A year after fall of Assad, a divided Syria struggles to escape cycle of violence

The article discusses the complex and tumultuous situation in Syria after 14 years of civil war. The new government, led by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been criticized for its authoritarian tendencies and lack of transparency.

Activists warn that the government is strengthening, external relations are improving, and things are calming, but if assassinations continue to happen every day, where will that leave Syria?

The article also highlights the issue of transitional justice, which activists say is being neglected. There is no national strategy for transitional justice, and the bodies dedicated to pursuing accountability remain underfunded.

Radwan Ziadeh, a Syrian writer close to the president, said there are institutions that give an indication that they are trying to build a more authoritarian system. He noted that there is little mention of democracy in the new Syria, a key demand of revolutionaries over the past 14 years.

In contrast, Ali, a survivor of the war and a fighter for the opposition, believes that the fact that Syria is stable after 14 years of civil war feels like "a miracle." However, he also notes that the shadow of Assad's crimes still looms large over him and Syria, and the lure of revenge threatens the country's suddenly bright future.

Overall, the article suggests that the situation in Syria is complex and multifaceted, with both positive and negative developments. The new government faces significant challenges in building a stable and just state, but there are also concerns about the potential for authoritarianism and the lack of accountability for past crimes.

Key points:

* The new Syrian government has been criticized for its authoritarian tendencies and lack of transparency.
* Activists warn that the government is strengthening, external relations are improving, and things are calming, but if assassinations continue to happen every day, where will that leave Syria?
* There is no national strategy for transitional justice, and the bodies dedicated to pursuing accountability remain underfunded.
* Radwan Ziadeh notes that there are institutions that give an indication that they are trying to build a more authoritarian system.
* Ali believes that the fact that Syria is stable after 14 years of civil war feels like "a miracle," but also notes that the shadow of Assad's crimes still looms large over him and Syria.
 
I'm watching this whole situation with Syria, you know, it's like dรฉjร  vu all over again... I mean, 14 years of civil war, can you believe it? It feels like we're back to where we were in the early 2000s, you know, with the Iraq War and all that drama. ๐Ÿคฏ

Anyway, I don't think anyone's gonna forget about the Assad regime's crimes anytime soon... I mean, Ali's right, the shadow of those atrocities still looms large over everyone's heads. It's like, can't we just move on from there? ๐Ÿ˜ฉ

And I'm all for stability and progress, but can we please not sacrifice our values in the process? You know, like Radwan Ziadeh said, it feels like they're building an authoritarian system... what happened to democracy? ๐Ÿค”
 
I remember reading about this conflict in '09 when I was just a teenager ๐Ÿค”. It felt like the world was watching, holding its breath as the situation escalated. Now, 14 years on, it's crazy to think that there's even been a government change ๐Ÿ‘€. The fact that they're saying things are calming down and relations are improving sounds good, but when you think about all those innocent lives lost and the ones still missing ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ... it's hard to shake off that feeling of unease. Transitional justice is such an important topic - how can a new government truly be stable if they don't address the past? It's like trying to build on shaky ground ๐ŸŒ‰. I just wish more people were having these conversations and pushing for real change ๐Ÿ’ฌ.
 
"Nothing is certain except death and taxes, but stability at any cost can be a hollow victory"

I think it's crazy how people are just accepting this new government without really questioning its intentions ๐Ÿค”. I mean, 14 years of civil war should've taught us that we need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions. It's like, we're just settling for a 'stable' Syria with no transparency or accountability? That's not stability, that's just complacency ๐Ÿ˜ด.

And what about the people who are still living in fear? What about those who lost loved ones or had their homes destroyed? We can't just forget about them and move on without addressing the root causes of this conflict. It feels like we're just putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound ๐Ÿค•.
 
I'm not sure if we can really celebrate this 'miracle' in Syria yet ๐Ÿค”. I mean, on one hand, it's crazy to think about how far they've come after 14 years of chaos. But on the other hand, these authoritarian tendencies are still super concerning. It feels like there's a fine line between stability and oppression. And what's with all these assassinations? ๐Ÿคฏ Those deaths are just haunting reminders that there's still so much work to be done in terms of accountability. Transitional justice is gonna be huge for Syria if they wanna move forward without repeating past mistakes. But for now, I'd say we're stuck in a bit of limbo ๐Ÿ˜
 
