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Source: http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/why-damascus-aleppo-are-silent-for-now-1.845867
Why Damascus, Aleppo Are Silent for Now
(Gulf News-Dubai) Sami Moubayed - Sympathy with the Syrian uprising is high in the Syrian capital, but close to non-existent in Aleppo because of the city's distance, its relative immunity from the economic crisis (thanks to flourishing business relations with Turkey), and the unique relationship the city has had with President Bashar Al-Assad, who has paid it plenty of attention since coming to power in 2000. Within the new districts of Damascus and Aleppo, the business elite has been staunchly pro-regime. That will likely remain the case due to the weight of their clerics (who are allied to the state), along with the political, social and economic interests of their nobility and business community. In many cases, that nobility is "new money" and rose to power and fame only after the Baathists took over in 1963. The silence of both cities, however, won't last for too long.