Syrian President Grants General Amnesty

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in another bid to quiet the unrest that has swept the country, issued a decree granting "general amnesty for crimes committed during the events between March 15, 2011 and January 15, 2012," according to the official SANA news agency.

No further details were provided.

The popular uprising and the Assad regime's ruthless crackdown in response has further isolated Assad internationally and in the Arab world.