LATAKIA, Syria — At first glance, Latakia looks to be one of the better places in Syria. Nestled on the Syrian coast, it was spared the worst horrors of the country’s 14-year civil war. A former stronghold of the Assad regime, the city was never the scene of the devastating fighting that took place elsewhere. Wide boulevards and a thriving cafe culture, the product of the city’s large student population, give the impression of normality here.