![Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir becomes the first Arabic leader to meet his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad in eight years on 16 December 2018 - [Syrian Presidency/Facebook]](https://i2.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Assad-and-Bashir-e1545039418508.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=75&strip=all&ssl=1)
Until recently, Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad was seen as the dictator who succeeded in stopping the domino effect of Arab revolutions, which started from Tunisia at the end of 2010...![Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) sees Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) off after they attend a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (not seen) and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (not seen) at 'Rus Sanatorium' following the 4th trilateral summit on Syria between Turkey - Iran - Russia, on 14 February 2019 in Sochi, Russia. [Turkish Presidency / Murat Cetinmuhurdar / Handout - Anadolu Agency]](https://i1.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/20190214_2_34949270_41686579.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=75&strip=all&ssl=1)
Washington’s first deadline for Turkey to respond to its offer to buy the Patriot missile defence system passed last Friday with no progress made. Only one day after the...