With Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces in the streets of Damascus suburbs and gunfire reported in major cities, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s position appears entirely safe in the near term. Reports of the regime leader showing up at Damascus restaurants with an extremely relaxed attitude point to the reality that his regime has spent a long time preparing to hold power in the face of an insurrection.
Though a number of experts believe that Assad will eventually be forced from power, “eventually” could be an extremely long time, and it seems the Syrian government is prepared for a protracted civil war.