Amid war, Syrian police seek musicians
In the spirit of keeping up appearances, Assad's security force looks to build up its band
Police running toward a protest in Damascus, Syria, May 2012. The image is taken from an amateur video. AP cannot independently verify the photo. (photo credit: AP/Shaam News Network via AP video)
BEIRUT — The police force of Syria, engulfed in a bitter civil war, is looking for recruits — for its musical band.
The advertisement, carried on the website of the state news agency SANA on Tuesday, asks youth with high school degrees and musical qualifications to sign up at a police college building on Nov. 20.
The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad works hard to keep up the appearance of business-as-usual in the country.
Many Syrians also find meaning in the trappings of normal life, despite a three-year civil war that has killed over 100,000, displaced millions, and cleaved the country along sectarian lines.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.