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War profiteers plunder Syria

Both Syrian government forces and rebels are accused of rampant, systematic looting and robbery of civilian homes.
Damage and debris is seen in the souks of Old Aleppo, November 23, 2013. The Syrian army loyal to President Bashar al-Assad took control of the souk surrounding the Umayyad Mosque that was previously dominated by Free Syrian Army fighters, they said. Some of the areas recaptured are the gold market, Souk Khairat Beck, Alzerb market and the Wali bil Maarouf shrine.  REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTX15Q1O
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ALEPPO, Syria — To the victor go the spoils: That might be true for most other wars, but the Syrian conflict has proven to be far outside the established norms and conventions governing the conduct of battle. From the petty theft of armed highwaymen, to the systematic wholesale emptying of entire neighborhoods and industrial zones, in Syria the spoils are going to whoever has a gun, and there are plenty of those about.

While it is perhaps unremarkable to find small-scale opportunistic thieves and gangs operating in any conflict where lawlessness and chaos prevail, what has set the Syrian war aside is the sheer scale and organization of some of the brazen acts of thievery that have taken place.

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