Is Syria's Civil War Going Global?

Syria tops the agenda as Presidents Obama and Putin meet at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. After months of non-involvement, the US has promised some rebels small arms and ammunition, to be coordinated by General Salim Idriss, who heads the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army. But the rebels say they still don't know what to expect. Here at home, advocates of intervention accuse Obama of being led by events, while supporters say the situation is too uncertain to formulate policy goals. If Bashar al Assad stays in power, what are the consequences for Syria and the rest of the Middle East? Is it too late to force him to negotiate in good faith?