MICHAEL HOLMES, WORLD NEWS: The people of Syria have said farewell to Hafez al-Assad, the man who served as their president for three decades. His funeral drew dignitaries from around the world and emotional tributes. But as CNN's Ben Wedeman reports, nowhere was the mourning more intense than in the tiny village Mr. Assad called home.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This Syrian town of Quardaha prepares for the last homecoming of President Hafez al-Assad. Quardaha, Assad's birthplace, held nothing back in mourning its most famous son. But for the faithful, it was a long ordeal in the scorching sun. As they waited for the president's coffin to arrive, they marched. They chanted. They fainted from the heat and the emotion. For the lucky few, chunks of ice. And was it worth the wait? "Yes," replies this man, who had waited since before dawn. "It's the least we could do to show our love for President Assad." Others made good on their pledge to give their blood and souls to the late president's heir apparent, Bashar al-Assad. In the heat, patience wore thin. Hundreds of soldiers did their best to keep the crowd under control. After a day of waiting and watching, the casket finally came into view. For some, it was all too much. After prayers, the coffin was taken away for burial, Hafez al-Assad's loyal followers running after him to the very end. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Quardaha, Syria.
Syrians Say Farewell to Hafez al-Assad