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As Syria’s economy teeters, US prepares sweeping sanctions

On Wednesday, the US State Department will announce the first round of targets under the so-called Caesar Act.
Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. Picture taken February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC2N3F9FNKPU

In a scene reminiscent of the early days of the Syrian uprising, a man waved the tricolor flag of the revolution as hundreds of protesters marched through the streets and chanted for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “We want our homeland to be free,” they shouted. 

The ongoing demonstrations in Suweida, a government-held province populated mostly by the Druze religious minority, marked a rare display of defiance against Syria’s longtime dictator, who protesters blame for the country’s rapidly deteriorating living conditions. 

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