The siege of Damascus: An account of everyday life in Syria’s savage war  

 A picture taken of Peter Oborne at a desk writing in Damascus in September 2015 (MEE) 

Entrance to the education institute in Eastern Ghouta (MEE / Peter Oborne) 

SyriaWar-Monday 28 September 2015

MEE's Peter Oborne spent two weeks in Damascus. This is an account of what he saw

I went to Syria under the auspices of the Assad government’s Ministry of Information, accompanied much of the time by a government minder. I had no other means of going to government-held territory. I was unable to cross the lines into other areas, and witness the devastation there caused by the government, and hear responses from its victims. I accept that my report is therefore selective, but it is authentic and I believe that the people I met deserve to have their stories told.

The Siege of Damascus an Account of Everyday Life in Syria’s Savage War by Thavam Ratna