Syrian government forces reasserted control of Damascus suburbs on
Tuesday after beating back rebels at the capital's doorstep. Western
and Arab diplomats piled more pressure on Syrian President Bashar
Assad, pushing for a UN Security Council resolution which would call
for him to step down to defuse to 10-month-old uprising against his
family's dynastic rule. A draft United Nations resolution on Syria
calls for President Assad to hand power to his deputy and insists
there will be no use of foreign forces in the country. Russia warned
that an international effort to resolve the conflict could instead
lead to civil war.