(CNN) - Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was in Syria for talks Monday with embattled President Bashar al-Assad, the first meeting between the two since the collapse of a peace plan to end nearly 16 months of bloodshed that has left thousands dead.
The news of the talks came as state-run media reported that Syria's military began conducting live-fire training exercises that simulate a defense against foreign attacks, while al-Assad's regime and the opposition traded new allegations of violence.
This comes after US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton sent a strong message to Syria's biggest backers: Russia and China. "The future, to me, should be abundantly clear to those who support the Assad regime. The days are numbered," she says.
This morning on "Early Start," Arwa Damon reports on Clinton's stern warning, and what it means for the ongoing conflict in Syria.