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The Strange, Surprising and Sad Reality of Syria at War The Strange, Surprising and Sad Reality of Syria at War
(about 4 hours later)
Declan Walsh recently visited Damascus, the war-weary Syrian capital, and the divided city of Aleppo, which has been devastated by government bombings, rebel assaults and strikes from Russian warplanes. Below, he answers selected readers’ questions about his reporting trip to Syria. Declan Walsh recently visited Damascus, the war-weary Syrian capital, and the divided city of Aleppo. Below, he answers selected readers’ questions about his reporting trip to Syria, life in devastated parts of the country, and how Syrians view their prospects.
Q: Is there any semblance of normal life in Aleppo, or is it on complete lockdown? Do you see office workers commuting every morning, vendors selling street food, taxis, etc.? Or is it more of a ghost town? — MICHAEL SANDER (@speedplane on Twitter) Q: Is there any semblance of normal life in Aleppo, or is it on complete lockdown? Do you see office workers commuting every morning, vendors selling street food, taxis, etc.? Or is it more of a ghost town? — MICHAEL SANDER, @speedplane on Twitter
A: One of the most striking things about Aleppo is how much of the city appears to be functioning relatively normally. Much of the periphery has been reduced to rubble. But in the city center, I saw people on the sidewalks, traffic is flowing, hotels and cafes have plenty of customers, universities and schools are open. A: One of the most striking things about Aleppo is how much of the city appears to be functioning relatively normally. Much of the periphery has been reduced to rubble. But in the city center, I saw people on the sidewalks, traffic flowing, hotels and cafes with plenty of customers, and universities and schools open for students.
The strange part is that the backdrop to the daily bustle is a cacophony of booms. I regularly heard explosions from falling shells or, from the other side of the front line, the sound of Russian jets bombing rebel-held areas. Many of the residents I met said they just filter those noises out, even if they fear the bombs could land near them. That is how they adapt to the reality of living where they live: they’ve just gotten used to it. The strange part is that the backdrop to the daily bustle is a cacophony of booms. I regularly heard explosions from falling shells or, from the other side of the front line, the sound of Russian jets bombing rebel-held areas. Many of the residents I met said they just filter those noises out; they’ve just gotten used to it.
It was only when we got close to the front line, which divides government-controlled Syria from rebel-held territory, that things changed dramatically: streets emptied out and some parts of the city, including the old city — a Unesco-designated World Heritage site — were sealed off by the military. It was only when we got close to the front line, which divides government-controlled Syria from rebel-held territory, that things changed dramatically: Streets were emptied out, and some parts of the city, including the old city — a Unesco-designated World Heritage site — were sealed off by the military.
Q: I’m always surprised to read how normal life can be in war zones — the fact that there even is an upscale restaurant to eat in amazes me. This also means it might not take that long to make Aleppo livable again. From what you have seen, how much of a challenge will reconstruction eventually be? — MARKUS WAGNER, Vienna, Austria (@MarkusWagnerAT on Twitter)Q: I’m always surprised to read how normal life can be in war zones — the fact that there even is an upscale restaurant to eat in amazes me. This also means it might not take that long to make Aleppo livable again. From what you have seen, how much of a challenge will reconstruction eventually be? — MARKUS WAGNER, Vienna, Austria (@MarkusWagnerAT on Twitter)
A: Reconstruction, when it finally happens, will be a daunting challenge in Syria. In Aleppo, huge swathes of the city have been reduced to rubble, and the basic municipal infrastructure — water, electricity, sewage — has been badly compromised too. A: Reconstruction, when it finally happens, will be a daunting challenge in Syria. In Aleppo, huge swaths of the city have been reduced to rubble, and the basic municipal infrastructure — water, electricity, sewage — has been badly compromised too.
Residents are getting by with jury-rigged systems: a network of private diesel generators, and some emergency solutions put in place by the International Committee of the Red Cross and other aid groups. Walking down the street, I saw a lattice of electricity cables overhead. That’s how people in Aleppo are drawing their power from these private generators. But those makeshift systems are highly vulnerable to the fighting.Residents are getting by with jury-rigged systems: a network of private diesel generators, and some emergency solutions put in place by the International Committee of the Red Cross and other aid groups. Walking down the street, I saw a lattice of electricity cables overhead. That’s how people in Aleppo are drawing their power from these private generators. But those makeshift systems are highly vulnerable to the fighting.
Aleppo was Syria’s industrial hub before the war, and it still has a large community of wealthy businessmen. Although those industrialists have suffered considerable losses as a result of the war — their factories bombed or looted — some of them told me they are very keen to restart their businesses. Aleppo was Syria’s industrial hub before the war, and it still has a large community of wealthy businessmen. I met two of them at the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce last Thursday, and it was very strange to hear them speak bullishly about Aleppo’s prospects, and their plans to rebuild, while something like a dozen bombs exploded during our hourlong interview.
