Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 11:04 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2115 GMT: More night demonstrations in Syria, first in Homs, then in Kafranbel in the northwest:
As the Obama administration steps up its support for regime change in Syria, the Arab Spring is moving into what could be its hottest phase. The puzzle is how to help the Syrian opposition gain power without foreign military intervention — and without triggering sectarian massacres inside the country.
For months, as protests mounted in Syria, President Obama waited to see if President Bashar al-Assad could deliver on his talk of reform. Last week, the administration all but gave up on him and switched gears — and began working actively for a transition to a democratic regime.
