Syria In Peril

For14 months, violence has raged in Syria between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and the opposition in a battle that has seen thousands killed. Despite a number of international attempts to broker a peace deal, no nation has formally stepped in.

While more U.N. observers are arriving in Syria, journalists are going missing, children are dying, and peace has not been made. The U.N. Security Council recently authorized sending up to 300 monitors to Syria for 90 days. They are tasked with observing a cease-fire that was supposed to have begun April 12. They're also charged with monitoring the implementation of U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, which calls for the government and the opposition to end the bloodshed, provide access to the population for humanitarian groups, release detainees, and start a political dialogue.

Yet the violence continues.