I am dying for a mainstream foreign correspondent who dares to defy conventional wisdom

Look at this by Robert Worth: "but I have also met plenty of others over the past three years who remain deeply loyal to Bashar al-Assad and his regime in Damascus, or to Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, or to Ayatollah Khamenei in Iran."  Bashar and Khamenei are rulers, what does Nasrallah have to do with this mix? Also, Mr, Worth: have you met people who remain deeply loyal to Israel or to Saudi King or to Bush or to Obama?