unlikely After Syria Shoots Down Turkish Jet
After shooting down a Turkish jet flying in international airspace, the embattled Syrian regime is sticking to its guns. But Turkey, Syria’s infuriated neighbor, and the rest of the international community are not likely to …
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 22, 2012
Today’s picks: a week to save the Euro, Putin heads to Jerusalem and China’s military tries to clean shop.
Russia Sets Out Tough Terms for Resolving Syria’s ‘Civil War’
By sending Assad gunships and insisting Iran be included in talks, Moscow is signaling a changed geopolitical balance