The Rat King

Bashar Assad is by no means the only or last despot in the world or the Middle East. It could be said that Assad is merely carrying on the tradition of lineal tyranny initiated by his late but hardly lamented father Hafez against the Syrian people. Bashar learned at the knee of his Dad the dictator that when you really must insist on maintaining your power, everything goes from rape to artillery barrages directed against your own civilian populace. Assad no doubt suffered a blow yesterday when close members of the inner circle of his regime were blown up by a bomb. Bashar could get the message that the noose is tightening and perhaps he is one rat smart enough to flee the sinking ship of his father's creation and go to one of the countries that would still grant Bashar and his close associates sanctuary.