Syria's Bashar al-Assad presses foreign aid through his territory

Syrian President Bashar Assad wants to chip away at his international isolation, because he is trying to take advantage of an earthquake that has devastated large parts of Syria and Turkey, which is why he is pressing for foreign aid to be delivered through his territory.

Amid an outpouring of sympathy for Syrians hit by the earthquake, Damascus has seized the moment to reiterate its long-standing demand for aid to be coordinated with his government, which has been shunned by the West since Syria s war began in 2011.

Western powers have shown no sign they are ready to meet that demand or re-engage with Assad, but his hand has been strengthened by the difficulties faced by cross-border aid from Turkey into Syria's rebel-held northwest.

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