Assad Rejects US Proposal

Bashar al-Assad, weeks before the rebels' attack, rejected a deal proposed by the United States that would have strengthened his power. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing Syrian diplomat Bassam Barabandi.

According to the newspaper, the US proposal reached the Syrian president through the UAE. Assad was offered the lifting of American sanctions against him, in exchange for Damascus preventing Tehran from supplying weapons to the Lebanese Hezbollah.

At the same time, the WP labeled Assad's refusal to normalize relations with Turkey as his "more fateful" mistake.