Damascus, Under the patronage of President Bashar al-Assad, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces, the Higher Military Academy celebrated today the graduation of the cadets of the 39th Command and Staff Course. The celebration began with a minute of silence in honor for the souls of martyrs, followed by the playing of the national anthem of Syria. Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Minister of Defense Ali Mahmoud Abbas, representing the President in the celebration, delivered a speech in which he conveyed the greetings of President al-Assad to the graduated officers and his wishes for success in carrying out the tasks awaiting them in their various work sites alongside their comrades in the army and armed forces. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency