Assad Courts 'People's Embrace' Amid U.S. Attack Threat
Source: Wall Street Journal
President Bashar al-Assad has used the threat of a U.S. attack as an opportunity for a public-relations campaign that portrays him to Syrians as a steely commander-in-chief who, after limited strikes are over, will be the best guarantor against the destruction of their nation.
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Though a U.S. strike also would encourage the opposition and its supporters, many Syrians in the capital—where the Assad government maintains a tight grip—say news of the potential U.S.-led strike has already stirred feelings of solidarity with Mr. Assad and his government.
"The regime has committed mistakes, but we must defend our country," said a 54-year-old woman living on the west side of Damascus. Though she disliked the Assad regime, she said she now reluctantly supported him. "I believe nothing the Americans say," she added. "They spoke about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; instead they destroyed Iraq and nothing was proved."
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"He has the most powerful network in the world," said Ayman Abdelnour, a former friend and confidante to Mr. Assad. "The Iranian lobby, the Christian lobby, Shiites, Syrian expats…this is all working for him," said Mr. Abdelnour, who now runs a Syria news website out of Dubai. He said that Syria's senior political and military class has developed a sense of deep-seated impunity, having survived spates of great instability, including accusations of involvement in the 2005 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324009304579045341314428808.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
...should give pause to those in power. 
