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Syria: From a Rogue State to a Failed State, Then to an Exporter of Terrorism

Since the Ba’ath coup in Syria and assuming power in 1963, Syria has become a police state par excellence. But the coup of Hafez al-Assad in 1970 transcended the horrific oppressive situation and shifted Syria into a farm whose fruits were picked up by limited families, especially from the Alawite sect to which Hafez al-Assad and the successor Bashar al-Assad belonged.
Hafez al-Assad had transformed Syria with his destructive policies into a rogue state. He had intervened militarily in Lebanon and had occupied it for about two decades. He had adversely affected the Palestinian issue and had caused severe rifts inside Palestinian political movement. He had ignited fighting among different Palestinian and Lebanese parties and factions. This is in addition to the systematic repression and assassinations he had practised against opponents inside Syria and Lebanon.
Bashar al-Assad, who hired the power in 2000 after the death of his father has converted Syria into a failed state, in particular, following 2011. His brutal dealing with the demonstrations throughout Syria since 2011, has caused a deep and broad cleavages in Syrian society. The methodical subjugation his apparatuses have been practising against dissenters turned the conflict into a fierce civil war that has been ravaging Syria since 2012.
Bashar al-Assad has transformed Syria into a Russian and Iranian protectorate. These both countries, in turn, have wreaked vengeance, death and destruction throughout the areas they have occupied. The Assad regime has brought dozens of Shiite militias to Syria to defend his regime. His supporters have said it since the first day of the demonstrations in Syria; “either Assad or we will burn the country”. Indeed, they have burned and devastated the country. They have killed more than half million people and have forced more than 13 million to flee their homes and have become immigrants in the neighbouring countries and in diaspora.
The Syrian regime has allowed Turkey to occupy many Syrian regions, killing thousands of innocent civilians, especially, Kurds, and displacing tens of thousands without any reaction worthy of mention. In short, Bashar al-Assad has completed his father’s mission and has transformed Syria from a rogue state to a failed and paralysed state.
In the latest new chapter of the Syrian calamity, Turkey has given Syria the characteristic of the exporting country of terrorism. This happened after Turkey has made thousands of the Syrian armed opposition merely professional mercenaries and hired on demand. Turkey has turned many factions of the armed Syrian opposition into employed soldiers and sent them to Libya to support the Brotherhood’s government in the Libyan capital.
On 15th of January, the Guardian newspaper published a report about the deployment of 2000 Syrian fighters to Libya to support the Muslim Brotherhood government in Tripoli led by the spoiled Turkish man, Fayez al-Sarraj. According to numerous news that have been disseminated recently by various media outlets, this number has recently reached up to 6,000 fighters. Indeed, the Syrian regime and the Syrian opposition are two sides of the same coin.
What a black fate, history and present drawn for Syria by the Ba’ath Party, Al-Assad family, and Erdogan's Turkey through its means from the Syrian opposition, specially, the parties of political Islam led by Muslim Brotherhood!? This black destiny covers about sixty years without the ‘free’ world moving one inch to stop this absurdity and farce.
By : Jwan Dibo
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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