Collage illustration by Jaimee Lee Haddad/L'Orient Today/AFP
Time is running out. Syria's central bank reserves, the economic lifeline of the country, will soon be depleted. After taking over Damascus' strategic points following Bashar al-Assad's fall on Dec. 8, Syrian rebels discovered coffers reduced to a pittance and a bill of between $250 - $400 billion in the cost of rebuilding the country. For four months, the new government has lobbied for the lifting of Western sanctions, which would enable an influx of significant financing to revive the economy, but hope dwindles day by day. Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, reaffirmed on March 22 during a press conference that the United States did not intend to lift the sanctions burdening the country. How will interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa carry out the transition if the Syrian state's coffers are empty?...
Time is running out. Syria's central bank reserves, the economic lifeline of the country, will soon be depleted. After taking over Damascus' strategic points following Bashar al-Assad's fall on Dec. 8, Syrian rebels discovered coffers reduced to a pittance and a bill of between $250 - $400 billion in the cost of rebuilding the country. For four months, the new government has lobbied for the lifting of Western sanctions, which would enable an influx of significant financing to revive the economy, but hope dwindles day by day. Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, reaffirmed on March 22 during a press conference that the United States did not intend to lift the sanctions burdening the country. How will interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa carry out the transition if the Syrian state's coffers are empty?...
