OSLO, Norway — Norwegian media are quoting the outgoing U.N. chief observer in Syria as saying it's just a matter of time before Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime crumbles.
But Maj. Gen. Robert Mood also told a news conference in Oslo on Friday that Syria's government still has great military muscle left to apply in the civil war, with no sense of proportionality when it comes to using violence.

According to Norwegian broadcaster TV2, Mood said, "It's impossible to imagine a future in Syria where the current people in power remain in power," adding: "It's just a matter of time before this regime collapses."
That could especially happen if more members of the military leave the government to join the opposition.
Mood left Damascus July 19. (AP)