President Assad

Well the drugs seem to have played a part, but I don't know what else he got up to to accumulate that. Money from Russia itself ("gifts"?)

Wyllow3

Well the drugs seem to have played a part, but I don't know what else he got up to to accumulate that. Money from Russia itself ("gifts"?)

Assad would have used to drug money to buy his way into Russia by bribing officials and polititians, now that cash has been cut off he may find much less favour. So far Israel has left the Russian bases alone the Russian fleet is still standing off close to Syria and they don’t want to provoke a fight with them.

Syria has oil and gas reserves, back in his father's day they would have been lucrative, although not so much as the big producers. All fairly defunct now or in dubious hands - but a resource if they can reclaim them, update them and get any embargoes lifted.

Wyllow3
Sad to say but $2 billion is small fry in this industry.
Just a few weeks ago a Mexican cartel was broken up.
Estimated value $800 billion.

petal53

I suspect Syria will end up as an Islamic State, much like Iran or Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless I was hoping the rebels would manage to apprehend Assad so he can account for his crimes.
Neither Assad nor an Islamic State will be good for the ordinary people of Syria.

If they'd caught him, he would have ended up like Gaddafi. Goodness knows what would have happened to his wife.

Freya5

petal53

I suspect Syria will end up as an Islamic State, much like Iran or Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless I was hoping the rebels would manage to apprehend Assad so he can account for his crimes.
Neither Assad nor an Islamic State will be good for the ordinary people of Syria.

If they'd caught him, he would have ended up like Gaddafi. Goodness knows what would have happened to his wife.

There would have been no accounting for his crimes.

OldFrill

Syria has oil and gas reserves, back in his father's day they would have been lucrative, although not so much as the big producers. All fairly defunct now or in dubious hands - but a resource if they can reclaim them, update them and get any embargoes lifted.

The city and area with the oil reserves is under the control of the HTS, it was announced on Wednesday, the intention was to hold onto those assets as part of rebuilding Syria.

Accounts today focus on yet more horrifying accounts of Assad's torture and imprisonments, and the determination to pursue those involved.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c047579lzklo

One regime, replacing another regime. Only the BBC believes it’s good news!!
I bet all the Syrians that have settled here & in other western countries like Germany, won’t be rushing back anytime soon.

Mt61

One regime, replacing another regime. Only the BBC believes it’s good news!!
I bet all the Syrians that have settled here & in other western countries like Germany, won’t be rushing back anytime soon.

"Only the BBC believes it’s good news!!"

Really?

The people out in Syria celebrating and dancing in the streets, those freed from Syria's horrendous prisons, seem to think its pretty good news

I doubt you've read BBC I player day by day accounts, but they have been completely open about the history of Joleni and the HTS and the changes its gone through.

There is no "current regime" except the agreement that the Prime Minister remain in power until 2025 as matters develop. Things are currently in flux.

What "regime" are you referring to?

All the BBC has said about the future is to outline the hopes coming from the West that a new regime will be tolerant of its different minorities. Syria is broken, needing foreign aid to sustain many of the population.

Its a wait and see.

There isn’t a problem with Syria becoming a tolerant Islamic state that respects other faiths in the way Turkey does. Egypt too but both have problems with extremists, Syria will do well if it manages to avoid extremism.

I tend to agree David. We're not going to get some kind of idealised Western Democracy (as if we were all super role models anyway....)

and what you say may be closer to the end result.

Wyllow3

Mt61

One regime, replacing another regime. Only the BBC believes it’s good news!!
I bet all the Syrians that have settled here & in other western countries like Germany, won’t be rushing back anytime soon.

"Only the BBC believes it’s good news!!"

Really?

The people out in Syria celebrating and dancing in the streets, those freed from Syria's horrendous prisons, seem to think its pretty good news

I doubt you've read BBC I player day by day accounts, but they have been completely open about the history of Joleni and the HTS and the changes its gone through.

There is no "current regime" except the agreement that the Prime Minister remain in power until 2025 as matters develop. Things are currently in flux.

What "regime" are you referring to?

All the BBC has said about the future is to outline the hopes coming from the West that a new regime will be tolerant of its different minorities. Syria is broken, needing foreign aid to sustain many of the population.

Its a wait and see.

I hope so.

Yesterday’s terrorists can be tomorrow’s heads of state or allies.

Who did not love and revere Nelson Madela? He still remained on the US list of terrorists until shortly before he died!

Martin McGuinness - terrorist to statesman.

There must be many more.
We can only hope this will be the case in Syria.
There is much rebuilding to do, people as well as infrastructure.

Absolutely wait & see willow3

ronib

I am truly unsure that Assad was a cruel leader - will the next leader be kind? I doubt it. Didn’t Assad train to be a doctor before becoming president?
The news becomes worse daily.

He gassed his own people

Before we got rid our tv licence, we watched a documentary on Assad & his family- they came across as very normal & a loving family. I did say to my husband more to him than meets the eye- came across as a chinless wonder

Just found I’ll be freezing this Christmas video alleging that 4000 OAPs will die from the lack of heat this winter in the Uk. I think Assad may be responsible for around 1,400 deaths from chemical weapons…..

Allegedly…

ronib

Just found I’ll be freezing this Christmas video alleging that 4000 OAPs will die from the lack of heat this winter in the Uk. I think Assad may be responsible for around 1,400 deaths from chemical weapons…..

My God, are you really comparing Assad's regime to the removal of the WFP from those not claiming pension credit? Really! Words fail me but of course, you don't think Assad was a cruel dictator. what did you think he was, Ronib

I am truly unsure that Assad was a cruel leader

He gassed his own people
Tortured and murdered them too.

The point is clearly missed. I have seen a video where it’s claimed that 4,000 OAPs are going to die from the cold caused directly by the Labour government’s new policy. By any calculation 4000 is considerably more than 1400 and once you are dead, the means become less of an issue.
It doesn’t mean that it’s okay for any leader to inflict death on its people but it’s the accuracy of the reporting which is very questionable.
I think we don’t know enough to make an accurate judgement.

I've completely "missed your point" and still do. I have absolutely no doubts that Assad tortured, murdered, imprisoned and oppressed the Syrian people. tbh 4,000 killed with chemical weapons is just a very small number who died under his regime, they are digging up bags of bones, families are searching for evidence of their loved ones who "disappeared", try telling them that once their loved ones are dead it's the accuracy of the reporting that matters. I think they would disagree with you.

I miss the point too, Foxie. Someone can't have much imagination if they see a chemical weapon attack as just another "cause of death". Horrific and illegal.
I sincerely hope 4000 people don't die as a direct result of the removal of the WFP. It very much depends how cold it gets, how much we prioritise keeping warm & how much flu / Covid is circulating, factors which no-one knows in advance.

A very quick search suggests over 617000 million Syrians have died in the Syrian conflict. I don’t think dying from hypothermia is much fun either.

ronib

Just found I’ll be freezing this Christmas video alleging that 4000 OAPs will die from the lack of heat this winter in the Uk. I think Assad may be responsible for around 1,400 deaths from chemical weapons…..

Just how far will you go as an Assad apologist?

617000