The official Syrian Radio and Television Directorate has revealed the establishment of a new tourism directorate in Homs under the name of "Western Countryside Directorate", in Wadi al-Nasara, where forces loyal to the regime are centered.
Media activist, Baybars al-Tillawy confirmed to All4syria that the Assad regime made this move after the displacement of tens of thousands from the areas around Krak des Chevaliers. "A security official in Assad's army, Bashir Yazigi, the commander of the People's Committees in the area of Wadi al-Nasara has had a major role in the displacement of indigenous communities there," al-Tillawy said.
"These committees are responsible for the bombing of opposition villages. Assad's tourism project in the region includes forty villages loyal to his regime".
The Director of Tourism in the province, Ali Hussein, said that the directorate aims at providing services to investors, tourists and citizens, especially given the area is full of numerous tourist facilities and archaeological sites, pointing out that the directorate is currently preparing, in collaboration with local activities, the establishment of an entertainment, tourism and sport festival in the region in August.
Assad's projects come while a group of activists launched the campaign of "Save Rastan" in the countryside north of the city of Homs to save the city from a potential humanitarian catastrophe due to the siege imposed by Assad's forces since April 2012. A real danger threatens the lives of more than 110,000 civilians huddled within the walls of the siege, after all services were stopped in Rastan for nearly three months, the unavailability of bread and the collapseof the local economy, resulting in very difficult living conditions.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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