The Syrian army, reinforced with an unknown number of Hezb'allah militia fighters, is making a supreme effort to recapture the town of Qusair, a key strategic link for both rebels and government forces. Reuters: Syrian government offensives in recent weeks are widely seen as a campaign to strengthen Assad's negotiating position before a proposed international peace conference sponsored by the United States and Russia. Opposition activists said Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters were pressing a sustained assault on Qusair, a town long used by insurgents as a way station for arms and other supplies from Lebanon. For Assad, Qusair is a crucial link between Damascus and loyalist strongholds on the Mediterranean coast. Recapturing the town, in central Homs province, could also sever connections between rebel-held areas in the north and south of Syria. Hezbollah's deepening involvement in Qusair has raised fears of renewed civil war in neighboring...(Read Full Post)