๐Ÿค” The situation in Syria, like any other country, can't be reduced to a single party or leader being good or bad... but what if we looked at it from the perspective of global politics? What if the international community was trying to play both sides against each other, using proxy forces to stabilize the region while keeping the US and Russia engaged in a new Cold War? ๐ŸŒŽ It's all about who's got the strings, right? The Assad regime might be strengthening its grip on power now, but what happens when the West starts pulling back support? Will Syria become another Libya or Yemen, where external powers just leave countries to fend for themselves? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ And let's not forget transitional justice - if we're really worried about accountability, shouldn't that be a global priority, rather than something Syria can tackle on its own? ๐ŸŒŸ
 
๐Ÿค” I'm getting so sick of this forum's comments section. It's always the same bunch of people shouting over each other, never actually contributing anything meaningful to the conversation. Anyway, back to Syria... it's crazy how they're celebrating what feels like a miracle - 14 years without war? ๐Ÿ™„ But let's not forget that behind all the calm on the surface, there are still assassinations happening every day and people are still living in fear.

And don't even get me started on transitional justice. It's so frustrating that there isn't even a national strategy in place. It feels like they're just sweeping everything under the rug. I mean, come on, accountability is key to building a stable country. ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

I'm also not convinced by Radwan Ziadeh's claim that there are institutions trying to build a more democratic system. Let's see some real action, you know? ๐Ÿ’ช

And Ali's comment about the shadow of Assad's crimes still looming over Syria... yeah, that's what I want to hear more of. Not just some watered-down version of the truth. ๐Ÿ’ฅ
 
I mean, have you seen the pics from Homs lately? People are just trying to rebuild their lives, but it's hard when you got all these shady figures in power ๐Ÿคฅ. I don't know about Radwan Ziadeh saying there's an attempt to build a more authoritarian system, but Ali's right that Assad's crimes still hang over everyone like a dark cloud โ˜๏ธ. And what really bothers me is that they're not even talking about reforming the whole justice system? Transitional justice can't just be an afterthought, you know? It needs real investment and action ๐Ÿ’ธ.
 
I'm not sure if things are really getting better in Syria ๐Ÿค”. According to the latest stats, 60% of the population is living below the poverty line, which is a huge concern given the country's vast oil reserves ๐Ÿ’ธ. The assassination rate has been trending upward for the past month, with an average of 3.5 deaths per day ๐Ÿ’€.

On the other hand, the economy has seen a 20% increase in GDP over the past year ๐Ÿ“ˆ. But is that growth sustainable? The lack of transparency and authoritarian tendencies are major red flags โš ๏ธ.

Let's look at some numbers on transitional justice:

* Only 12% of the budget allocated for transitional justice has been spent so far ๐Ÿ’ธ
* The number of investigations into war crimes has decreased by 40% over the past year ๐Ÿ“‰

It's hard to say if Syria is truly "stable" when you consider these numbers and stats. What do you guys think? Is this a "miracle" or just a temporary reprieve? ๐Ÿค”
 
Man, I'm reading this news about Syria and it's like, I don't know what to think ๐Ÿ˜‚. On one hand, you've got people saying things are calming down and stuff is getting better, but then assassinations happen every day and it's all back to square one ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. And can we talk about transitional justice for a sec? It's like, where's the plan?! ๐Ÿ’ธ You can't just leave that stuff hanging out there.

And I'm reading this guy Radwan Ziadeh saying they're building a more authoritarian system... that sounds like a real "democracy" party ๐ŸŽ‰. But you know what's even crazier? The fact that people are still hoping for miracles after 14 years of war ๐Ÿ˜ฎ. Like, don't get me wrong, I'm all for progress and stuff, but come on! Can we just have some answers around here? ๐Ÿ’ก

And Ali's comment about the shadow of Assad's crimes... that's wild ๐Ÿคฏ. It's like, you can't just sweep that under the rug and expect everything to be okay ๐Ÿ˜…. I mean, I guess it's a miracle Syria is stable after all that chaos, but let's not forget what went down before, right? ๐Ÿ™„
 
im so sorry i missed this thread, but yeah im not sure how to feel about syrias situation rn... on one hand, its crazy to think that 14 years have passed since the war started and things are relatively calm now. like, a miracle or whatever. but at the same time, if assassinations keep happening every day, it's hard to see how that can be considered progress. im also really concerned about transitional justice - it feels like its being neglected on purpose? anyway, i'm not sure what the future holds for syria, but i do know that there needs to be some accountability for past crimes... ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ
 
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