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A U.S.-backed proposal to require the U.N.’s observer mission in occupied Western Sahara to monitor human rights abuses has been rescinded. U.S. diplomats dropped calls to enhance the U.N’.'s observer mission to the disputed territory after a review of the draft resolution by France, Spain, Britain and Russia and protests by the Moroccan government, which called the move “biased.” The territory was annexed by Morocco in 1976, and the U.N. observer mission there is the only U.N. mission in the world that is not authorized to monitor human rights abuses. Philippe Bolopion, a U.N. specialist for Human Rights Watch who lobbied for the additional human rights language in the resolution, said, ”This is a missed opportunity and it’s disappointing to see the U.S. retreat in the face of Moroccan overreaction.” The U.N. Security Council will vote Thursday on a resolution to extend the observer mission without the additional language.

Also in Morocco, the country’s main Islamist opposition group warned that a youth “explosion” will occur unless the government addresses dire social and economic issues. Al-Adl Wal-Ihsan (AWI), or Charity and Justice, seeks the establishment of an Islamist state through non-violent means and has been barred from politics for publicly criticizing the monarchy’s wealth and unchecked authority. AWI sopkesman Fathallah Arsalane said, “Society has changed, there are more graduates, people who are better educated but who have nothing to lose, because they have no work, no house and no future…If the youth explode, no one will be able to stop them, not the political parties, nor the state, nor our movement. And that is what we fear.” Arsalane called the coalition Islamist government that was elected after constitutional amendments in 2011 “toothless” and insisted that  democracy must guarantee freedom of expression and a redistribution of wealth that benefits the poorest segments of Moroccan society.

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The United Nations Security Council issued a statement Friday welcoming Yemen’s upcoming National Dialogue Conference and warning of sanctions for spoilers who interfere in the Dialogue. According to the Council, these potential spoilers include former leaders, former opposition figures, and other opponents to the current government. The statement identified former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his deputy Ali Salim al-Beidh as individuals whose may engage in efforts to derail Yemen’s political transition. “What he should not do is undermine the political transition, the national dialogue, which is fully supported by all the international community,” said Mark Lyall Grant, Britain’s UN ambassador. “What we are saying is that we are giving our full weight behind that process, and we will not tolerate individuals of whatever stature undermining that process.”

Sanctions would be non-military and could include interruption of economic relations or various means of communication or severance of diplomatic relations. The Council also expressed concern over the recent reports of weapons being brought into Yemen and encouraged the international community to continue its support for Yemen. All fifteen members of the Council approved the statement.

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Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah proclaimed earlier this week, “Anyone who thinks that the armed opposition is capable of [winning] the military battle is very mistaken,’” referring to the conflict in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin on the other hand, suggested that Assad is losing power and re-iterated Russia’s position that “only a negotiated agreement could ‘prevent a breakup of the country and an endless civil war.’” Putin drew parallels to Libya where he asserted that “intervention by…Western nations had caused more harm than good” given Libya’s continuing instability. Putin expressed concern that the Assad government and the Syrian opposition would just trade places, “with the rebels in power but with the fighting unabated.”

The U.N.’s special commission on Syria released a new report on December 20 that stated the conflict between government forces and the opposition had “become overtly sectarian in nature.” The report also noted that minority groups in the country have been pulled into the conflict and that they are being forced to take sides along sectarian lines; which are predominantly split between the pro-government Alawite community and the anti-government majority Sunni community. Accounts of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law are also addressed in the report.

A recent article in Foreign Policy by Colum Lynch spoke of “mounting concern” that Assad’s overthrow would “trigger the dissolution of the Syrian state…generating the kind of sectarian violence and chaos” that was seen in Iraq in 2003, and that a U.N. force would not be able to address such a crisis. The concerns were further vindicated in U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s year end press conference when he stated: “We do not see any prospect of any end of violence or any prospect of political dialogue to start.” Christopher Phillips of Chatham House also released a December 2012 briefing paper outlining the effects of Syrian conflict on Turkey, and how Turkey has changed its foreign policy in support of Assad’s overthrow.

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Following international recognition of the Syrian National Coalition as “the ‘legitimate representative’ body of the Syrian people,” Morocco’s King Mohammed VI encouraged the U.N. Security Council to reach an expedient consensus regarding political transition in Syria. Russia and China were both urged by William Burns, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, to vote with the rest of the Security Council in support of the transition. The U.S. and Morocco also signed new trade agreements under the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, which U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said “will be key in advancing our countries’ common agenda for jobs and economic growth.”

