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Assad's Hold Looks Shakier as Rebels Advance in Syria
(Washington Post) Liz Sly - With a surge of rebel gains in Syria, President Assad's regime now appears in greater peril than at any time in the past three years. The capture Saturday of Jisr al-Shughour in northern Idlib province after just a few days of fighting pointed as much to the growing weakness of regime forces as to the revival of the opposition. Iran backs Assad, and a shift in the balance of power in Syria could have profound repercussions. "I think we are going to see an end to the Assad regime, and we have to think now about what will happen the day after, because the day after is near," said Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist. The growing strains on Assad's manpower and resources "are becoming extremely obvious, and the magnitude of his losses are now too big to hide," said Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.