The demobilisation of Moscow's army from all its positions in the country is now an obvious fact. According to many sources, part of the personnel and equipment could be transferred from Syria to Africa, first of all to Libya, to the territory under the control of General Khalifa Haftar. It is more unlikely that the troops returning to Russia will significantly affect the conflict in Uctaina.
The provincial of the Franciscans custodians of the Holy Sites speaks with AsiaNews about the festivities once again without pilgrims, whose return is ‘linked to the end of the conflict’. The focus is on events in neighbouring Syria, amid ‘suspended’ or ‘moderately positive’ judgements. The Custody ‘increasingly international’ with ‘about sixty’ countries present. The ‘debt’ of Western Christians with their brothers in the Holy Land.
In Damascus, threatening words against the Christian minority are spotted in a car. In Hama, someone using a Kalashnikov fired at the Greek Orthodox archbishopric. In a Christian village, a couple was killed during a "burglary" that ended with the man being beheaded. Source tells AsiaNews that Greek Orthodox are targeted because they are considered close to the Russians. Trappist nuns of A'zer note that in their area there is respect, but warn that releasing common criminals has created problems. Bishop Mourad: Beware of news on social media.
Aleppo's parish priests sits down with AsiaNews: in some cases women are asked to wear the veil or drivers to remove symbols such as the cross, but there are also examples of solidarity. And calls from Muslims to rebuild the nation ‘together’. The call for a ‘democratic and civil state’ in which all ‘citizens’ have equal ‘rights and duties’.
In an exclusive sit down with AsiaNews, Prof. Saad Salloum draws a parallel between the overthrow of the Rais in Iraq and the flight of the Syrian dictator. In both cases it took 13 years for their ouster to ‘drain’ the resources around the leader. Baghdad must ‘take tangible measures to ensure the recovery of the new Syria’ starting with the fight against drugs. Limit the role of Turkey and Iran, set up a reconstruction fund.
In the city of Idlib alone, there are around 400 Tajiks, as well as an unknown number of Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and Kazakhs. Beyond the ‘moderate’ cover of who will form the new government, there is widespread fear in the Central Asian capitals that,Damascus could become the new centre of attraction for all forms of radical Islamism.
