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This is the political scene, a weekly conversation with New Yorker writers and editors about politics.

It's Thursday, June 6th. I'm Dorothy Wickendon, executive editor of The New Yorker writers and editors about politics. It's Thursday, June 6th. I'm Dorothy

Wicenden, executive editor of The New Yorker. Three weeks ago, President Obama spoke about the

civil war in Syria in a joint appearance with Turkey's prime minister.

We both agree that Assad needs to go. He needs to transfer power to a transitional body. That is the only way that we're

going to resolve this crisis. But since then, the Assad regime has made further inroads against

the rebels, and Obama has just reshuffled his foreign policy team. Philip Garevich and

Dexter Filkins are here today to talk about the implications of these changes.

Dexter, one key difference in the past week, I mean, it's particularly apparent in the past week,

is the increased involvement of Hezbollah fighters in the war. What's happened?

Well, there was just, you know, this week we had this enormous battle,

or the end of an enormous battle in Coussair, which is a Syrian town, which is really close to the Lebanese border.

...