The Russian jets bombarded the city with a ferociousness that shocked even seasoned observers of the Syrian civil war. With hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped, the international community expressed anger, warning that the bombings must end. Terrible images filled western newspapers and television channels, fuelling an impotent rage from the West. And then, in the midst of the carnage, Moscow announced a humanitarian pause that would allow civilians to leave.
This description is not of Eastern Ghouta over the past week, but of eastern Aleppo in the winter of 2016. While the world is focusing on the siege of Ghouta and the estimated 400,000 civilians trapped there, it has been almost forgotten that exactly the same events took place in Syria's largest city nearly 18 months ago.
The playbook is exactly the same and this is no coincidence. Now, as then, airstrikes shatter the besieged areas, leading to hundreds of deaths, widespread publicity and a call for "something to be done". In the midst of the carnage, Russia declares a brief daily ceasefire – in Aleppo it was eight hours a day, the one announced on Monday in Ghouta is five hours. (The aim of the "pause" announcement is to showcase Russia as a powerful party that understands the humanitarian crisis. In Aleppo, it was announced by a Russian official. This time, a month away from elections, it was announced by Vladimir Putin himself.)
In tandem with the pause comes the creation of a humanitarian corridor. There are then weeks of negotiations over who will leave and in what manner. The corridors are opened and then closed; some are subject to attack. But in the end, the civilians leave and the area is retaken by the Assad regime.
Those final steps have not yet happened in Eastern Ghouta, only the proposal for a humanitarian corridor has been aired. But it will happen, most likely in a matter of days if not weeks. The playbook worked well for the regime and the Russians in Aleppo and they intend to do it again.
The world is focusing on Ghouta and the horrors of the siege as if they were unique crimes – but they are anything but. Indeed, this is part of a long-standing plan by the regime to neutralise any threat to Damascus and the seat of the regime's power. With the international community's involvement now reduced to mere words, the Assad regime knows that nothing will be done to stop that plan unfolding.
Ghouta is the last rebel-held area close to Damascus and the regime will be glad to see it fall back into its hands. But there is a secondary reason why the enclave has been targeted now. With less than a month to go before Russian elections, Mr Putin wants to ensure nothing taints his (widely expected) victory.
He is particularly concerned about an “October surprise” – the phrase given to a sudden, dramatic revelation in the last weeks of a US presidential election that potentially swings the result. It is almost impossible to imagine a “March surprise” changing the Russian election results – every major Russian poll conducted in February shows Mr Putin with an insurmountable lead, with not a single one of his competitors breaking into double-digit support – but Mr Putin is aware that the war still has the possibility to shatter the sheen of victory.
Just three weeks ago, Russian mercenaries were involved in a botched raid in eastern Syria, which Moscow admitted claimed the lives of "several dozen" of its citizens. For Mr Putin, victory in Syria is part of a narrative showing him personally responsible for a stronger Russia, one able to face down, as he sees it, the revolutions fomented on Russia's borders by the West and expand its power abroad.
A successful attack on the Syrian capital – and rebels from Ghouta have already fired mortars into Damascus – would undo that narrative. So too would a messy entanglement with one of the other militaries in the Syrian conflict. The botched raid outside Deir Ezzor at the start of February is a good example: it involved not only US-backed Kurdish forces, but also US troops, marking the first time both have clashed inside Syria. Both Moscow and Washington have remained silent on the issue.
So there are still dangers for Mr Putin in Syria, which is why Moscow wants the conflict to move rapidly from a military campaign to a political one. A “hot war” in Syria – one that involves guns, tanks and fighter jets – is too risky for Mr Putin. He was seeking a victory in Syria at a low cost. But the other countries involved – Iran, Israel, Turkey – have a much longer timeline and much more to both gain and lose.
For now, Mr Putin is focused on turning the conflict from a military campaign into a political one. That will be harder than it seems – as the Sochi conference last month, when delegates heckled Russia's foreign minister, shows – but will easier to manage with the Russian public and the international community, which remain his primary interests.
Once the military campaign is over, splits will show up between Damascus and Moscow. But for now, they are in complete agreement, protecting Damascus from any rebel fire, regardless of the cost in Syrian lives and political reputation. The regime and its backers are barreling towards the next stage in the Syrian civil war, using the same roadmap that guided them in Aleppo – and, for them, the only way to get there is through the rubble of Ghouta.
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Specs%20
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
CREW
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
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