Nearly three months since the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s government, the new authorities in Damascus still must grapple with the challenges of reuniting Syria. Building a fully functional state that has primacy over a country divided by a 14-year-long civil war was always going to be arduous. But it has taken on a new urgency amid the growing threat posed by ISIS.
In January, interim President Ahmad Al Shara had announced the dissolution of all armed factions and other revolutionary bodies opposed to the Assad government, and their merging into state institutions (including a reconstituted army). This remains a work in progress. All eyes are also on the interim government expected to be announced by Mr Al Shara, including who is chosen to be minister of justice, interior and defence.
Syria’s new Ministry of Defence is in talks with more than 60 rebel groups, many of which have yet to merge into the army. Reasons vary from a reluctance to give up control over the territories they govern, to a lack of trust in the new rulers who, as some groups justifiably point out, don’t have the people’s mandate. Two such groups include the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army in the north-west and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north-east.
Ankara and Damascus worry that the SDF may be seeking to carve out a Kurdish semi-autonomous state of its own. There are also concerns about SDF ties with the militant PKK group, considered a terrorist organisation by numerous countries. But the group is also a partner to the US-led global coalition against ISIS. Having contributed to its defeat in 2019, it now holds many of its fighters and their families inside closely guarded camps. The SDF has repeatedly insisted that it wants to be part of a unified Syria, but as one official told The National, the group will retain its weapons as long as ISIS remains active in the country. This has put Damascus in a quandary.
Today, as Syria emerges from its decade-long civil strife, a regrouped ISIS poses an even bigger security threat to the country as well as to its neighbours. As Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein recently told The National, a weak security status in Syria means ISIS’s resurgence can be destabilising for the whole region. It is a situation that calls for a coalition of regional, and even international, agreements to fight and defeat ISIS militarily.
Given Syria’s centrality in such an operation, Damascus may have little option but to lean heavily on groups such as the SDF
But winning the ideological war against ISIS is even more critical to Syria’s long-term security. The group’s use of social media gives it the ability to exploit existing or new divisions and grievances in societies with the objective of recruiting fighters and growing its ranks. This makes it vital for the interim administration to ensure that no Syrian is left behind in the nation-building project.
To build credibility with all Syrians, Damascus requires a deft hand while negotiating with armed groups like the SDF and the SNA. Indeed, it should know that a top-down approach – similar to the one adopted by the Assad government over the past five decades – and worse, a return to armed confrontation, won’t help to put Syria back together. The military restructuring currently under way must, therefore, be linked to the political transition, which requires a new constitution and, eventually, elections.
Syrians need only look to countries such as Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan to understand how creeping sectarianism undermines the often-painfully slow mission of ensuring a viable nation-state. There is no time to be wasted.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
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Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Structural%20weaknesses%20facing%20Israel%20economy
%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
