. >> mr. ajami throws out the phrase civil war to say, don't interfere in this internal thing because it fears the u.n. or the arab league, which has taken at least some diplomatic action, will do something against a regime that the russians want to have stay in place, is that correct? >> well, i think fran is right. the argument that the russians have put forward, to describe it as a civil war is to imply some kind of equivalence, violence on both sides, right on both sides. this is nothing of a civil war. i'm a child of lebanon. we know what those civil wars are like. this is, as we said before, the assad regime is on the ropes. the assad regime has tried in every way it can to suppress this noble rebellion against it. and the third largest city in syria is in open defiance and has almost really walked out of the authority of the regime. and bash ir-assad, in a way, i think his time is up. and the idea that there is an argument that could be made between them is completely untenable. >> i want to