Paris - President Hafez alAssad of Syria, on his first official western visit in 22 years, arrived yesterday in France amid debate over his iron rule and his bid for European support in the Middle East.
Mr Assad was met at Paris's Orly airport by President Jacques Chirac and Jewish groups expressed outrage that President Assad, whom they accuse of sheltering the convicted Nazi war criminal, Alois Brunner, would meet Mr Chirac on the anniversary of a second World War German round-up of 12,000 Jews in France.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, called President Assad "serious" yesterday and hailed Mr Assad's first official visit to a western country in 22 years as "a good thing".
