Yes, dollars circulated in authoritarian, murderous Syria because market goods did. And market goods, services and labor require trusted money to facilitate the exchange of same, meaning the dollar is …
Syria’s Christians face an uncertain future
When I visited Maaloula in southwest Syria in 2016, the Jabhat Al-Nusra (the predecessor of the Hayat Tahrir Ash Sham jihadis, who have toppled Bashar al-Assad) had systematically destroyed …
Six EU nations call for temporary Syria sanctions relief
Six member states of the European Union have called for the bloc to temporarily suspend sanctions on Syria in areas such as transport, energy and banking, according to a paper seen by Reuters.
EU ministers will consider easing sanctions on Syria at a meeting later in January
European Union foreign ministers will meet in late January to discuss easing sanctions imposed on Syria, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said Sunday. However, she said the move would depend on Syria’s …
Saudi Arabia urges Syria sanctions relief at talks with regional, EU diplomats
Saudi Arabia on Sunday called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria after meetings with top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe that focused on the war-ravaged country’s future.The Gulf kingdom,
Saudi Arabia presses EU diplomats to lift sanctions on Syria after Assad’s fall
But Germany’s foreign minister said sanctions against “Assad’s henchmen who committed serious crimes” must remain in place.
A top Iranian general said Russia was actually bombing the empty desert while saying it was attacking Syrian rebels
Behrouz Esbati said he partially blamed Russia for the fall of Assad’s government, in a rare break from Iran’s official line on Syria.
Arab, EU diplomats in Saudi for talks on support for Syria
Top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe arrived in the Saudi capital on Sunday to discuss Syria, as world powers push for stability after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.Saudi Arabia, the Middle East’s biggest economy,
Saudi Arabia presses top EU diplomats to lift sanctions on Syria after Assad’s fall
Saudi Arabia urged top European diplomats at a gathering Sunday to lift sanctions against Syria to boost rebuilding the country and its economy after last month’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad.
Iran is weak, and should be ready to negotiate
Iran begins this year severely weakened, bereft of most of its regional proxies and its main Middle East ally, Syria. Its economy, wracked by sanctions, is in free fall. Popular discontent is rising, …