international pressure prompted syria to pull its troops out of lebanon in two thousand and six. assad seemed to take these events in stride at least in public. but since his relations with the west now lay in tatters he moved his country closer to iran. and he signed a military cooperation agreement with russia. that assad turned the situation following her reasons sasa nation to his advantage. he purged political and military leaders who d been appointed by his father and replaced them with his own people. the shadow said that about how to bashar thought