My meeting with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad

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DAMASCUS, Syria — It had been a rocky journey. With the flow of refugees pouring out of Syria, crossing the Lebanese border was difficult, even though the president's staff were waiting for us on the other side to take us to meet Bashar al-Assad

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Once in Damascus, we could feel the tension but also the fatigue brought on by years of civil war. Though markets were open and people went about their business, the Syrians appeared tired but resigned to their fates

Assad's image was everywhere: a wartime president, exuding authority. And during our stay in the capital, we could hear the occasional roar of a howitzer but we couldn't discern the sound of incoming fire, though some neighborhoods had clearly been damaged Read more...

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from MashableLouise Roug