Media Watch

A Damascus-based newspaper, citing sources, has reported that Brigadier General and brother of President Bashar al-Assad, is commanding troops in the Homs and Aleppo theater of operations.
Maher al-Assad is reportedly a commander in the army’s Fourth Armoured Division. Much secrecy surrounds the makeup of the Syrian armed forces and the current order of battle – the report was leaked to the Damas Post newspaper.

The following is the full text of an interview with Bashar al-Assad by Syria’s Al-Thawra newspaper.
Interviewer: During this difficult time of crisis, it has often been said that Syria can accommodate everyone, but in reality it has not embraced all of its citizens. What has led us to this point?