The twin blasts that rocked Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Syria this week underscore the fragility of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authority and the security challenges he faces. They also undermine the message of stability that Damascus is striving to convey to the international community.
It was a historic visit, the first by a Western head of state, signalling Syria’s emerging integration into the international stage after the isolation, sanctions and brutal violence of the Assad era. But the morning after President Emmanuel Macron landed in Damascus, two homemade bombs exploded near the Four Seasons Hotel where the French delegation had spent the night.
