A decade past since the Syrian Civil War began, and their brutal dictator, Bashar Al-Assad, remains in control of the country.
When protests erupted throughout the entirety of the Middle East in the now famous era dubbed as the “Arab Spring”, where many of the revolts around the region were leading to the ousting of the leaders of their respective countries, the protests in Syria sparked something unique (The Arab Spring’s effects on Syria). The protests, powered by the anger of the economic stagnation and the constant state of poverty, antagonized an impatient tyrant who launched an abominable campaign to quash the uprisings and remain in power at all costs. This campaign has prompted a civil war that has lasted to this very day, and it has become an area of an interest and indirect proxy conflict between two of the world’s superpowers, the United States and Russia.
In the decade long conflict, the estimates of the lives’ lost ranges from 350,000 to 606,000, and the number of Syrians displaced hovers around 12 million (The Statistics of Death in Syria due to the Civil War).
Furthermore, the Syrian government engaged in war crimes of the most awful kind, as they have deployed chemical weapons that have gassed and burned their own citizenry.
In addition, the alliance of two tyrants in Al-Assad and Putin between their two respective countries is a reason for more concern; the mere fact that Russia now has direct influence in the region is of vital significance to the United States and affects many of our goals and interests in the Middle East.
These are all points of rationale as to why the Biden Administration can no longer stand idle with respect to the Syrian Conflict, and they must approach it with the adequate policy to reflect the true values and strength of the United States: the spreading of freedom and democracy. No longer shall appeasement nor complacency be an option in this noble battle; in closing, the American people shall take a stand and urge the federal government to truly represent the ideals of the United States abroad.
The Split in the Syrian Civil War as of 2021
Works Cited
Odias, Hubert. The Arab Spring and Its Unintended Effects in Syria. 17 July 2017. Website. 8 October 2021.
The Associated Press. UN tallies 350K dead in Syria war, admits toll likely higher. 24 September 2021. Website. 8 October 2021.
o If this isn’t a sign for the U.S. to act somehow, I guess I don’t know a red flag when I see one. When it comes to foreign affairs, it’s safe to say that our relationships with certain countries changed after the change of power from Trump to the Biden administration. What we took for granted was our relationship with Russia, which protected the United States in many ways. Now, since our relationship is not as strong as it once was, I fear that this alliance between Al-Assad and Putin does threaten the U.S.’s integrity and safety. What do you recommend that the Biden administration does to solve this issue? How will Al-Assad and Putin spread their combined influence? Here’s an interesting article I found detailing our crippling relationship with Russia and what that means for the future if you want to look! https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/why-are-us-russia-relations-so-challenging/
As with most American’s, I would imagine, I am not as well versed on global events and conflicts as I probably should be. For that reason, I enjoy seeing your blog each week to know what terrible things are transpiring worldwide. Although I knew about the Arab Spring from history class, I did not know that there was an ongoing civil war in Syria, nor did I know that it was so violent. From what I can glean from this article, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/on-the-way-out-like-afghanistan-the-biden-administrations-syria-policy-labyrinth/, it looks as though the Biden Administration is actually doing something (albeit minor) to support the Syrian citizens through embargos on the leader and aid. Do you think that any sort of American military action as you seem to desire will actually come from the Biden Administration? This article seems to doubt it will.
While I had known about the Syrian Civil War, I did not know the extent to which it was harming the citizens. It is atrocious that chemical weapons have been used, and have hurt the citizens. Do you think that there are any major steps the United States can take to support the Syrian citizens? Is there anything we can do as American citizens? How do you think this will impact the relationship between America and Russia, and does it pose any threat to our society? Great post!