Controversy Surrounds Assad's Attendance at Arab League Summit

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's return to the Arab League after an 11-year suspension has been met with anger and disbelief by many Syrians affected by the conflict. Although the league has limited political power, Assad's attendance at the regional summit was a major symbolic triumph for the former political pariah, whose forces have been accused of using chemical weapons and targeting hospitals and civilian areas during a bloody civil war that has lasted more than a decade and is still ongoing. Many Syrians feel betrayed and forgotten by the international community, and Assad's political rehabilitation sends a perilous message to other authoritarian leaders.