Iran Pledges Support after Syrian Defection

Yesterday, Syria's newly appointed Prime Minister slipped into Jordan, and today White House spokesman Jay Carney concluded that "Assad cannot restore his control over the government because the Syrian people will not allow it." But, also today, Syrian President Bashar Assad appeared on television for the first time in weeks. He was accompanied by Iran's security chief, who said Iran would not allow the two country's ties to be shaken by the internal uprising or by outside foes. Damien Cave is in Beirut, Lebanon for the New York Times.