Four sons killed fighting for Assad, but mother's loyalty to regime endures

Pictures of Tamima Abbas's dead sons hang on her living room wall: strong-looking men in uniform, toting guns, some forever caught in a smile. Next to them hangs a portrait of a resolute President Bashar al-Assad. Since the Syrian conflict began, Ms. Abbas, a widow, has lost four of her eight sons. But her loyalties remain to Mr. Assad, who she sees as guardian of Syria’s sovereignty and sectarian diversity. “Our country needs these martyrs. , with the help of the martyrs' blood and