Syria, ‘on the Verge of Collapse’

Nearly a year and a half after Syria’s uprising began back in the Arab Spring, it has devolved into a violent civil war with fractious rebel forces continuing their efforts to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power. Earlier today, Riad Hijab, Syria’s Prime Minister who defected to the opposition last week, held a press conference, saying “the regime is on the verge of collapse morally and economically.” Activists now claim more than 20,000 have been killed in the conflict since early 2011, and the violence continues to spread to the cities of Damascus and Aleppo. [39 photos]