The Continued Stalemate in Syria

Several noteworthy events in the past few days, both inside and outside Syria, fit Stratfor's current assessment of the situation in Syria. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Syrian opposition leaders in Geneva; Syrian President Bashar al Assad held his first interview with a U.S. news outlet since the unrest in his country began; and skirmishes allegedly took place between Syrian and Turkish troops. While al Assad's forces cannot quell the unrest, the Syrian opposition cannot bring down the regime without international assistance, which is not forthcoming.