It began exactly two years ago on Friday as Arab spring revolts swept the region.<br/> <br />Pro-democracy protesters took to the streets in Syria's capital Damascus and here in Deraa calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.<br/> <br />In a sign of things to come, Assad's troops responded with force leaving several dead.<br/> <br />More than 70,000 people have now been killed and a million forced into exile as the conflict descends into an increasingly bloody war with sectarian shades, pitting Syria's Sunni Muslim majority against Alawites, linked to Shi'ite Islam, like Assad.<br/> <br />With journalists banned from reporting the conflict, what began as a trickle of amateur video uploaded by activists turned into a torrent.<br/> <br />Assad blamed the violence on a conspiracy linked to outside elements and defied calls from the international community - minus Iran and Russia - to step down.<br/> <br />As the bloodshed worsened, opposition leaders formed the Syrian National Council in September 2011 follo
