In comments today on French radio, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria was almost certain to fall, calling his ouster “nearly unavoidable” in the face of massive public protests.

“Unfortunately it could take time because the situation is complex, because there ias a risk of civil war between Syrian factions, because surrounding Arab countries do not want us to intervene,” Juppe added.

Assad was facing another meeting with the Arab League today, as a growing number of the members in that alliance are pressing him to make legitimate reforms instead of empty promises. The talks were held in the face of a general strike across much of the nation.

So far the Arab League has been split on exactly what to do about Assad, with the number of nations opposed to the crackdown too small to suspend membership. Human rights groups are hoping that possibility will still be strong enough that the league can use its influence to convince Assad to allow international observers into the nation.

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