It looks as though the military in Syria is not controlled by its President. If it is, he must surely know he would likely face trial. I’m grateful to the world leaders who appear to have good intentions of creating stability there. It is likely safe to assume that the executive and the military are oblivious to one another. But, if Syria’s President has no control of the nation’s military, regardless of what he intends, then he’s become a victim, rather than a dictator of his own country’s destitute state.
I read that Syria has for a long time had few resources for trade and also few trading partners, a huge number of unemployed youth (who make up a huge number of the overall populace), and, that the country probably needs vastly more foreign money that has been too long overdue… going all too frequently elsewhere, and ignoring Syria’s great need. I have in years’ past written a screenplay which references the failed state. Since that time, today, many of those states have bubbled over, into a visible reality that was seemingly invisible to many in the West. I encourage you to read “A Dying Affair”. Some things have changed, and some things have not, since 2005. It, (Syria), like so many other nations, is currently a failed state. It is not only failed; it has descended into a panic and a slaughter. Can the UN, now that it is there, create an infrastructure that replaces civil chaos? Little is known to us in the West, without journalists there. [Update 2014: Now that the UN has successfully found barrels of chemical weaponry that Syria’s President has volunteered to abandon, with US military refrain, German capacity to neutralize the chemicals, and USA/Aussie (I think) naval logistical support, serious success has prevented even greater death and refugee numbers from occurring.][Thanks to brave journalism and many collaborative global efforts, we have evidence that greater problems are being averted in this region. Now we need to see that the economy of Syria improves, and that money gets to the peace embracing citizens of the nation and its refugees; so that they can return to their land. I think this will take continued coordination; and, I hope that the UN maintains this nation as its number one priority. The world should care about this place.]
Syria received money from the United States years ago, I have read, but I do not know whether it was substantial enough to create lasting investment. Apparently the answer seems to be “no”. Maybe the other Arab states are to blame? What we all know is that there is apparent chaos right now. Like Haiti, and similarly in other countries of revolt and upheaval, or disaster in this decade, without institutions in these countries, these people live in terrible danger. That is not good for us or for other countries either. And of course, those countries suffer greatly in interim. [Update 2014: Congratulations to surrounding nations for accepting refugees. Your generosity is truly praiseworthy.]