President Bashar al-Assad’s refusal to cooperate on a peace plan and international fatigue with his actions is dramatically increasing the likelihood of international intervention. The opposition is increasingly resorting to armed assaults, drawing stronger attacks from the military and pushing the country closer to a full-fledged civil war. With internal parties completely entrenched and little interest in negotiation on either side, international action appears to be the only solution to break the stalemate.

President Assad ignored the Arab League’s November 19 deadline to stop his crackdown on the opposition and start serious peace negotiations.  Instead, he continued to target government troops against the opposition.  Assad stated that while he is willing to cooperate on an Arab League peace plan, he proposed amending the plan, reportedly to include cutting the size of a 500-man monitoring force to 40.  Assad also rejected the League’s calls for government forces to withdraw and the release of political prisoners.  The League yesterday rejected Assad’s proposals to amend its peace plan.

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