Greatest nation on earth
Over the past two days, the Syrian rebels have put on a masterclass on how to win hearts and minds. They have made clear that Sharia law will not be imposed. Women will not be removed from the public sphere. They will not be cloistered, draped in burqas against their will. If they choose to wear Islamic dress, that will be a personal choice; it will not be imposed by the new government. The HTS has also declared a general amnesty for the former regime's soldiers. There will be no vengeance, no retribution. Regime officers accused of torture will face justice; but the rank and file will be able to return to their homes, and help rebuild the country. In the days since Bashar al-Assad was ousted, the victors have shown a grace and forgiveness which beggars belief, when one considers the violence not only of the civil war, but the violence of the entire al-Assad dynasty and Ba'athist regime. It is quite simply remarkable. It is everything we in the West consider good and noble. And...
