The government of the brittle, one-party state remains dug in against a determined but fractured opposition. Expert Joshua Landis discusses the fault lines in the Syria uprising.

The UN Security Council issued this Presidential Statement concerning Syria on March 21, 2012.

Max Boot says military action in Syria needs to be carefully thought through, but the Obama administration should not allow itself to be paralyzed by the Pentagon's reluctance to intervene in Syria.

Elliott Abrams says the politicizing of intelligence on Syria is part of the Obama administration's continuing defense of its failure to help the Syrian opposition and is a misuse of the intelligence community.

Leslie H. Gelb says foreign policy experts should be made to answer questions about the consequences and risks of their recommendations to engage the United States in wars with Syria and Iran.

Jonathan Tepperman says a decision by the United States to intervene militarily in Syria must be made with hard facts and an honest decision about what standing up for U.S. interests and values will entail.

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta gave this testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington D.C. on March 07, 2012.

Elliott Abrams says that mixed messages from Washington ultimately leave the Syrian opposition to fend for themselves.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave these remarks at the "Friends of Syrian People Meeting" in Tunis, Tunisia on February 24, 2012.

In an essay for the Middle East Policy journal, Dr. Joshua Landis examines the Syrian uprising of 2011 and predicts Assad's regime's prolonged survival despite its growing isolation and struggling economy.

Establishing "no-kill zones," using drones to protect civilians, and encouraging defection could halt the killing in Syria, says Anne-Marie Slaughter at the New York Times.

Meghan L. O'Sullivan argues, "...the [United states] should work with its Western and Arab allies to craft a coordinated strategy that, alongside sanctions, is aimed at turning the Syrian resistance into a viable alternative to Assad--and uses the prospect of military support as an incentive for doing so"

As the debate over intervention or arming the opposition grows amid continuing violence in Syria, four CFR experts offer their recommendations on how Washington should respond to the crisis.

The UN General Assembly passed this resolution on February 16, 2012. The press release states, "Strongly condemning continued widespread and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian authorities, the General Assembly today voted overwhelmingly to call on both the Government and allied forces and armed groups "to stop all violence or reprisals immediately".

Adopting an Arab-backed resolution by a recorded vote of 137 in favour to 12 against, with 17 abstentions, the Assembly expressed grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria, and condemned a raft of violations carried out by the authorities, such as the use of force against civilians, the killing and persecution of protestors and journalists, and sexual violence and ill-treatment, including against children."

As the United Nations faces increasing pressure to end violence in Syria and resolve tensions with Iran over its nuclear program, former senior U.S. official William H. Luers discusses challenges in UN diplomacy and prospects for intervention.

The UN released this press release on February 13, 2012; it describes the statement made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, regarding Syria. Statements by UN delegations follow the her words.

Ed Husain says military options in Syria would do much more harm than good.

Nicholas Noe argues that an internationally led reconciliation effort and subsequent peace-keeping presence in Syria would bypass the resulting destruction of a military intervention or civil war, while still keeping the diplomatic upper hand.

Elliott Abrams says the United States must take the steps to ensure the demise of the Assad regime in Syria.

Ed Husain argues that it is impossible to tell whether Bashar al-Assad's time is running out, but containing--not fanning--the current conflict in Syria is in everybody's interests.