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Source: http://nytimes.com/2005/03/19/international/middleeast/19syria.html
Syria's Leader Moves to Consolidate His Power
(New York Times) Hassan M. Fattah - Beginning last summer Bashar Assad purged the ranks of the military, sidelined prospective opponents, and wrested control of foreign policy, especially the "Lebanon file," from his vice president. Assad has promised to withdraw troops from Lebanon and has begun the withdrawal. Whether he will complete it and whether Syria will simply maintain its control through other means remain matters of keen debate in Damascus. It is widely felt that maintaining control is central to his long-term survival because of Lebanon's importance to Syria's economy.