E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

New baby Pencilneck on the way
[GUARDIAN.CO.UK] Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma is expecting a fourth child, according to a Lebanese newspaper with a reputation for informed access to the inner workings of the regime in Damascus.
This would be a convenient reason for her to flee move to Moscow, Paris or Tehran. For good pre-natal care, you know...
The news that Syria's first lady is pregnant came from Al-Akhbar, which is published in Beirut. It attributed the news to unnamed "Arab visitors" who also heard her husband claiming to have gained the upper hand in the fight against rebels. But the paper gave no further details.

Nor was there any confirmation of the story from the government in Damascus or from Asma's parents, who live in London. Rumours about a pregnancy have been circulating for several months.

"On the personal level, the man [Assad] seems calm and in control," al-Akhbar reported. "His confidence level stands out. Also, there's the news of the pregnancy of his wife Asma, which could not be dealt with as a simple personal matter between a couple."

The report triggered abusive and vengeful comments from Syrian anti-Assad activists on social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

Assuming a degree of deliberate news management, the story may be part of an effort by the president to project an image of normality in the midst of a bloody crisis which has already seen 60,000 people killed since the uprising began 22 months ago.
Posted by: Fred 2013-01-30
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=361178