Tuesday, April 27, 2004
What is happening in Syria? There are reports of a lethal gunfight in Damascus between government security forces and what they deem terrorists. Syria being Syria, these could be Kurds seeking rights, road-tripping Hezbollah members who made a wrong turn, or genuine Al Qaeda jihadists. The news out of Syria is remarkably devoid of detail, but hopefully more will trickle out. For all the apparent placidity that the absence of news from Syria seems to convey, it is a country as complex and diverse as Iraq (with a minority population ruling over a majority). Actually the similarities with pre-2003 Iraq are pretty striking. Let's hope we get more news out of there soon.
