Following the Houla massacre and the consequent Free Syrian Army (FSA) ultimatum to the Syrian government, the cease-fire practically collapsed towards the end of May 2012, as the FSA began nationwide offensives against the government troops. On 1 June, the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to crush the anti-government uprising, after the FSA announced that it was resuming “defensive operations.”[5] Following a prolonging discourse of the peace mission, Kofi Annan resigned on 2 August 2012.[6] On 17 August, Lakhdar Brahimi was appointed the new UN-Arab League peace envoy for Syria.