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In a rare display of dissent, hundreds marched in Damascus to demand the resignation of President Bashar Assad. But the demonstration, organized on Facebook, was short-lived: reports say police and progovernment thugs violently quashed the protests. As political upheaval has gripped much of the Arab world, Assad--President since 2000, following three decades of his father Hafez's rule--has looked unshakable. That's in part because many Syrians see him as a committed, albeit cautious, reformer. Dissent is deterred by the regime's brutal reputation: memories are fresh of the 1982 massacre of thousands in the city of Hama, where government forces crushed an Islamist uprising. Many opposition parties are banned in Syria, and scores of political prisoners languish behind bars.

4 | Gaddafi Offensive Has Rebels on the Run

LIBYA

Troops fighting for Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi steadily reclaimed a series of strategic coastal towns that had been held by the rebels. All signs pointed to a siege of Benghazi, Libya's second city and the birthplace of a revolt against 40 years of Gaddafi rule that looks increasingly doomed. The tables have turned since early March, when scores of journalists traveled to Tripoli expecting to witness the triumphant arrival of the rebels and Gaddafi's toppling. The country's east had effective independence, buoyed by the defection of key Gaddafi allies. But the rebels, most equipped with nothing more than small arms, were no match for a ruthless government counteroffensive that deployed artillery and naval and air power. On March 16, Misratah, the last key rebel-held city in Libya's west, came under sustained bombardment. The shaken leaders of the rebellion repeatedly pleaded for foreign help, but the international community remained divided over military intervention: Britain and France favored a no-fly zone over Libya, but U.S. officials said it would be ineffectual. Western indecision contrasted with the stark choice Gaddafi gave the rebels: surrender, flee or die.

A REBELLION IN RETREAT

A merciless weeklong campaign by forces loyal to Gaddafi led to a string of rebel defeats

[The following text appears within a map. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual map.]

Zawiyah

Sabratha

Zuwara

Zintan

TUNISIA

LIBYA

Tripoli

Gharyan

Misratah

Heavy government shelling on March 16--at least 11 people killed

Sert

Gaddafi's birthplace

Ras Lanuf

Rebels abandoned the key oil town on March 13

EGYPT

Bin Jawad

Es Sider

al-Baida

Benghazi

Darnah

Tobruk

Ajdabiyah

Rebels and civilians flee government advance on March 15

Brega

Seized by government forces on March 13

GOVERNMENT ADVANCE

GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED

REBEL-HELD

5 | The King's Speech Gets Poor Reviews