Our fifth story OutFront: a desperate situation.
Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad fired at least four short-range scud missiles at rebel fighters today, according to U.S. officials.
The White House says this escalation in fighting is just the latest example of the Assad regime's desperate attempts to defeat the opposition in a civil war that has killed almost 40,000 people over twenty months.
The United States is monitoring the situation closely. Earlier today, Erin sat down with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Afghanistan in an exclusive interview and asked him if he is concerned about Syria using chemical weapons.
The Obama administration is declaring a key Syrian rebel group - known as Jabhat al-Nusra, a terrorist organization with ties to al Qaeda in Iraq.
As the U.S. steps up its cooperation with Syrian rebels, how significant is the move to call one of their factions a terrorist organization?
OutFront tonight: Fareed Zakaria, Host of Fareed Zakaria, GPS. FULL POST
The U.S. military is updating its plans for a potential strike against Syria and according to CNN's Pentagon Unit, the options are being updated daily as intelligence shows the regime has been filling bombs with deadly chemical weapons.
Is this the tipping point for U.S. to get involved in Syria?
OutFront tonight: Noah Schachtman, contributing editor for Wired magazine and CNN National Security Contributor Frances Townsend. FULL POST
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a warning to Syria Thursday, saying the United States will not stand by and watch them cross the "red line"
"The whole world is watching very closely and the president of the United States has made very clear that there will be consequences if the Assad regime makes a terrible mistake by using these chemical weapons," said Panetta.
Syria denies they are mobilizing chemical weapons to put an end to a civil war that has killed an estimated 40 thousand people over 21 months. Instead, the Syrian government claims the U.S. is trying to create fear and outrage as grounds for an attack.
Secretary of state Hillary Clinton, met with Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Dublin today, trying to defuse the situation, but is it too late for diplomacy?
OutFront tonight: National Security Contributor Fran Townsend is a member of the CIA and Homeland security external advisory board and Col Cedric Leighton is a former member of the joint staff.
Sources tell CNN the United States is huddling with allies on what a chemical attack by Syria's Bashar al Assad would look like and there are reports that Assad maybe looking for asylum in Latin America.
CNN's Barbara Starr reports.
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