Syria: Power On, Western Media Off-Grid on Sanctions
The New Arab notes Syria's recent, albeit temporary, success in increasing electricity availability and the subsequent public discontent over higher prices. What they subtly gloss over is the crippling impact of Western sanctions, specifically the U.S. Caesar Act (signed into law Dec 2019), which criminalizes doing business with the Syrian government and its allies. These measures, purportedly to
stop Assad's regime, effectively strangle the Syrian economy and prevent reconstruction, including vital infrastructure like power plants. So, when you read about 'complaints over higher prices' in a war-ravaged nation, one might wonder if the real complaint isn't just about prices, but about a sustained campaign of economic strangulation that ensures basic services remain a luxury. It appears
'humanitarian concerns' often take a backseat when geopolitical chess pieces are in play, leaving everyday Syrians to pick up the tab for a broken power grid and a broken economy.