August 30, 2012
The Deepening Conflict In Syria
The conflict in Syria has entered its 18th month with no end in sight. Many now call it a civil war. In a rare television interview yesterday Syrian President Assad said his country was facing a "regional and global war." He indicated the Syrian government would ultimately win. Fighting is occurring across Syria, with some of the heaviest battles in and around Damascus. Thousands of Syrians have been forced to flee. The crush of refugees has risen dramatically this summer. Over the past three months the average number of Syrians fleeing to border nations every day has jumped from 1,000 to 3,000. Diane and her guests talk about the crisis in Syria. Listen to the conversation here.
Guests
David Schenker,
Aufzien fellow and director of the Arab Politics Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former top policy aide on the Arab countries of the Levant, including Syria, at the Pentagon.Charity Tooze, Senior spokesperson and communication officer for UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency.
Marc Lynch, Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University and Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.