BEIRUT (AP) — His nation is a smoldering ruin, much of it held by rival armed factions, domestic or foreign. Half the population is displaced, and much of the West regards him as a tyrant and human rights abuser. But Syrian President Bashar Assad appears to have survived the war and is likely to hold onto power for the foreseeable future. The sides in Syria's civil war are preparing for what will be the eighth round of U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva intended to forge a path forward for a political transition to end the conflict.