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What's different in Damascus?

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has made changes in the economic and services ministries of the new government in a bid to overcome economic challenges and gather support by addressing charges of corruption.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (C) heads a meeting of his new cabinet in Damascus August 31, 2014 in this picture released by Syria's national news agency SANA. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT CIVIL UNREST) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTE

To say that no changes have been made in the new formation of the Syrian government is inaccurate. Only those unaware of the details of the Syrian crisis assume that the new government — the second for Syrian Prime Minister Adnan al-Halqi — is the same as the first.

Observers may argue that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made serious changes in important positions by issuing a decree on Aug. 27 for the formation of the first government under his new presidential term. These positions partially spurred the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011 and the disputes within the Syrian regime circles for more than a year, even during the military confrontations.

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