Analysis: Options for military intervention in Syria
Analysis: Options for military intervention in Syria By Jonathan Marcus BBC diplomatic correspondent Syrian anti-government protesters want protection from government forces Since the outset of the Syria crisis in March 2011 there has been little appetite for outside military intervention. This has been based on two assessments. Firstly, that the situation on the ground in Syria is in many ways very different from that in Libya - the opposition is much more divided, the government's security forces are much stronger, and Syria's air defences are more effective. Secondly, there has been a view that the implications of toppling President Bashar al-Assad could prompt a much wider wave of instability in the region. Unlike Libya, Syria - both politically and geographically - is a central player in the Arab world, and sectarianism and instability there could threaten both Lebanon and Iraq. “The further milita...