It's been a huge day in Syria, with great live coverage from the Guardian. Here are some of the highlights:
- Brazil has pulled all of its diplomats out of Syria.
- A video has surfaced of a group calling themselves "Soldiers of the Omar Farouq Brigade in Syria" encouraging Muslims to join a jihad against the Assad regime.
- The Syrian Brigadier General who defected has put his name forward as a possible leader of a provisional government to replace Assad. The video release is believed to have been filmed in Paris.
- Half of the UN's 300 observers have left Syria as the violence intensifies.
- Syria's envoy to Cyprus has defected.
- According to Reuters, Syrian Government troops are marching on Aleppo to stage a counteroffensive against the rebels.
We'll keep you posted, but those are the major events that occurred before dawn in the United States.
In the meantime, here's a full rundown of Syria's military might >
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