Is Syria on the Way to Becoming a Failed State?

After three years of civil war, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claims a "turning point" in what he calls his "war against terror" has now paved the way to his re-election. Sure enough, his army, backed by Hezbollah, has re-taken important rebel strongholds, including the ancient Christian town of Maaloula and and three towns along the Lebanese border. However, the restoration of order is a distant dream. The death toll is 150,000; 2.5 million refugees have flooded neighboring countries and seven million have been displaced within Syria itself. We hear about chemical weapons, the international proxy war, and civilians faced with the choice of death by bullets or by starvation.