Syria: Land of continuous clashes and armed conflicts
It all started in March 2011 because of the arrest, by the security forces, of some teenagers who painted revolutionary murals. The population went out to demonstrate claiming more rights and democracy with great revolts throughout the country, the best known were in Aleppo and Damascus. The response of the Bashar to Assad government, which has been in office since 2000, was to open fire against protesters, and these began to ask for the president’s resignation. The conflict broke out in the civil war that we know today, but nevertheless, for a while that was cooking. The Syrians had been with high unemployment rates, corruption, lack of political freedom and repression for several years, making life in the country hard and suffocating.
The opposition began to arm himself to fight the Al Assad regime. Within this group we find several groups that fight together to achieve the same objective: the president’s dismissal. Among them are the moderate rebels, as would be the case of Els (Syrian free army), and the Islamist and jihadist groups, formed by the Nusra Front (subsidiary of Al Qaeda in Syria) and the EI (Islamic State). However, the latter have faced the opposition, Islamists and the government causing them to act within the war, conquering territory and founding their own caliphate.
In reference to the great world powers that act in this war we find on the one hand to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the USA.UU supporting the opposition, and on the other hand are Russia and Iran, supporting Al Assad. However, everyone struggles against the EI or the Front Nusra.
Russia’s interests in war are several. To begin with, Syria is its main weapons buyer and also has the only Russian military base abroad that gives the Mediterranean Sea. All this makes Putin the great ally of Al Assad followed by Iran, who supports the regime for religious and economic interests. Iran needs Syria to be able to send his weapons to the Chiita Hezebolá movement in Lebanon among other factors.
If we analyze the interests of the powers that help the opposition we find from the US.UU, who intends to contain the power of Russia and defeat terrorist groups. Turkey and Saudi Arabia, both Sunni countries, fight in that eternal religious rivalry between Sunnas and Chitas to achieve power. In addition, we have to contemplate that Turkey has problems with the Kurdish insurgency. Finally, Europe would be, who refuses to give asylum to refugees, and France and the United Kingdom, especially invest many resources to defeat the IS with the USA.UU.
Finally, an important actor in the war is Syria’s geographical position, since it has a great geostrategic value. It allows to connect important gas and oil sources with Europe, the East and the Mediterranean Sea.
The great powers are playing a very important role in this conflict, which we can say that it is internationally. Its military and financial support has contributed to the intensification of the problem, which will only be solved when they feel to seek a common understanding that benefits the population, and not their own political interests. However, this will never happen and right now the situation in Syria only makes worse and turn it into an open battlefield.
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