Fight for daily survival as war engulfs regions of country and Syria fear barriers erode further

Syrians break free from security services’ reign of fear

Louai Beshara/AFP/File

People walk past shop windows announcing discounts on March 7, 2013 in the Syrian capital Damascus. For half a century, Syrians lived in terror of the secret services, who held a vice-like grip over every aspect of daily life, but in March 2011 they finally threw off the shackles. | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles