FILE -  In this Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 file photo Vladimir Putin, then Russian President, right, and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad smile as they shake hands in Moscow's Kremlin. With even his most powerful ally, Russia, losing faith in him, President Bashar Assad may appear to be heading for a last stand against rebel forces who have been waging a ferocious battle to overthrow him for nearly two years. But Assad still has thousands of elite and loyal troops behind him, and analysts say that even if he wanted to give up the fight, it's unclear those around him would let him abandon ship and leave them to an uncertain fate.(AP photo/RIA Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press service, File)
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