*DAMASCUS – The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has beguntreatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Wednesday.*
“Asma al-Assad is beginning the first stage of treatment for a malignanttumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage,” the presidencyannounced on its social media accounts.
The announcement came with a photo of the first lady in loose clothing andtrainers, sitting on a chair in a hospital room with an intravenous dripinserted in her left hand.
She was smiling at her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, who sat to herright.
The presidency did not specify where the first lady was being treated, butthe word “military” was printed on a blanket visible in the picture,indicating she was likely in a government-run military hospital.
Born in 1975, the British-born former investment banker styled herself as aprogressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side of the Assaddynasty.
She rarely appeared in public during the first few years of the uprising,but over the past two years has been much more active at charity events.
Asma, whose father is a cardiologist and whose mother is a diplomat, hastwo sons and a daughter with Assad. – APP/AFP