A year after the curtain fell on the Assad regime’s five-decade reign of terror, Syria is emerging as a rare beacon of renewal in a conflict-weary region.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadi filled with revolutionary zeal to rebuild his home after 14 years of civil war, has successfully consolidated power and won broad international recognition.
Over the past 12 months, Syria has “transformed from a global pariah to a fully fledged, integral component of the international community”, according to Charles Lister, director of the Syria programme at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.
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Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Monday, Lister said that the world had “rushed to engage and support the new Syria” since Sharaa’s transitional government was formed in March, buoyed by the promise that a “stable, responsible and recovering” nation could anchor the Middle East and help bring peace and prosperity.
In our estimation, it’s heroic and epic what they’ve achieved
Western governments, in particular, appear encouraged by the transformation. “In our estimation, it’s heroic and epic what they’ve achieved,” US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told delegates in Doha.
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