What a Syrian PR Trip Says About Bashar al-Assad’s Thinking by Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post
After five years of war, Syria has become a byword for the sort of vicious assault on civilian life unseen in the 21st century. But in a rare press trip to the capital, Damascus, this week, visitors tasted a different reality.
In town at the invitation of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, Western reporters, politicians and analysts - some temporarily struck from the government’s blacklist - found a city where guns had fallen silent and bars were abuzz.
The centerpiece of their short visit was a workshop, finishing Monday, to understand the "ramifications of the war in Syria.” Born out of peaceful protests in 2011, that war has claimed the lives of almost half a million people - most at the hands of pro-government forces.
For the tour group, the promise of engagement turned into the crest of a PR wave that has been swelling for weeks. According to participants, the message was as clear as it was confident: Damascus is open for business and the government is ready to come in from the cold, engaging with the West on its own turf and terms…