Al-Assad tours Aleppo without protocols

In its Wednesday's issue, the Syrian daily al-Thawra said that President Bashar al-Assad made a visit to the city of Aleppo, the second Syrian city, regarding importance, after Damascus.

The paper added that this visit was held away from the official protocol which usually prevail such types of visits. This visit which lasted for three days was characterized by the President's clinging to people as he was found in most crowded parts of the city without even guards.

The paper quoted eye-witnesses as saying that they saw the President in one of the sweets shops and that he bought Arabian sweets and then distributed it on a group of small students who gathered around him and then he paid the price for it amid the surprise on the face of the shop owner.

During this tour, the Syrian president attended a show for a play under the title " Welcome to death you Arabs " ( Tab al-Mawt Ya Arab ) when members of the theatre team were surprised to see the President of the Republic sitting in the front line waiting for the show to start.

The city of Aleppo witnessed a similar tour held by President Bashar al-Assad just almost one year ago, few months before he assumed the post of Presidency in Syria. He, then, visited the old markets in the city and closely learnt about the conditions of the shops owners.

This is however, the first declared visit of its kind by President Bashar al-Assad since he assumed his post of office.