Sheikh Ratha Baruth Dulaimi, one of the town's tribal leaders, has a huge homemade US flag on his front gate. It's so the Americans don't bomb me, he says.

Sheikh Ratha lives in no-man's land, the border town of Al-Hiri, just meters away from the Iraqi border - and within sight of a US military base.

"We were told to prevent crossings over the border. Anyone who does cross takes full responsibility for his actions and therefore goes to destruction. Assad is the boss." He said. (Read more here).