In Assassination in Damascus, the editors of The New York Times write:
For 17 months, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has waged bloody war against his people from his redoubt in Damascus, convinced that he could weather the storm. A bombing on Wednesday that killed at least three of his most senior aides — including the defense minister and Mr. Assad’s powerful brother-in-law — shows that the war can reach deeply into the capital.
