The Syrian Government has revealed plans for how the country might look after the war. Computer-generated images of Damascus included underground malls, outdoor parks and luxury condos.
But critics of the flashy video see a darker future, claiming luxury accommodation would force dissenters out of communities.
“What Assad needs in order to survive … is, someday, the end of resistance,” says Valerie Szybala, executive director of the Syria Institute. “The only way he can get that, in certain places — certainly strategic ones like Damascus — is by repopulating them with people who will not oppose him.”