The U.S. is accusing Syria of carrying out two recent political assassinations in Lebanon, and maintaining a force of Syrian and Lebanese agents in Lebanon, to work with Lebanese allies of Syria. Meanwhile, back in Syria, president Bashar al Assad has attempted to rid himself of his fathers old cronies. Bashar did this by reducing the number of  senior officials, and replacing nearly all of them with younger men. But his father's old buddies still have lots of money, friends, guns and dangerous secrets to use against young Bashar.