Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meets with Syrian army soldiers in eastern Ghouta, Syria, March 18, 2018. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
Ruth Sherlock, NPR: How The Syrian Regime Keeps Winning Territory, From An Army Defector's Perspective
Dressed in a sharp black suit, Syrian President Bashar Assad smiles for selfies with his soldiers against a backdrop of blown-out buildings and a battered tank. Weary-looking men crowd around him and chant the slogan frequently heard on this side of the country's war: "With our spirit and our blood, we will free you Bashar!"
This week, pro-regime media posted photos and videos of Assad visiting what they claimed was a town regime forces had recently captured in eastern Ghouta, an area east of the capital Damascus.
The message was clear: Assad is projecting confidence that the region will soon surrender to his control.
Even as the regime makes gains elsewhere in the country, tens of thousands of heavily armed rebels in eastern Ghouta — just miles from the presidential palace in the capital — continue to pose a serious threat.
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WNU Editor: A must read for those who want to know what is happening on the ground in Syria.