Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 03/2012

Now or Never: A Negotiated Transition for Syria

March 2012

International Crisis Group

Abstract

"Now or Never: A Negotiated Transition for Syria", the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, notes that while Annan’s mission faces very long odds, it still represents the best hope for reversing the country's slide. “With every day of intensified violence and rising death toll, the possibility of achieving a political solution slips further away”, says Louise Arbour, Crisis Group President. “But the alternative is clear, and it is ugly. If the international community surrenders to that fate, all will pay a huge price”.