My Way News - Reforms transform Syrian economy, but not politics
My Way News reports: "Still, the younger Assad uses the formal state of war with Israel to his advantage, with his regime citing it to explain away economic woes, emergency laws and harsh treatment of critics. 'Insisting on the idea that we are in a state of war with Israel since 1973 is no longer acceptable,' said Aref Dalilah, a leading economist who in 2008 completed serving a seven-year sentence after criticizing business monopolies awarded by the government. 'It's being used to justify everything.'"