The news  that the British are once again putting out feelers to Syria is intriguing. The Brits have long held out hopes that Assad might prove a voice for moderation in the Middle East – and that he might be particularly receptive to overtures from the UK. After all, he trained in British medical schools and his wife was born in London and worked as an investment banker here.

As it happens, my brother-in-law was on the same training course as Bashar at a major London eye hospital in the early 1990s. Bashar’s name and face are pretty recognisable to anyone with an interest in Middle Eastern politics. So, after some hesitation, my brother-in-law and a Lebanese pal wandered over to him in the canteen and asked Bashar if was by any chance related to the Hafez al-Assad, the president of Syria. Bashar denied it point blank and returned to eating whatever slop they were serving in NHS canteens at the time.

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