Haykal's Foreword

Abdulsalam Haykal

Sami wrote a courageous article last month on the so-called ‘elite’ of Syria. He laid down a very true—in my opinion—depiction of those who appear as the crème de la crème of Syrian society. The economic and social forces of the past many years have produced a strata of people that amassed enough wealth to buy them status. One of the major problems that reform faces in Syria is the lack of skilled and experienced middle management, as well as the lack of a real elite. To move forward, Syria needs to dig for the real elite, and bring them to the front, not for prestige but to assume responsibility.