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.
It is critical for the rebels because if the Syrian army could break through, the stronghold of eastern Ghouta would be threatened.
The regime needs Jobar because it protects the heart of Damascus; the presidential palace is only a couple of miles behind the army's positions.