Bashar al-Assad is hollowing out Syria’s ravaged state
Protection rackets and drug-dealing are big sources of income
Forget flamboyant Arab dictators in military attire laden with medals or clad in swirling tribal robes. Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president, is the picture of modesty. Usually he wears no jewellery, no wedding ring nor even a glittering watch. His preferred garb is a plain black suit and tie. His speeches are a cure for insomnia. Yet in a region of kleptocratic rulers, few have plundered their country so completely.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Gobbling up whatever is left”
From the June 18th 2022 edition
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