With U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in attendance, an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council debated a new resolution calling on the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad end its increasingly violent anti-insurgency military campaign in the countries cities, release all political prisoners, and begin a transition toward democratic elections and the end of Assad’s 11-year autocratic reign. (For video of the full meeting, click here.) The meeting began with Nabil El Araby, the secretary-general of the League of Arab States (LAS), briefing the council on current situation in Syria and the draft resolution prepared by LAS member-state…

As the unrest in Syria continues unabated and the number of civilian deaths grows — now over 2,200, according to the United Nations — the international community has begun to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On Saturday, the European Union instituted a ban on petroleum imports from Syria (although a full ban won’t be instituted until November, as Italy lobbied to allow existing import contracts be fulfilled). The United States has already instituted its own oil ban, but the EU’s actions will likely have a more significant effect on Syria’s economy. While the United States does not directly…