gregg: greg, what is happening on the ground in syria today? >> reporter: yeah, from all this talk, gregg, about chemical weapons most of the damage, most of the killing in the last 2 1/2 years in syria has to do with conventional weapons and they have been in play on the ground in syria today and throughout this week. forces and al qaeda-linked rebels were clashing in the town of mallola. a christian town, historic place north of damascus. appears government forces are regaining control there. it is a nasty fight and as with a lot of fights in that country, religion in the middle. there are new claims from the human rights watch group, the forces of the regime of syrian president bashar assad were responsible for massacres and executions in two towns in northeastern syria in the early part of may. that left again, according to this agency, almost 250 men, women and children killed. we are also hearing, gregg, of course on both sides, a lot of