" What followed was the worst massacre in the history of the modern Middle East, a monthlong frenzy of killing, torture, and destruction that left at least twenty thousand people dead and a city reduced to rubble. The ruler never denied the massacre, nor did he quibble over the number of dead. In fact, he allowed the city to lie in ruins for months as a reminder of what would happen to those who dared to challenge him. In the Middle East, a new term came into vogue: Hama Rules. "

― Daniel Silva , The Heist (Gabriel Allon, #14)