“According to Saudi officials, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah told Assad last week during a meeting in Riyadh that he must immediately withdraw Syria’s 14,000 soldiers in Lebanon.

`Not everything is up to me alone,’ Assad replied, according to the officials.

In a Time interview published this week, Assad again hinted he was not responsible for some of Syria’s policies. Told he had done the impossible by bringing the United States and France together in unity against him, Assad answered with a laugh: `It’s not me, actually.’”