The brand-new Syrian interim leader Mohammed al-Bashir faces a money nightmare: one dollar now buys 35‚000 Syrian pounds (which shows how bad things are in the treasury)
Damascus business scene got some good news when the new government promised market-reforms and world-banking links; however the real problem is theres no foreign money at all. Bassel Hamwi‚ head of Damascus trade group says they want to move away from old state-controlled system
We have no foreign currency and as for loans and bonds we are still collecting data. So yes‚ financially we are very bad
The US shows careful interest in working with ex-rebels - now in charge of things. Antony Blinken wants them to:
- protect small groups rights
- let help reach everyone
- stop any terror stuff
- be nice to neighbors
Some trouble started in Assadʼs old home area where fighters burnt down his dads tomb‚ making local people super-worried. The new boss talked on TV with two flags behind him: the rebel one and an Islamic-style white flag
Israel didnt wait around - they went in and hit most of Syrias old army stuff in just two days (to keep weapons from wrong hands). They also put some troops past the no-fight zone from the mid-70s war
Refugees might come back now: one guy named Ala Jabeer crossed from Turkey with his kid after 13 years away - he lost family in last years earthquakes but thinks things could get better. The Pope wants everyone to be friends and work together for Syriaʼs good