The developments in Syria come as members of the opposition Syrian National Council are holding talks with officials from more than 50 countries at a “Friends of Syria” conference today in Tunis. Attendees are expected to call for a ceasefire to allow aid into the county’s most violent areas. On the eve of the summit, a Syria National Council delegate said his group will seek international recognition as well as further pressure on the Assad regime.

Ausama Monajed: “We are hopeful that several key decisions will be taken in this conference. On the top of these decisions is the recognition of the Syrian National Council as the representative of the Syrian people. Number two is to discuss the possibility of creating humanitarian passages into the crisis areas, one from Lebanon to Homs and one from Turkey to Idlib and one from Jordan to Daraa. A third also topic of discussion is the political process moving forward, where there is still a chance to rely on Assad resigning and transferring all his powers to his deputy or not.”