Between 50 and 100 civilians are estimated to have been killed Thursday when Syrian government forces stormed the coastal village of al-Baida, opposition fighters said. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the number could exceed even 100, and many of those killed appeared to have been “summarily” executed by shooting or stabbing. Meanwhile, the United Nations–Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said he will step down, making the diplomatic efforts to end the bloody civil war seem even more distant. President Obama said Thursday that he is “looking at all options” about Syria, hours after the U.S. Defense secretary said the U.S. could possibly arm the opposition.
