Apparently, the recent UN estimate of 4,000 murdered was off by a full quarter; the newest figures say Assad has killed over 5,000. Ian Black doesn't think the dictator will be tried for his crimes:
[T]he international criminal court (ICC) can only act at the request of the UN security council. With Russia and China still backing him and prepared to wield their vetoes, he is safe – for now. Navi Pillay, the UN commissioner, spoke for many when she told the council that the situation in Syria had become "intolerable". But the problem here is the echo of February's referral of Libya to the ICC, which subsequently accused Muammar Gaddafi, his son and intelligence chief of crimes against humanity.
Michael Doran is angry that, despite these roadblocks, Obama isn't doing more for Syria. James Miller summarizes the overall state of the conflict as he sees it:
The city of Homs and Hama continue to be under siege, but this is not new news. The Syrian military seems content to continue to attack these cities, particularly, Homs, which has been facing nearly constant bombardment for months. However, the regime has seen a surge in opposition in Daraa province, particularly in Dael and in the city of Daraa. Crackdowns have not worked. The regime seems to be moving against the villages in order to enforce its authority and frighten the citizens of Daraa province into line.
In Idlib, we've been seeing more defections, and reports that weapons smugglers are helping to arm the Syrian Free Army. The Syrian army has repeated made blitz-style attacks on prominent towns in the region, but today the Syrian Free Army appears to be launching a concerted defense of several of the villages around Ma'arrat Masreen. As protests continue to grow, and the crackdown continues to escalate, and the defectors are increasingly bolder and stronger, it is increasingly clear that Assad is not capable of ending this crisis.
In other Syria news, there are some updates about Razan Ghazzawi, detained blogger we spotlighted here. The government has formally charged her with, among other things, "weakening the national sentiment." Jillian C. York rounds up the social media backlash, noting that a Facebook page is serving as the #FreeRazan activist hub. Here's a big student demonstration in Aleppo, often thought of as a more pro-regime area:
These Free Syrian Army fighters chant against the regime in Idlib:
Finally, a group of Iranians brave their own regime's wrath by standing up for Syria at a soccer game:
The Dish 