Syrian president visits Oman in 1st trip abroad since quake

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has visited the Gulf nation of Oman on his first official visit since the deadly Feb. 6 quake. Oman is one of few Arab countries that kept normal relations with Damascus after Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over its crackdown on Arab Spring protests. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake which struck Feb. 6, has killed nearly 45,000 people in Turkey and Syria has brought a further thawing in relations between Assad and other Arab states.  Assad’s office said that during Monday’s visit, the president was received by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.