[A youth training project that] the first lady of Syria, Asma Assad, hired [Monitor Group] to take on...collapsed in March amid...[a] vicious government crackdown that human rights activists say has killed more than 1,400 people, including many teenagers...Monitor Group is facing criticism [that] the firm...indirectly improved the image of a brutal regime...Monitor counted among its clients some of the most repressive governments in the world, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Libya. The company’s work in Libya from 2006 to 2008, which included a stealth project aimed at bolstering Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy’s image, sparked condemnation this year after his attacks on civilians...Monitor acknowledges that it erred in Libya...But spokesmen for the company say its projects in Syria, which focused on youth and culture, are consistent with services it will continue to offer...