The Syrian conflict has been going on for almost 4 years. This war is one of the bloodiest in the 21st century. The victims of the war in Syria number in the hundreds of thousands, more than two million people have become refugees. Dozens of countries were involved in the conflict.
Despite the attempts of the international community to reconcile all the warring parties, the fighting continues to this day, and no consensus is expected in the near future.
Prerequisites for conflict
Syria occupies the 87th place on the world map in terms of territory. By the beginning of 2011, almost 20 million people lived in this country. Most of the population is Sunni. Christians and Alawites, who are in power in the country, are also quite widely represented. Muslim Kurds live in northern and eastern Syria.
The Baath party is in power, which used to dominate in Iraq (before the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by US troops). The entire ruling elite is almost entirely composed of Alawites. The country has been under a state of emergency for more than 50 years, which limited some civil liberties. In 2010, Syria was overwhelmed by a serious crisis. Many people have lost their jobs, social security has deteriorated. At the same time, the "Arab Spring" was already raging in neighboring countries.
A few months before the start of the first clashes, the opposition held several protests. The demands on them were varied, and the behavior of the protesters was relatively peaceful. But at that time, the United States of America and the European Union began to actively sponsor political forces in the country that were in opposition to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Assad has ruled the country since 2000.
Various social networks played an important role in the beginning of the riots. In January, the Syrian segment of Facebook was literally flooded with calls for anti-government protests on February 4th. The oppositionists called this date the "Day of Wrath". Supporters of Assad said that the administration of the social network is deliberately blocking pro-government communities.
Start of escalation
At the end of winter, thousands of people took to the streets in many cities. They did not act as a united front, their demands did not show a clear course. But everything changed dramatically when protesters and law enforcement clashed in fierce fighting. A few days later, information about the dead policemen began to arrive. Such events forced Assad to carry out a partial mobilization of the armed forces and concentrate them near areas where the opposition gathered.
At the same time, the opposition enlists the support of the West and the countries of the Persian Gulf. The formation of the "Free Syrian Army" begins. Its core includes representativesthe political wing of the protesters, as well as deserters from the Syrian Armed Forces. With the money received from outside, the opposition combat units are armed.
The first armed clashes begin in the spring of 2011.
Islamization of the conflict
Somewhere in April, radical Islamists join the opposition. After some time, terrorist attacks occur. An unknown suicide bomber kills high-ranking figures in the Syrian army. The country's army and security services launch several operations against the opposition. The Free Syrian Army captures several large settlements. They are immediately blocked by Assad's troops. In uncontrolled areas, electricity and water are cut off. The first serious battles take place in Damascus. The Syrian government decides to abandon the use of the regular army and resorts to the help of mobile special forces. They quickly eliminate the backbone of the armed groups, after which the cleansing takes place directly. Such actions are bearing fruit - more and more territories are returning to government control.
At the same time, political reforms are taking place. Bashar al-Assad dissolves the Cabinet of Ministers and calls the first elections. Nevertheless, the Syrian conflict continues to intensify. Damascus is partly occupied by the opposition, which is using suicide bombers to fight the government.
Foreign intervention
At the end of 2011, the Syrian conflict is increasingly in the spotlight of Western media. Many countries are starting to helpopposition. The EU and US are imposing sanctions on Syria, significantly reducing the country's oil revenue. On the other hand, the Arab monarchies impose a trade embargo. Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and other countries begin to sponsor and arm the Free Army. The economic situation is rapidly deteriorating, as a significant part of the income, in addition to foreign trade, was brought by the tourism sector.
One of the first countries to openly intervene in the Syrian conflict is Turkey. It provides military assistance and sends advisers to the opposition. The first bombardments of positions of the Syrian government army also begin. The answer followed immediately. The Assad regime deploys air defense systems on its territory that shoot down a Turkish fighter. Bashar himself says he is ready for dialogue with all parties, but does not understand why the war in Syria worries the US and other countries so much.
Helping the Assad regime
By the winter of 2012, it was finally clear that the Syrian conflict is a full-fledged war. The Syrian government's call for help was answered by its long-time allies, of whom there are not so many left after the "Arab Spring". Iran has given huge support to Assad. The Islamic Republic sent military advisers from the famous IRGC service to train militia units. At first, the government rejected such an idea, fearing that uncontrolled paramilitary groups would only increase the tension in society.
But after the loss of significantterritories in the north of the country begins arming "Shabiha" (from Arabic - a ghost). These are special militia units that swore allegiance to Assad.
Hezbollah fighters are also arriving from Iran and other countries. This organization is considered terrorist in some states of Europe and in the USA. Representatives of the "Party of Allah" (literal translation of "Hezbollah") are Shiite Islamists. They take part in all major battles, as they have extensive experience in combat operations. The armed conflict has awakened civic patriotism in many people in western Syria. They began to actively join pro-Assad paramilitary groups. Some units are communist.
The chronicle of the Syrian civil war clearly shows that the greatest escalation occurred after the start of foreign intervention. In 2013, the territory of Shama (the traditional name of Syria) was divided into several parts. Active hostilities have sowed fear and hatred among the population, which has led to the creation of many different factions, many of which are fighting on one side, then on the other.