Former leader of Morocco’s Arab Spring protests, Idris Boutarada, was arrested earlier this week for possession of drugs, though others assert it was because he allegedly dressed in a way that was construed as impersonating the king. Thousands gathered for the funeral of Sheikh Abdessalam Yassine, lifelong leader of Morocco’s opposition group “Al Adl wal Ihsan,” on December 14. Yassine’s funeral was held in the capital’s main Mosque, and his body was interred in one of the nation’s official cemeteries, a move many saw as a government attempt to co-opt his legacy and prevent a shrine that would further inspire uprisings.

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The cease-fire which went into effect at 0600 hours on October 26 broke down within four hours of its implementation. Rebels accused the Syrian Army of attacking first, but both sides exchanged gunfire in multiple cities. A car bomb also exploded in Damascus reportedly killing five and injuring 32 others. The government responded to the violence by claiming the rebels had been responsible for breaching the negotiation. Going into the Eid al-Adha holiday, fighting between the two sides was reported not to be as intense as it was over the past months, however U.S. Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland stated that the department is seeking more information on the car bombing, and confirmed that the Syrian Army had used “helicopter and tank shelling” against the opposition.

Journalist and former hostage Terry Anderson released a piece in Foreign Policy honoring journalists who serve in war zones and raising awareness for former U.S. Marine Austin Tice, who is still missing in Syria. Anderson highlighted the fact that such a job is worth the risks as it allows others to “witness the violence and the horrors that war brings [and] to tell the stories of people facing terrible things.” It is believed by many, including the U.S. government, that Tice is being held by Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

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U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Keeping Operations, Herve Ladsous, confirmed that plans are underway regarding a peacekeeping force to Syria, should the regime and the opposition agree to a cease-fire. The final decision will be contingent upon the U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi’s ability to negotiate the cease-fire, preferably before Eid al-Adha on October 26, and a confirmation vote by the U.N. Security Council. The regime has continued to conduct air raids on Aleppo and neighboring districts “and the daily death toll continues to exceed 100,” according to the Director of the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman. On 22 October, anti-Assad militants engaged Jordanian soldiers while attempting to “illegally enter Syria,” leading to the death of one Jordanian soldier.

A U.S. Department of State official declared“the onus of this kind of violence” as resting “squarely on the Assad regime.” Human Rights Watch also released a report on October 23, disproving the Syrian Army’s denials regarding the use of cluster bombs. According to a recent interview with Steven Heydemann of the United States Institute for Peace, Turkish citizens are also gravely “concerned about the possibility of war with Syria,” given the “economic and social consequences” as well as the potential for a refugee crises. Howard Eissenstat recently wrote that although the Turkish government has taken a “tough stance against the brutality of the al Assad regime,” they also have a dismal record on human rights. Eissenstat highlights the fact that freedom of speech is greatly limited and that a war with Syria could even be used by Turkish officials to increase ethnic violence against Kurdish populations and other minorities. On another note, Andrew J. Tabler and Jeffrey White of the The Washington Institute outlined their approach to identifying potential U.S. allies in Syria, should the next administration attempt to increase support for the Syrian opposition.

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In an op-ed, professor Mark LeVine describes why democratic transitions have been so drastically different across the Middle East. He argued that the initial movement in Syria was not as successful as Egypt or Tunisia due in part to a lack of a “well developed and organized public sphere.”LeVine posits that the current level of violence in Syria is a product of non-intervention and external protection of the Assad regime. Now that the conflict has threatened neighboring countries, intervention is justified on the grounds of humanitarian law, he said. Likewise, fear of punishment for crimes against humanity ensure the regime will not reconcile with the opposition. LeVine points out that the Syrian regime benefits from the U.N. Security Council membership of China and Russia, and likewise Bahrain has the liberty of violently cracking down on protesters due to its strategic importance to the U.S. and Gulf monarchies.

In an update from Bahrain, imprisoned rights activist Nabeel Rajab recently ended a hunger strike that protested his poor treatment. In Libya, authorities faced off with the International Criminal Court over who would best provide Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, son of Muammar Qadhafi, a fair trial regarding accusations of war crimes.

