The International Talk Show | To The Point

Syrian Catastrophe -- No Way Out? Syria appears to be poised on the brink of civil war. The bloody conflict between Bashar al-Assad's army and the rebels is escalating and has now reached the capital, Damascus. Heavy fighting, deadly gun battles and explosions are widepsread. The spiral of violence seems relentless. Since the beginning of the uprising against the hated regime one year ago well over eight thousand people have been killed. Living conditions in many places have become intolerable, as people face constant fear. The violence has forced more than two hundred thousand Syrians to flee over the border to Lebanon and Turkey. The Turkish government is trying to put the people up in tents and provide them with the bare essentials, but it is coming under growing pressure for doing so. The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recalled his diplomats and is advising Turkish citizens to leave Syria. Meanwhile, the Assad regime is laying landmines to prevent people fleeing in large numbers, and has locked up two Turkish journalists. The UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan is trying to use diplomatic means to persuade Bashar al-Assad to accept compromise, but has had no success so far. The Syrian leader has accepted neither temporary ceasefires nor offers of humanitarian aid. It seems unlikely that it will be possible to reach a negotiated solution. Even the Russian Foreign Minister is taking a tougher line, and calling on Assad to support Annan's peace efforts. On the other hand, Russia continues to provide arms to the Assad regime. The rebels have also enlarged their arsenal, and are now receiving support from Saudi Arabia. Is Assad leading Syria into a civil war, one that perhaps only foreign military intervention could prevent?

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