Jan. 3: A Creaky Cease-Fire Threatens to Unravel

Nearly a dozen Syrian rebel groups, predominantly associated with the Free Syrian Army, announced on Jan. 2 that they would no longer take part in talks to organize a peace conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, later this month, accusing loyalist forces of violating the latest cease-fire in the country's civil war. Specifically, attacks by government forces on Wadi Barada and in eastern Ghouta near Damascus seem to have persuaded rebel forces to take a harder stance. Some of the rebel groups have already violated the cease-fire in response, shelling loyalist positions Jan. 3 in Idlib and near Damascus....