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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/16/syria-collapse-damascus-change
Syria Collapsing in Slow-Motion
(Guardian-UK) Ian Black - Syria is "collapsing in slow motion," in the words of one expert. Half the weapons acquired by rebels are estimated to have been sold by army personnel. Rumors persist of different branches of the secret police shooting at each other on clandestine operations. Power cuts for several hours a day are now routine. Shops in Damascus depend on generators on the pavement. Petrol is in short supply, in part because of massive use by the security forces, and the prices of heating and cooking oil have risen steeply. Foreign investment and tourism have collapsed. Hotels are empty. U.S. sanctions block most international financial transactions. The EU has stopped oil purchases. Credit cards can no longer be used. And the value of the Syrian pound has been falling steeply. It is common knowledge that Iranian security advisers are on hand with their sinister expertise in communications monitoring and riot policing. Damascus feels, and looks, like Tehran in 2009 during protests over the rigging of the presidential election.