President Assad

Allira

^Yes I certainly can but you are saying there is no infrastructure, no schools, etc^
A-bit like here really!
Where do you live? 😯

Somewhere like this? One province after Russian airstrike.

Looks like London during WW2. Yet those people carried on regardless. Many brave Syrians have done just that. Look at the crowds celebrating. They've stayed and fought on. My admiration is for them.

I agree.

US diplomats are going over to meet HTS

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07gv3j818ko

"US diplomats are in the Syrian capital Damascus where they plan to meet representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group now in charge but which Washington still designates as a terrorist organisation.
The visit follows those of delegations in recent days from the UN and other countries including the UK, France and Germany.
This is the first formal American diplomatic appearance in Damascus in more than a decade."

"They plan to meet representatives from HTS, in a show of readiness to deal with the group the US still designates as a terrorist organisation, but building pressure for it to transition to inclusive, non-sectarian government.

Washington is effectively laying down a set of conditions before it would consider delisting the group - a critical step which could help ease the path towards sanctions relief that Damascus desperately needs."

There are still issues with the Kurds on the Turkish border which I don't quite understand, perhaps someone else does better.

And yes I agree promises were made in Afghanistan but although caution is needed I don't think its comparable with the Taliban.

A new factor has emerged about the appalling Assad regime - the huge scale production of illegal drugs facilitated by that regime (his brother was very involved. Since it was how a lot of people made their living, the HTS has yet another really big problem to cope with.

Bit of a read, but I hadn't had any idea about it:

What now for Syria’s £4.5bn illegal drug empire

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2dxnn1406do

The US will bend over backwards to get a deal with Syria because it will stabilize the whole region, terrorists will find it much harder ro operate with a moderate government in Syria.
Hopefully that will enable Lebanon to be stabilized too.

That and a settlement in Ukraine will see a much more hopeful New Year.

You mean a deal for Syria, not with Syria? I mean. alongside the other Western Countries giving aid for Syria?

As far as the HTS/Syrian people is concerned relationships with Turkey and other neighbouring states are paramount.

There's also an article about the country's many minorities and how they feel they might fare in a new Syria - great picture of a young activist Wajiha al-Hajjar.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2yqnewxrpo

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx27yx1y0deo

“Protests erupt in Syria over Christmas tree burning”.

What is good to read is the HTS reaction to support the christian minority

“Footage of the aftermath showed a religious figure from the governing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group assuring crowds who had gathered in Suqaylabiyah that the tree would be repaired before the morning.
The man then held up a cross in a show of solidarity, something Islamist conservatives would not do"

Hope for the best?