Assad has no cause for fear

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu spent several hours on Tuesday with Syrian government representatives trying to negotiate an end to the violence in Syria - without success. But even now, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad need not fear military intervention, writes the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung: "It is in the nature of totalitarian regimes that making even the tiniest concessions regarding their sole claim to power over the state spells the beginning of the end. Assad and his clan are very much aware of this. And most of his regime's opponents would agree. Monday's appointment of a new defence minister is pure cosmetics. The president's brother is the true custodian of power over Syria's far-reaching security apparatus. And he has no reason to start loosening his grip. The regime need not fear a military intervention like that in Libya. Even now there is still no structured opposition ready to take over if the government was toppled."   

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