“This world’s anguish is no different from the love we insist on holding back.” ― Aberijhani, Elemental: The Power of Illuminated Love
Syria. A name you’re bound to have heard flung around in the news somewhere, but many a time, you either don’t get what’s going on, or you don’t want to.
But the fact of the matter is, Syria’s Civil War is a devastatingly sorrowful and serious story. Ignoring it itself is a sin, because it encompasses so many major nations of the world. Being a Syrian Civil War aficionado myself [weird, I know], here is a summary of what really is going on and why it’s not ‘just another dispute.’
So it all begins in 1970, when after several coup d’états and other such political battles, General Hafez-al-Assad seizes power and sets up his authoritarian regime in Damascus, Syria. He rules Syria for many, many years, and in the early 1990s, questions arise as to who his successor would be. A majority wanted his son, Bassel, a confident, charismatic gentleman who they believed would lead Syria out of this harsh rule. However, fate decides otherwise, and Bassel is killed in a car accident. So, Hafez calls his other son Bashar-al-Assad, who was at the time [1994] studying ophthalmology in London, to come to Syria and be his successor. Bashar accepts and Hafez popularises him among the Syrians, and all the while, Bashar is undergoing military training and gearing up to become Syria’s new President.
Hafez dies in 2000 and of course, Bashar is elected President – considering he was, like, the only candidate. Bashar, having experienced the European governmental structure for many years, tries to introduce reforms and makes the people believe that he is changing Syria for the better; making it more modern. However after several arguments and debates including the ‘Damascus Spring’ period, it is decided that Bashar is making false promises, and that he speaks a lot, but does very little. It is the same authoritarian rule of the past.
Fast-forward to 2011, when, after a long wait, a massive uprising takes place all over the Middle-East, titled the Arab Spring protests. These are these uprisings and riots for pro-democracy purposes, aiming to overthrow the dictatorship authoritarian regimes that dominate most of the Middle-East. After overthrowing leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, these protests reach good ol’ Syria, still under Bashar-al-Assad. For a few months, the protests go on with violent outbreaks here and there; until, on 25th April, Bashar ordered the Syrian Army to open fire on hundreds of civilians who protest against his rule. Tons of innocent people are killed in a rash presidential move – maybe one of the worst ever. Approximately 1000 civilians were killed and 1000s more detained.
Soon, some officers defect from the Syrian Army, and along with several Syrian civilians, they form the FSA [Free Syrian Army.] The FSA is shocked by Assad’s violent moves, and wants to ‘bring this regime down.’ These rebels grow in number and return the fatal favour to President al-Assad, in a series of hypocritical moves where they kill hundreds of Shia Muslims [the Muslim sect from which Assad hails, which he generally favours over the discriminated Sunnis and Kurds.]
Then, the Kurdish sect of Assad’s regime breaks apart, and forms its own rebel group. Now all this while, turmoil has been occurring, with the Rebels and the Kurds fighting against Assad and the Syrian Government, but the Rebels and the Kurds aren’t necessarily friends either.
Soon, the war gets big enough for other countries to get involved, and Iran, being Syria’s biggest ally, finances and sends troops and support to Assad and co. Soon even the mighty Lebanese Hezbollah comes to Assad’s aid. Turkey and Jordan however start giving military support to the FSA Rebels in their war against Assad. So loyalties are being flung everywhere. The Gulf countries [notably Saudi Arabia and UAE] provide lots of money to Turkey and Jordan to help the Rebels, but do not get directly involved in the war.
The Rebels, Kurds, Syrian Government, and their respective allies continue fighting until things escalate and on 21st August, 2013, Assad uses chemical weapons in Damascus, Syria. In a massively inhumane act, several hundreds are killed, and Bashar-al-Assad is targeted by countries around the world for war crimes.
The USA gets involved [they already had before with covert CIA operations] but now, they threaten to start airstrikes against Assad. The question is, why doesn’t the UN [United Nations], the world peacekeeping body, intervene along with the major countries backing them? The answer is Russia and China. The UN Security Council has had several sessions discussing whether to send troops into Syria, but this decision has been vetoed by Russia and China, which have several financial and maritime interests in Syria and hence, are with al-Assad.
Soon out of this mess ensues something big – a major threat to not just that region, but to the world. Al Qaeda, the terrorists responsible for 9/11, has their own branch in Iraq, but over disagreements over Syria, they break away, as do several extremists from the FSA. They then form ISIS [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria], an Islamic militant jihadist group determined to establish their own Sunni Muslim caliphate, or nation, in Iraq and Syria. ISIS grows swiftly in number and strength, with several influences, and lots of money. They pose a threat to all sides, and are fighting for their own land, their own state. These terrorists behead, slaughter, loot, and several countries are even frightened of them. But ISIS doesn’t attack Assad – instead, it targets the Rebel FSA and the Kurds.
The Pentagon from USA starts training the Rebels, but now it doesn’t focus on Assad, its primary target – instead it focuses on ISIS. This asks the firm question – where do USA’s loyalties lie? Turkey bombs the Kurds, even though they are also against the Assad regime, which poses the same aforementioned question. Russia arrives to help Assad, sending in troops and finance to fight the Rebels and the several other enemies, which puts Russia in an indirect conflict with the USA, who support the Rebels.
This is the Syrian Civil War. It’s been continuing for 4 years now, and doesn’t look like it’s near any end. There’s one word for it – confusing. So many groups, so many alliances, so many conflicts, so many countries, so many people, so many deaths – It is simply a hellhole.
The question is, should Bashar-al-Assad be allowed to continue, since he ruled for 10 whole years without much dissent? Should the Rebels really come to power, since they incorporate so many terrorists and extremists and madmen along with them? There is only one thing for sure – it is a deep, complicated mess – and it has to end. It doesn’t matter who wins, because a whole lot of innocent people are either being killed or are vacating as refugees to other countries, in search of asylum. The more this tragic onslaught continues, the worse our already fragile world becomes.
Adieu.
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