“Assad appears to have decided to purge his government of anyone remotely suspected of sympathizing with the pro-democracy uprising — with his first priority being to reassert control of the armed forces. To hammer that home, he’s appearing on state TV in military uniforms in his role as commander-in-chief — his chest often covered with Syria’s highest military decorations for bravery, although he’s never done military service.”

— Amir Taheri

"The lonely dictator" http://nypost.com/2011/08/12/the-lonely-dictator/, New York Post (August 12, 2011).
New York Post

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Amir Taheri 85

Iranian journalist 1942

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