Assad Gaining Ground in Civil War

Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces have been gaining the upper hand in the country’s civil war in recent weeks, with Assad’s forces capturing a string of rebel strongholds and erecting the Syrian government flag atop crumbled buildings and streets. Opposition forces have been weakened by fractured support among foreign countries uncomfortable with the Islamic extremists who have taken a major role in the rebellion. Western-backed rebels are currently in exile and have little support among the rebels inside Syria. “President Bashar Assad will be heading any transitional stage in Syria, like it or not,” a Syrian parliament member told the Associated Press.