After the death of Syria's President Hafiz al-Asad in
mid-2000, hopes were high that his son and successor, Bashar, might succeed in
reforming a system that had become a byword for economic stagnation and the
pitiless repression of dissent. For six months, and for the first time in
decades, Syrians were able to speak freely, without fear of the hated secret
police. Political discussion groups mushroomed. The press started carrying
articles openly demanding democracy, and petitions were circulated insisting
that democracy was essential not only for its own sake but as a condition for
desperately needed investment and economic expansion.



Based on the testimony of key players, Syria: Neither Bread Nor Freedom recounts the drama of the 'Damascus
Spring' and its repression, and reveals what happens in a state like Syria to
the institutions that occupy the political space between government and governed.

From political parties to parliament, from the media to the judicial system and
universities, this book lifts the veil of rhetoric and propaganda to reveal a
system so demoralized and corrupt that power is wielded for no purpose but
power itself. This is Bashar al-Asad's legacy and the system which, given time,
he hopes to reform.