S. is an entrepreneur. Judging from the car park under the company's Damascus headquarters, even successful. It has friendly and elegant ways.
When we enter his office he welcomes us with an Italian espresso. After weeks of concoctions it is the most familiar way to start a quiet interview, nothing more than a meeting between those who want to tell and who to transmit.
The company of S. deals with import-export and deals with various kinds of goods: from clothing to spare parts, from food to industrial components. Up until five years ago it was dealing with Europeans, Turks, Chinese ... Today there are only the Chinese left because the turnover has almost halved since the beginning of the war.
The market most affected by the conflict was that of Europe, from which health technology and equipment came. The country that lost the most was Italy, where not only furniture and food products but also plants came from. With the suspension of diplomatic and commercial relations, for example, the shipment from Italy of an industrial bakery did not succeed.
Outside it is raining. The crazy normality of Damascus also passes through the weather conditions. Even here it is bad weather ... A wet frame makes the road beyond the parking even sadder. S. answers all questions with cordiality. He wants to talk. It tells about Syria compared to other countries.
The Russia?
Today it is the protagonist on the military level but not on the commercial one, it has never been, the spare parts are not found there anyway ...
The China?
A forced choice from the war economy. But with a positive aspect: "they always say yes to any request".
Do you have exchanges with the USA?
There are but minimum. Unlike others, Americans are pragmatic: as long as there is no "Syria" written on a shipment.
Did you expect the Italian escape from a market in which it was the protagonist?
Yes, he did not surprise me. It was enough to watch television to understand that you would pack your bags.
On the eastern side all connections to Iraq have been interrupted?
Much of the Daesh leadership - the one supported by the US and Saudi Arabia - is formed by former Iraqi commanders. I know them ... To transit a truck in Iraq is not impossible: it costs me 350 $!
Are there any signs of recovery?
Just look at the streets. In the 2012 at 17 it was no longer possible to turn a soul. Today at the same time there is life.
S. lights a cigarette. Slow movements and breaks in the cloud of smoke make it even more Arabic.
Before the war the Syrian standard of living was high and many emigrants returned willingly to their homeland. Syria lived in full employment.
After a few moments he looks me in the eye and says ...
I want to ask you a question! What do you think has pushed millions of Syrians to escape?
War?!
Millions of people have to keep a family and have lost their jobs! Syria was a prosperous country. The economy has been massacred. "Refugees" simply seek employment.
You pity them out of sight, you are making them en masse.
Based on what you have experienced here, however, I want to warn you ... Be very careful! Syria is called an "Alawite regime", however the Alawis are a social class that has not taken advantage of power and has remained substantially poor. The 2 / 3 of the Syrians are Sunnis. A majority that was in fact the wealthy part of the country. If an Imam - or the Pope - told us Shiites or you Christians "go and blow themselves up doing a massacre!", With free will, we would not listen to him in the least. If a Sunni imam orders it to his faithful, this, in 80% of cases, will obey!
80% ... Is not it excessive?
No, in the vast majority of cases it will. They are not able to discriminate freely.
You are filling up with potential mass murderers and, on the wave of compassion, you will not understand it until it is too late.
Outside it stops raining. They pass a car, then a van. Then other cars again. Yes, despite the bad weather, there is still life in Damascus.
