[An Nahar] Syrian 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Light of the Alawites...
's regime is in danger of collapse "anytime" as the opposition gains ground on the military and political fronts, Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
chief Nabil al-Arabi said on Monday.
"That could happen anytime," the secretary general said in an interview with Agence La Belle France Presse.
"Now they are fighting in Damascus
...The
City of Jasminis the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. It has not always been inhabited by the same set of fascisti...
," and after 20 months of violence, "I think there will be something soon," he said.
"Facts on the ground indicate very clearly now that the Syrian opposition is gaining, politically and militarily. Every day they are gaining something," Arabi said.
He said a new coalition of Syrian opposition groups now based in Cairo was "moving ahead."
The Arab League, which is also based in the Egyptian capital, last month recognized Syria's National Coalition as the "legitimate" representative of the Syrian opposition.
"We are in touch with them and they come here all the time," Arabi said.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the conflict which broke out in March 2011 has cost more than 41,000 lives.
There have also been fears of a spillover of the violence into neighboring countries.
"The possibility is there, you cannot exclude the possibility," Arabi acknowledged.
He also deplored Russia's support of Damascus, which along with China has blocked the United Nations
...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly...
Security Council from adopting sanctions against Damascus.
"The Russians insist Assad should be there until the end of the (transition) process, while others say once the transition period starts with a government with full executive powers, Assad is needless," Arabi said.
But he said China, which is also a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, appeared to be "more flexible" than Russia on the Syria file.
Arabi's assessment was that Iran, considered Assad's firmest ally in the international community, is in fact "not a big actor."
"I keep reading in the papers Iran is providing money, Iran is providing weapons ... They deny everything but they say they are helping" Damascus, Arabi said.
"I don't expect Iran to change its views. They are dogmatic but they are not so influential," he said.
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council has recognized the National Coalition formed last month as "the Syrian people's legitimate representative", although the 22-member Arab League stopped short of granting it full recognition.
Spain on November 29 also decided to recognize the National Coalition, following the example of La Belle France, Britannia and Turkey as well as the GCC.
The 27-nation EU has formally recognized the National Coalition as the sole representative of the Syrian people, while La Belle France has suggested arming opposition fighters.