I met two of them at the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce last Thursday, and it was very strange to hear them speak bullishly about Aleppo’s future prospects, and their plans to rebuild the city, while something like a dozen bombs exploded during our hourlong interview. Q: What is the status of rebuilding in Aleppo? Have the souk merchants been able to replenish their supplies and regain clientele? — RICK HAUSER, @RAH2009 on Twitter
Q: What is the status of rebuilding in Aleppo? Have the souk merchants been able to replenish their supplies and regain clientele? — RICK HAUSER (@RAH2009 on Twitter) A: The front line runs right through the old souk, which has been partially destroyed by combat. I got to visit one small part of it, where I interviewed Rose Abu Jaffar, the former zookeeper. To talk safely, we had to drive quickly through a maze of narrow and empty streets until we got to the little bunker where she and a couple of other government fighters were posted.
A: The front line runs right through the old souk, which has been partially destroyed by combat, so it is completely closed down. I got to visit one small part of it, where I interviewed Rose Abu Jaffar, the former zookeeper. To talk safely, we had to drive quickly through a maze of narrow and completely empty streets until we got to the little bunker where she and a couple of other government fighters were posted. So what’s become of the shop owners? Many have transplanted their businesses to a sort of sidewalk souk in safer parts of the city: A long line of stalls have popped up outside a row of apartment buildings and shops in the downtown area. Aleppo has lots of broad, French-style boulevards wide enough to accommodate the new stores. But the sidewalk souk is much smaller than the original.
So what’s become of the shop owners? Many have transplanted their businesses to a sort of sidewalk souk in safer parts of the city: a long line of stalls have popped up outside a line of apartment buildings and shops in the downtown area. Aleppo has lots of broad, French-style boulevards — parts of the city were redesigned by a French architect in the 1950s — with pavement wide enough to accommodate the new stores. But the sidewalk souk is much smaller than the original. Q: Is the average citizen more pro-Assad or anti-Assad? — ALDEN LOFQUIST
A: From the immigration hall, where I crossed into Syria from Lebanon, to the most remote desert outposts, I saw posters of President Assad. It got me thinking about whether that profusion of imagery represents strength or weakness. It’s hard to tell.
As in most war zones, it’s very difficult to gauge public opinion because people fear the consequences of speaking their mind, or even discussing politics openly. In Syria, it’s all the more difficult because the country is geographically fragmented, divided among rebels, Islamic State militants and government forces.
Still, there were some indicators of Mr. Assad’s popularity. In Aleppo, I met people from minority communities — particularly Armenian Syrians — who were unabashed supporters of his rule. They saw Mr. Assad as their protector against Islamist rebels who, they said, would push them from Syria if they won the war. But I also met a disillusioned military officer — a Sunni Muslim, from a different part of the country — who quietly asserted that it was time for President Assad to go. After 46 years of rule by the Assad family, the officer said, “we have lost more than enough.” He did not want to be identified, for obvious reasons.
Q: The situation in Aleppo is very dangerous. How did you and The Times make the decision to go? What precautions did you take? Did you travel with a government and/or rebel minder? — LUKE JOHNSON, Washington, D.C.
A: The New York Times has detailed security procedures for reporting from countries like Syria. Before leaving Damascus for Aleppo, I sent an outline of my trip to editors in New York and a security manager in Europe, with details about how I was traveling, with whom, and where we would stay. I carried a flak jacket and a first-aid kit, and was in regular contact with a Times security officer via a messaging service.
After a discussion, we figured the risks were manageable: The road into Aleppo, although it had been under attack a month ago, was now open to regular traffic. International aid officials in Damascus who had been to Aleppo advised that it was possible to work there, with precautions.
Still, such plans are inevitably provisional, and on the ground the best security often involves taking advice from local residents. That is how it worked in Aleppo when, on my second day of reporting, the area where we were staying came under intense rebel shelling.
I traveled with an interpreter and a Syrian Information Ministry minder named Bacil. He was very polite, didn’t usually get in the way of my reporting and had some charming idiosyncrasies. A huge fan of British culture, Bacil told me that he had learned English, in part, from TV series like “Blackadder,” “Fawlty Towers” and the children’s cartoon “Danger Mouse.” When his mobile phone rang, it played the BBC World Service theme. He had never visited Britain, but said he hoped to do so one day.
Ostensibly Bacil’s job was to facilitate my work and translate as necessary, particularly with government officials. But he was also there to keep tabs on where I went, who I met and ensure that I didn’t take photos of military checkpoints. In Aleppo, our team picked up a second minder, from the local information ministry. In interviews I was often accompanied by at least three other people — not ideal, but there was little choice in the matter.
Q: People say Syrians should stay in their country and fight to keep it rather than leaving for other countries. How realistic is it for ordinary people to stay there and fight back? — ANN D. HOANG, San Francisco, Calif.
A: Just a couple of days of interviews in Damascus offered an eye-opening perspective on the plight of displaced Syrians.
So many people had been displaced once, twice or even three times in the course of this long war. Their homes had been destroyed, or lay behind rebel lines. I could see why so many had sent family members — sons, daughters, cousins — on the dangerous journey to Europe.
Young men face the possibility of conscription into the Army, and being sent to the front lines, if they remain in Syria. If they leave, they can send their families a remittance from abroad — even $100 a month can go a long way in Syria.
Few of the people I spoke to appeared to have any appetite for a fight. The war now involves a number of foreign forces, including Russia, Iran, the United States and Saudi Arabia. It has become impossibly complicated. I didn’t ask them if they wanted to fight, but if I had, I imagine their response would have been: Fight whom? And for what?