tonight from the syria/jordan border. >> reporter: tens of thousands turned out for what were termed loyalty to the nation rallies. the government said it gave people time off to attend, opponents claim workers were told they'd be fired and students would fail exams if they didn't show up. at the same time, state t.v. announced that the entire cabinet had resigned. the response to protests in which more than 60 people have been killed and hundreds injured trying to end 50 years of repressive rule. >> this would be a sea change, i think, and this is where the egyptian revolution did not do. i think this is where i see it's more important to watch changes in syria than any other place. >> reporter: the reason is simple: iran is syria's closest ally, which makes it a major problem for u.s. policy. syria is accused of providing money and weapons to islamic militant groups, including hezbollah and hamas. both are a threat to israel and anything resembling a middle east peace process. in this part of the board, it's often difficult to tell where one country ends and another