Annan Plan Up Against the Syrian Wall

Easter Sunday seemed to mark a resurrection of sorts in Syria -- a resurrection of the fang-bearing, take-no-prisoners ferocity that has dominated the Syrian government's response to opponents, whether peaceful or armed. As fighting intensifies on the eve of the declared deadline for troop withdrawals and a ceasefire, it is international mediator Kofi Annan's proposed peace process that many see at risk of burial.

President Bashar al-Assad assured Annan that his security forces would dial back the violence and withdraw from populated areas ahead of the April 10 deadline fixed by the United Nations Security Council, but the weekend escalation in attacks by those forces was so intense that Annan publicly denounced the situation as "unacceptable." And "take-no-prisoners" proved more than a metaphor, as Human Rights Watch released a report documenting over a hundred summary executions by security forces in recent weeks.

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