As long as outside threats dominate Syrian affairs, the unsmiling President seems likely to remain firmly in control.

Crowds have vented their anger on what they see as the monitors' interference in Syrian affairs.

"He is a son of the system," said a Lebanese journalist who tracks Syrian affairs.

This changed weakened curtailed the powers of the National Command dramatically, and they had from then on very little say in Syrian internal affairs.

However, there are also gaps in Herodian's knowledge of Syrian affairs which lead one to believe that he might not have been from the region at all.

He described any western interference in Syrian affairs as an "occupation" and said that dialogue was the only way to settle the crisis.

President Assad responded that the complaints amounted to foreign interference in Syrian domestic affairs.

Mr. Schenker, 35, works in the office of the secretary of defense, where he is a country director on Syrian, Jordanian, Lebanese and Palestinian affairs.

However, Razzaz was not rooted enough in Syrian affairs to find a solution to the crisis which was taking hold in Syria.

Thus, coverage of Syrian affairs deflects un-necessary attention away from the fact that unjustifiable bonuses continue to be paid in London ,New York etc for example.