But his mother's claim that he is a 16-year-old juvenile could pose a problem for prosecutors seeking the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

VOA: standard.2009.04.22

He smiles at the television cameras, sticks out his tongue with antic poses and hand gestures, strikes his "lightning bolt" pose, and tells reporters that he is on his way "to being a legend."

VOA: standard.2009.08.21

The Syrians straddle the fence between the order of conservative nations on the one hand and this alliance with Iran on the other and it would make perfect sense for Bashar al-Assad to pose as the mediator with the Iranians, which means: hey,if you folks think I'm bad, think of the Iranians,they're much worse, but I have credit in their bank and I can deal with the Iranians."

VOA: standard.2009.03.18