A City Of Assad Supporters In War-Ravaged Syria  The port city
of Tartous is in a region loyal to President Bashar Assad. The
city has been a refuge for supporters to vacation and seek work.
Steve Inskeep/NPR   Steve Inskeep/NPR  Many people in Syria are
accustomed to the sound of daily gunfire. It is normal in
battle-scarred cities like Damascus or Qusair.  But along the
beaches and in the cafes of Tartous, an area that is a center of
support for the embattled President Bashar Assad, the sounds are
a bit more peaceful.  Near the water's edge of the
Mediterranean, tables, chairs and umbrellas sit upon huge
stones. At one of these tables sits a brother and sister on
vacation.  The brother, a 21-year-old Syrian soldier who didn't
want to give his name, is given a few days off every few weeks.
He doesn't talk about his duties, but says he has been under
fire. Going from combat to the beach is a bit strange, he says.
"Of course, I think about it," he says, "and it's hard to ignore
that I could have been killed.