August 17, Syria’s President Assad told the United Nations that military operations against insurgents were a success, and are now complete.  I watched reports from the Middle East showing Syrian forces leaving several major cities, with the local population cheering them on.

In fact, the city of Deir ez-Zor suffered a brutal insurgency occupation that lasted several days: “These bandits blocked the roads, put up barricades – it became a ghost city. We were hiding at home, we were just like hostages.”- Hiba Deir Ezzor, resident

When the Syrian army showed up, the residents welcomed them as  liberators, not oppressors.

President Assad also told the UN that they could send inspectors in, to assess the humanitarian situation.