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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently spent part of his day driving through a suburb of Damascus on a Honda Civic¹. Why is this making international news?

The part of the Syrian capital he appeared to drive through is a war-torn section called Eastern Ghouta. You might remember us reporting on this.

It was an area held by rebels who are fighting the Syrian government. It's been under a government siege for six years and Syrian forces launched an all-out assault on eastern Ghouta, several weeks ago.

So, President Assad's drive through the area, when he negotiates traffic and passes taxis and pedestrians², without appearing to get noticed is apparently³ his way of showing his military's fight here has been successful.

The battle was incredibly destructive. After it started, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously for a ceasefire. Both the government and the rebels ignored that almost immediately. The U.N. says that 400,000 civilians⁵ in eastern Ghouta suffered through the onslaught.

It looks like it's nearing an end. Observers expect the government to eventually defeat the rebels there and take over the entire area in the days ahead. But no one knows when or if the scars of war will heal.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Bashar al-Assad is at the wheel.

We're going to the Ghouta to see the situation, he says, driving through what appears to be normal traffic, without an apparent security escort on his way to the eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts⁶ of Damascus.

Under siege for years, for a month, the scene of the government offensive to crush this rebel-held pocket. According to the United Nations, more than a thousand civilians have been killed, tens of thousands have fled the government-held areas.

God willing, anything that can be liberated⁷ without fighting is best, he says. Let's not forget there are civilians and we must preserve their lives.

It's a surreal work of propaganda. The Syrian every man on a day trip to the ruins of his realm.

His bodyguards⁸ reappear when he meets people who greet him with kisses and chants.

With our souls and blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Bashar.

In seven years, nearly half a million Syrians have been sacrificed in a war far from over.

Many killed by a government that has showered its opponents with barrel bombs and in the eastern Ghouta in 2013, chemical weapons.

Meeting with commanders, he gives instruction to avoid civilian⁴ casualties, because he says — maybe the terrorists are hiding behind the civilians.

The Syrian government has always framed its fight against the armed opposition⁹ as an existential struggle between order and chaos¹⁰.

The battle is bigger than Syria, al-Assad tells the troops. You're waging a battle for the world, every bullet you fire to kill a terrorist, you're changing the world order.

And while the Syrian president basked¹¹ on the cheers of his troops, Sunday, the bloodshed carried on. According to the Syrian-American Medical Society, during Assad's day out, government forces subjected the Ghouta to intense bombardment, killing¹² 28 people, including four children and five women.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.

1 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

2 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

7 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

8 bodyguards   

n.保镖，卫士，警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks came to Jim's office accompanied—like always—by his two bodyguards. 和往常一样，在两名保镖的陪同下，布鲁克斯去吉姆的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. 在这次袭击事件中，他有3名保镖受了伤。 来自辞典例句

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

11 basked   

v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽

参考例句：

• She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她尽情地享受她女儿的成功带给她的荣耀。
• She basked in the reflected glory of her daughter's success. 她享受着女儿的成功所带给她的荣耀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。