Syria, Assad and economic

Syria's economic pains far from over despite Assad's ouster
Samir al-Baghdad grabbed his pickax and walked up a wobbly set of stairs made of cinderblocks and rubble. He is rebuilding his destroyed family house in the Qaboun neighborhood near Damascus, Syria 's capital.
Syria's Economy Reborn After Being Freed From Assad
When Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria, merchants like Youssef Rajab kept much of their imported stock hidden for fear of arrest for breaking the law.
Security in Alawite regions in post-Assad Syria
Syria’s first post-Assad protests broke out on Dec. 25 after a video claiming to show the destruction of an Alawite shrine spread rapidly across Facebook. The video was quickly debunked as several weeks old,
Syria's Alawites, tainted by Assad, endure a fall from grace
Once Syria's most influential minority, Alawites struggle to move on from their association with a hated dictator.
Saudi FM In Syria For First Visit Since Assad's Ouster
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat was in Syria on Friday, his first visit since president Bashar al-Assad's ouster, and is due to hold talks with the country's new leader.
Syria’s Alawites, tainted by Assad, fear vigilante violence
In the mountains east of Syria’s Mediterranean coast, armed patrols root out Assad loyalists, masked gunmen monitor checkpoints and residents fret every strange face could be an informer. “See those guys over there?

EU mulls easing Syria sanctions — with a catch

Syria's new leaders turn to Islamic law in effort to rebuild Assad's police
Officers say the move aims to instil a sense of morality as they race to fill a security vacuum after dismantling ousted ...
Associated Press11h
Southern rebels loom large as Syria’s new rulers try to form a national army
As insurgents raced across Syria in a surprise offensive launched in the country’s northwest late last year, officials from ...
As Syria ponders a democratic future: 5 lessons from the Arab Spring
While it’s unclear what exact political path Syria will take, the dilemmas the country faces are similar to the experiences of other Arab countries more than a decade ago. In the winter of 2010, an ...
France issues new arrest warrant for Syria’s Assad, source says
French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant against ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for suspected ...
The National Interest3h
Russia Lost Syria. Can Libya Replace It?
The fact of the matter is, though, the Russo-Iranian alliance in the Middle East has been dealt a serious blow with the loss of Assad’s regime in Syria. That is now being made all the more evident by ...
Foreign Affairs14h
Don’t Let Geopolitics Ruin Syria’s Transition
The rebel offensive benefited from careful preparation and the support of Turkey, which occupies territory in Syria’s north ...
Al-Monitor4d
Syria phone shops free from Assad-linked monopoly
Syrian phone shop owner Abdel Razzaq Hamra was thrilled to finally be working in peace after years of being harassed and ...
Associated Press9d
UN human rights chief calls for lifting Western sanctions on Syria as country rebuilds after Assad
Ahmad al-Mansour has been living in Syria for years and was among the fighters that toppled Assad’s government. The ...
Shock moment missing Austin Tice’s mother finds chilling clue in Syrian prison amid search for son held by Assad brutes
THE mother of a missing US journalist abducted by Assad’s savage regime has discovered a chilling clue about her son in a Syrian prison. Now that Assad’s bloody regime is gone, Debra ...