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After the Syrian military shelled the Turkish border town of Ackakale, killing five Turkish citizens, Turkish Prime Minister Recept Tayyip Erdogan responded by proclaiming, “Under the rules of engagement and international law, Turkey will never let the Syrian regime’s provocations targeting our national security…go unanswered.” Syrian ambassador to the U.N., Bashar Ja’afari, addressed the attack by sending a letter to the U.N. Security Council expressing “Syria’s deepest condolences” and clarifying that Syria is not “seeking any escalation of violence with Turkey,” although he did not issue an official apology.

Tensions mounted when the Turkish parliament’s authorization of military action against Syria resulted in counterattacks on a Syrian military base. Turkey also sent armed warships and submarines into the Mediterranean. The U.N. Security council officially condemned the Syrian attack and demanded “such violations of international law stop immediately and are not repeated.” Russia rejected the original text of the condemnation, and despite Western council member objections, the text was revised to accommodate Russian concerns. N.A.T.O. also denounced the attacks and Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor defined the incident as an attack on N.A.T.O. itself, per existing N.A.T.O. treaties.

The U.S. Department of State responded by sending “its deepest condolences to the Turkish victims,” condemning the Syrian attack and pledging U.S. support for Turkey. The Turkish counterattack on Syria was deemed “appropriate” and “proportional” by U.S. officials. The Washington Institute’s Jeffrey White, Soner Cagaptay, and Andrew J. Tabler weighed in on the matter, arguing the incident provides a prime opportunity for the U.S. to lend their support in an effort to achieve regional stability and emboldened the Syrian opposition.

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Special peace envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League Kofi Annan has announced his resignation, reiterating that President Bashar al-Assad ”must leave office.” Annan said, “I accepted this task, which some called ‘Mission: Impossible,’ for I believed it was a sacred duty to do whatever was in my power to help the Syrian people find a peaceful solution to this bloody conflict,” but he stressed that “without serious, purposeful and united international pressure, including from the powers of the region, it is impossible for me, or anyone, to compel the Syrian government in the first place, and also the opposition, to take the steps necessary to begin a political process.”

Annan also released an op-ed in Financial Times offering advice for resolving the Syrian stalemate, saying that “Military means alone will not end the crisis [and] a political agenda that is neither inclusive nor comprehensive will fail. The distribution of force and the divisions in Syrian society are such that only a serious negotiated political transition can hope to end the repressive rule of the past and avoid a future descent into a vengeful sectarian war.” His tone remains cautiously hopeful, however, stressing that “Syria can still be saved from the worst calamity.”

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stressed the urgency of finding Annan’s replacement as  reports emerged that Russia is sending three warships containing 360 marines to the Syrian port of Tartus. Additionally, C.J. Chivers writes that the Syrian regime’s “weapons have been increasingly turned against the forces that secure [Assad's] fate.” Sultan al-Qassemi also examines the coverage of Syria by Qatar’s Al Jazeera and Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya, illustrating the inherent bias found in each, and insisting that Syria is “a story that is simply too important to be left in the hands of media outlets looking to advance their own narrow interests.”

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In the midst of days of clashes between rebel forces and the Syrian army in Damascus, four Syrian officials were killed today when a bomb went off during a crisis group meeting of senior ministers and security chiefs. General Assef Shawkat, President Assad’s brother-in-law, and Defense Minister Dawoud Rajha died in an attack described as a “suicide bombing” by Syrian state media. Also killed were Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar and General Hassan Turkmani, a former defence minister and currently Syria’s deputy vice president. After claiming responsibility for the attack, Riad al-Asaad, the commander of the Free Syrian Army, denied it was a suicide bombing, saying that all those who took part in the operation “are safe.” Retired Syrian Brigadier General Akil Hashem, who is an exile living in Paris, said a “bodyguard in the inner sanctum of the regime” was the one who placed the explosives, indicating perhaps that “the regime is collapsing from inside.” In a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta responded to the attack, saying the U.S. is very concerned that the escalating violence in Syria is “rapidly spinning out of control.”

Meanwhile, in a last-minute effort to reach an agreement, the United Nations Security Council has delayed a vote on a Western-backed resolution that would impose sanctions and allow for possible military intervention in Syria. Russia, which has vetoed two previous U.N. resolutions seeking to address the conflict, seems set to oppose any measure calling for sanctions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov went so far as to accuse Western nations of  ”inciting [the conflict] to go on” adding that support for the Syrian opposition “is a dead-end policy, because Assad is not leaving voluntarily.”