Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has made a rare public appearance at a mosque in Damascus at the start of a Muslim holiday. The president is **t frequently seen in public in Syria, which has descended into a civil war between fighters wishing to overthrow him and pro-government forces. One of Assad's last public appearances was in July at the presidential palace when he was sworn in for a new term and gave a defiant speech, vowing to recover all Syria from insurgents.