Laura Lynch, a correspondent for PRI's The World, recently spent seven days inside the Syria. She did so with permission, following U.N. monitors as they toured the country in an effort to maintain a U.N./Arab League-orchestrated ceasefire. Lynch shares her impressions and experiences of her time within Syria, and assesses the fragile state of the country.

The Syrian capital has gotten used to the sound of sirens, but this morning's two bomb blasts stand out as perhaps the most deadly in the capital. Syria's health minister says at least 50 people are dead, at least 170 wounded. The blasts were so powerful, a facade of a military intelligence build was ripped off. Today's bombing calls into question the entire UN peace plan. It's current mission inside the country is to monitor the peace, but seemingly there is very little peace to monitor. Ahmad Fawzi, spokesman for Kofi Annan, Joint Envoy for Syria responds. We are also joined by correspondent for The World Laura Lynch from inside Syria.

A tense violent backdrop to some very difficult to interpret elections in Syria over the past few days and now everything is once again on the verge of unraveling. Free Syrian Army chief Riad al-Asaad, a leader of the opposition has told a London-based newspaper that "our people are demanding that we defend them." It's another sign that the tentitive peace process initiated by UN special envoy Kofi Annan may be crumbling. Laura Lynch is a correspondent for PRI's The World, produced by our partner WGBH.

Since the violence in Syria began, the country's First Lady Asma al-Assad, known for having a cherished place in her husband's inner circle, has been silent about the uprising. A new graphic video released this week by two UN ambassador's wives addresses the woman called "the real dictator" of her family directly, calling on Asma as a woman, a mother, and wife to the most powerful man in the country to "forget the image — and end the violence." Huberta von Voss-Wittig is the wife of the German ambassador to the United Nations, Peter Wittig. She explains why she thinks this video could make a difference.

The violence in Syria has continued in spite of the ceasefire which came into effect on Thursday, and the first members of a United Nations truce monitoring mission which have arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Fighting was reported between government forces and rebels in the city of Homs and unverified video posted on the internet showed the Khaldiyeh area of Homs being heavily shelled. Kieran Dwyer, from the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Ops, outlines what's expected of the monitors in the coming days.

Discussing the news for the week ahead are Marcus Mabry, editor-at-large at The International Herald Tribune and Charlie Herman, business and economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC Radio, discuss the news for the week ahead, including the end of a ceasefire in Syria, Israeli-Palestine talks, rising Eurozone borrowing costs, and the Romneys' interview with Diane Sawyer.

A ceasefire has come into force in Syria amid doubts expressed by Western countries about the government's willingness to stick to it. Correspondents say the truce appears to be largely holding, with no reports of casualties or deaths so far. The Syrian government and the armed opposition have both said they will abide by the ceasefire, but reserved the right to respond if attacked. We are joined by Ausama Monajed of the Syrian National Council.

Violence continues in Syria, a day after the UN-backed ceasefire deadline. What will it take for Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces to stop what has been almost a year of continuous bloodshed? For that, we speak with Stephen Kinzer, journalist and commentator, and Professor of International Relations at Boston University.

A UN-backed deadline for a ceasefire in Syria has passed, with government forces again shelling the central city of Homs. Jonathan Head, correspondent for our partner the BBC, reports from a refugee camp on the Turkey-Syrian border where Kofi Annan is scheduled to visit today.

Tuesday marks the deadline for the Syrian government to begin drawing back troops as part of a cease-fire agreement with Syrian rebels brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. But on Sunday night, President Bashar al-Assad’s government announced new conditions for the troop pullback. Amr Al Azm is a member of the Syrian opposition and professor of history and anthropology at Shawnee State University, and Jim Muir is the Baghdad correspondent for the BBC.

In the ongoing reporting of the Syrian uprising, there has been little information about the violence committed against women. Using a creative web based tool, our guest hopes to fix that. Lauren Wolfe is the director of Women Under Siege, a Women's Media Center project that has co-created a site to crowd-source data of violence against women. The first of its kind, this live, web-based map gives the world access to information on the violent uprising that has been, until now, impossible to report due to Syria's strictly monitored borders.

Syria says that it will start to implement Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan. But skeptics fear that Syria's government will not fully comply with the plan or with its April 10 deadline. The plan calls for a UN-supervised ceasefire by all parties, withdrawal of soldiers and heavy weapons from cities, and delivery of humanitarian aid. Barbara Plett, UN correspondent for our partner the BBC, joins us with her exclusive reporting from the region.

Over the weekend, Friends of Syria, an organization of 60 nations created to support the Syrian opposition, gathered in Istanbul for yet another meeting on the seemingly unending revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. The meeting concluded with real results: Arab nations promised $100 million to pay the Syrian opposition fighters and the United States promised communications equipment and another $12 million in humanitarian aid. Is that enough to help the struggling opposition? Amr Al Azm, member of the Syrian opposition and professor of history and anthropology at Shawnee State University, explains. 

According to a spokesman for UN envoy Kofi Annan, Syria has accepted a United Nations plan to end bloodshed in the country. The plan includes a daily two-hour ceasefire by Syrian security forces to evacuate the injured and provide humanitarian aid. This plan comes as President Bashar al-Assad has traveled to the besieged Baba Amr neighborhood to inspect conditions. Michael Bristow is a correspondent for our partner the BBC.

The European Union is expected today to ban European travel for 12 people close to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad, including the travel of Assad's British-born wife, Asma. The European Union's measures are intended to target members of the Syrian government personally. Chris Morris is a Europe correspondent for our partner the BBC.

Russia said today that it will support the United Nations envoy Kofi Annan's efforts to end the fighting in Syria. This could potentially be a break in the standoff over the violence in the country.

The debate over whether to intervene in Syria continues, and many questions remain. What role would the U.S. play in an intervention? How should Americans engage the international community? Should we arm the Syrian opposition? 

Today we have the opportunity to reflect on the U.S.’s role in two recent conflicts. One year ago today, the American troops joined their French and British counterparts on the battlefield in Libya. Nine years ago today, the U.S. launched Operation Iraqi Freedom. What have we learned from these conflicts, and how do they inform U.S. foreign policy today? 

As hopes for diplomacy stall once again, the killing goes on in Syria, with a report this morning of dozens dead after an attack by pro-government militia in Homs. This latest violence comes after UN envoy Kofi Annan met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad twice over the weekend, but failed to reach a cease-fire agreement. 

With a video posted on YouTube Wednesday, Syrian deputy oil minister Abdo Hussameddin announced his defection from President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Hussameddin had served the Syrian government for 33 years and is the highest level political figure to abandon the government for the rebellion. "I am joining the revolution of the people who reject injustice and the brutal campaign of the regime," Hussameddin states in the video.

Horrific stories are emerging from thousands of refugees streaming out of Syria into Lebanon. The refugees tell of summary executions and torture. The International Red Cross remains outside Baba Amr in Homs, despite being given the green light to enter five days ago. Paul Wood, correspondent for our partner the BBC, reports from outside Homs.