Debating Intervention in Syria

In his first public address in six months, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed today to respond to the country’s opposition with an “iron fist.” In a speech at the University of Damascus, Assad referred to the pro-democracy demonstrations that began in March as “terrorism” and said that security forces would soon restore order.
This eerie pledge comes as the Syrian opposition appears fragmented on the question of foreign intervention, with the mostly exiled Syrian National Council (SNC) calling for a NATO-enforced no-fly zone to protect civilians.