Syria

Testimony prepared for the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. House of Representatives Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Assad regime's brutal year-long crackdown on Syria's pro-democracy protestors. Throughout years as a journalist and analyst based in Damascus, I followed Tom Lantos's often-critical words on

A Turkish intervention in Syria could boomerang, ratcheting up PKK attacks and eroding the soft power Turkey has painstakingly built in the Middle East over the past decade.

Hizballah's response to military action against Iran could be shaped by rational cost-benefit analysis, a perceived spiritual obligation to defend its Shiite patron in Tehran, or both.

Providing arms and other materiel to the FSA stands a far better chance of success than waiting for a silver bullet.

For reasons of morality, and in the interest of containing the violence in Syria, the international community must accelerate Assad's departure.

The movement is facing its most serious rift ever, severely divided on its future course and the identity of its post-Syria sponsors.

As the regime continues its latest offensive, the international community should exploit its military weaknesses through actions that help level the battlefield, alter the psychological environment, and increase pressure on Assad and his forces.

Washington needs to devise a well-planned, delicate intervention in Syria: one supported by Russia, executed by Turks and Arabs, and remotely backed by the United States and its European allies.

Given the minority-driven nature of the Assad regime's crackdown, ultimate change is most likely to come from below.