ISIS
In 2014, the world learned about the terrorist organization "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant". This group appeared more than 10 years ago, after the invasion of American troops in Iraq. First affiliated with al-Qaeda and had little influence.
As soon as the armed conflict in Syria began to gain momentum, ISIScaptured some territories of Iraq and Shama. Arabian magnates are called sources of financing. ISIS became a serious side in the war after the capture of Mosul.
It took them only a few thousand fighters. About 800 people entered the territory of the city and revolted simultaneously with the offensive from outside. Further, in the summer of 2014, ISIS captured many settlements in the Mosul district and proclaimed the creation of a caliphate. Thanks to the powerful propaganda work, ISIS recruits supporters from all over the world. According to various estimates, the number of militants can reach 200 thousand people. After capturing almost a third of Syria, the radicals began to call themselves simply "Islamic State", setting as their goal the formation of a world caliphate.
In the battles, the IS actively use the so-called martyrs - suicide bombers.
The standard attack on enemy bases begins with terrorist attacks. After that, the Islamists launch an offensive with the help of light armored vehicles and off-road vehicles. IS also actively uses guerrilla warfare, attacking the military and civilians in the rear. For example, "Rafidite hunters" operate on the territory of Iraq. The militants dress up in Iraqi military uniforms and round up members of the administration and other opponents. Victims learn that they fell into the hands of the Islamists, only after their capture.
Although IS operates in many countries, analysts agree that it was the Syrian conflict that gave rise to the creation of such a group. The reasons are called different. The most common version is the desire of the Persian monarchs to extend their influence to the Middle East.
International Terrorism
"Islamic state" is guilty of many terrorist attacks in various countries of the world. More than 80 victims died after the attack on a hotel in Tunisia. In the fall of 2015, France became the target of the militants. The attack on the editorial office of the Charlie Edbo magazine, where a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad was published, has become a top topic in all the world's media. The French government has assured that it will take unprecedented security measures after the attacks. But despite this, in November, Paris was attacked again. Several groups staged explosions and chaotic shooting on the streets of the city. As a result, 130 people died and more than 300 were seriously injured.
On October 31, a Russian plane crashed in the Sinai Peninsula. As a result, 224 people died. A few hours after the world media reported on the tragedy, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for what happened.
Role of Kurdistan
Kurds are 30 million people in the Middle East. They belong to the descendants of the Iranian-speaking tribes. Most Kurds are moderate Muslims. Many Kurdish communities live as secular societies. There is also a large percentage of Christians and representatives of other religions. The Kurds do not have their own independent state, but the territory of their settlement is traditionally called Kurdistan. Syria on the map of Kurdistan occupies a significant part.
Kurds are often referred to as the thirdside in the Syrian civil war. The fact is that this people has been fighting for its independence for many years. With the onset of the crisis in 2011, part of the Kurds supported anti-government protests. With the advent of ISIS, the Kurdish territory was under the threat of capture. Islamic radicals brutally cracked down on the local population, which prompted them to actively join the Peshmerga.
These are volunteer self-defense units.
They have significant support from the rest of Kurdistan. The Workers' Party, which operates in Turkey, regularly sends volunteers and material assistance. The Turks are actively fighting this organization, because it threatens the territorial integrity of the country. The Kurdish minority makes up about 20% of the total population of Turkey. And separatist sentiments prevail among him. At the same time, most of the Kurdish formations profess leftist or even radical communist views, which does not fit into the nationalist internal course of President Erdogan. Left-wing volunteers from the countries of the European Union (mainly Germany and Spain) and Russia regularly arrive in the ranks of the Peshmerga.
These people are not shy about giving interviews to the Western press. Journalists often ask why the war in Syria forced young people to leave their countries. To which the fighters respond with loud slogans and talk about the "worldwide struggle of the working class".
US role: Syria,war
Such a major conflict could not but come to the attention of the United States of America. A contingent of NATO troops has been in Iraq for a long time. Since the beginning of the crisis, the United States has provided tremendous support to the Syrian opposition. They were also among the first to impose sanctions against the Assad government. In 2013, the Americans talked about the possibility of a direct invasion using a ground force, but then abandoned this idea under pressure from Russia.
In 2014, the United States, as part of the antiterrorist coalition, began bombing the positions of the Islamic State. Near Syria is one of the main allies of the Americans in the East - Turkey. The Kurdish militias have repeatedly accused the coalition of attacking their positions under the guise of shelling ISIS.
Syrian conflict: the role of Russia
Russia has also been involved in a civil war since its inception. The Russian Federation has the only military base in Syria. And friendly relations have been established with the Assad government, which have been going on since the days of the USSR. Russia, along with North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, provide military support to government forces. All this is done to preserve peace in the region. In 2014, Russia began active operations in Sham. In a few weeks, the military presence has been significantly increased.
Conclusion
The essence of the Syrian conflict is an attempt by foreign states to maintain or improve their positions in the Middle East. The Islamic State quite often becomes just a pretext for the introduction of troops into the territory of Syria. And the real reasonbecome enemies of friendly regimes in the region. At the moment, in the civil war, 3 serious forces can be distinguished that cannot win and are not going to lose. Therefore, the conflict will continue for quite a long time.
