Predictions of the imminent, or even medium-term fall of Damascus are wrong.
It does not feel like the capital of a regime that is about to crumble.
The government-held areas that I have visited seem calm and functional. The ministry of defence, behind heavy layers of security, moves at a stately pace.
The regime has deployed some of its strongest units in Damascus because keeping the capital is so important to it.
The troops I met seemed to have good morale, in cohesive units. Their kit and weapons were well looked after; so were their positions.
One of the most strategic front lines in Damascus is in the inner city suburb of Jobar.