Crime Wave Engulfs Syria As Its Cities Reel From War -- New York Times
ALEPPO, Syria — The consequences of the war here have become familiar: neighborhoods shelled, civilians killed and refugees departed. But in the background, many Syrians describe something else that has them cowering with fear: a wave of lawlessness not unlike the crime wave Iraq experienced during the conflict there.
From Dara’a, near the Jordanian border, to Homs, Damascus and here in Syria’s commercial capital — the fighting has essentially collapsed much of the civilian state. Even in neighborhoods where skirmishes are rare, residents say thieves prey on the weak, and police stations no longer function because the officers have fled.
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My Comment: After 17 months of escalating warfare, Syria's institutions have either collapsed .... or on the verge of collapsing. The legal and police system is in tatters. The economy has collapsed. The infrastructure is being destroyed. And in the chaos it is the gangs and sectarian groups that are now taking over. Syria is not a failed state yet .... but it is getting there.
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