World Syria’s war turns 9: How barbarity, confusion and indifference helped Bashar Assad prosper March 13, 2020March 17, 2020 Kim Hjelmgaard and Deirdre Shesgreen, USA TODAY Comments Off on Syria’s war turns 9: How barbarity, confusion and indifference helped Bashar Assad prosper U.S. and its alies' policies toward President Bashar Assad's Syria have stumbled from intervention and airstrikes to resignation and inattention.