All Policy Analysis by Andrew J. Tabler

Bashar al-Assad's June 20 speech at Damascus University was another disappointing attempt to quell three months of antiregime protests sweeping Syria.

An Interview by Bernard Gwertzman, CFR.org The Obama administration believes that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is now in a "downward trajectory" because of the violence against its own people and the failure to undertake reforms, says Andrew J. Tabler, a former journalist in Syria. But the

Washington, Ankara, and others should pay close attention to the Syrian refugees flowing into Turkey given their potential impact on the region.

During his May 19 speech on the Middle East, President Obama defined America's policy objective in Syria by asking President Bashar al-Asad to either lead a political transition or "get out of the way." Asad shows no interest thus far in the former -- the death toll has reached 1,600