Fingers crossed for Syria's renewal

One year after the fall of Bashar Assad, the Syrian leader who always looked as if he should be a nice quietly-spoken chap but was actually, like his father, a dictator monster, Syria has a chance for a better future. Many things have gone wrong since the Islamic militia organisation which had past links with al-Qaeda, took over Damascus, not least the appalling ethnic-cleansing slaughter of Syrian Christians. But there are enough signs that can be described as positive. There is a tough new leader, Ahmed al-Shara, who has won over most of the world's leaders and appears to be foocused on uniting the country and making it prosperous. It's an extraordinary transformation in a guy who was effectively categorised as a terrorist before he overthrew Assad. Anyway, good luck to him and let's hope that all the encouraging signs bear fruit. There are still plenty of evil forces in Syria, exemplified by the fact that the Israeli air force keeps bombing anti-Israel extremists still embedded in northern and eastern parts of the country. If the relative calm in Syria continues, then next year should see the lifting of sanctions. Damascus used to have a reputation for old-school civilisation and hospitality. Hopefully those days will return once people stop having to fear for their lives. BUY AGENT REDRUTH, MY NEW SPY THRILLER, FOR CHRISTMAS (AMAZON AND WATERSTONES)