Human Rights Watch: No freedom, no rights in Syria

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of Syria's Bashar Assad's presidency, an international human rights group published a report on Friday arguing that Assad has done "virtually nothing" to improve human rights and expand freedoms during his decade in power. In a 35-page report named "A Wasted Decade," the New York-based group Human Rights Watch argued that Assad has failed to deliver on promises of reform when he came to power 10 years ago this month. "Whether President Assad wanted to be a reformer but was hampered by an entrenched old guard or has been just another Arab ruler unwilling to listen to criticism, the outcome for Syria's people is the same: no freedom, no rights," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.