With Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoodi on hand for the ceremony at the Syrian-Iranian Company for Manufacturing Cars, Assad called the project a testament of their "historic" cooperation.
"Our political relations are rooted, old and excellent," he said. "This project comes in the framework of boosting economic cooperation between the two countries. ... We are proud of this project."
Marketing of the car — which under the name "Sham," the old Arabic word for Syria — will start in April, said plant manager Ziad Kattini.
This makes sense. I mean, when your main weapon for fomenting sectarian violence in Iraq is the car bomb, why not make the cars too?
I imagine standard equipment for the 2007 Sham includes a tape deck for the inspirational words of Zawwahiri to make it through the last 50 yards of your run, shackles for unwilling drivers, and eight artillery shells wired up to blow when you hit the 'trunk release' button. Oh, and a cup-holder.
The powertrain and explosives are guaranteed for 10,000 kilometers.
Chrome is optional.
Why they didn't end all pretense and just call it the Vbied al-Iraqi, I don't know.
