The International Red Cross declares the conflict in Syria to be
a civil war. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports on the significance
of the designation. Updated at 2:01 p.m. ET: The International
Committee of the Red Cross said on Sunday it now considers the
conflict in Syria a civil war, meaning international
humanitarian law applies throughout the country. The declaration
came as opposition fighters battled Syrian government forces in
Damascus. The Geneva-based group's assessment is an important
reference that helps parties in a conflict determine how much
and what type of force they can or cannot use. ICRC spokesman
Hicham Hassan said Sunday that the humanitarian law now applies
wherever hostilities are taking place in Syria, where fighting
has spread beyond the hotspots of Idlib, Homs and Hama.
International humanitarian law grants parties to a conflict the
right to use appropriate force to achieve their aims. But
attacks on civilians and abuse or killing of detainees can
constitute war crimes. Syria denied U.