It would be difficult- no, well nigh impossible- to do justice to the thoroughness with which much of Syria’s populated areas have been destroyed. The picture above is Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish city in northern Syria along the Turkish border. At least it used to be a city. It doesn’t look as if there’s much of anything for anyone to return to, and it’s not as if there are a lot in the way of resources available to rebuild Kobani once the fighting ends- IF it ends.
Kobani isn’t the only urban area that’s been partially or completely leveled. The New York Times examined the extent of destruction in Kobani, Aleppo, Homs, and Deir al-Zour, which have suffered unspeakable damage. These four cities are representative of what the anti-Assad revolution and the war against ISIS have done to a country that no one could have described as affluent before the wars.
This subject is an emotional one for me. I’ve traveled in Syria, and I love the country and its people. Aleppo is (or at least was) one of my favorite places in the world. It’s where I felt most removed from Western life and civilization, and I can still remember the feeling of walking out of our cheap hotel in the city center into a fragrant, cacophonous early morning. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and it was at that moment I knew I was in a place where nothing was familiar. Nothing remotely sounded or smelled like Portland…and I loved it. I suspect the experience now would be somewhat different.
The war against ISIS and the anti-Assad revolution aren’t determining who’s right or wrong…only who’s left and what remains standing.
