#syriasly
THE CONFLICT GROWS INCREASINGLY COMPLEX
As the conflict dragged on, it grew increasingly complex, with a variety of actors emerging or growing more dominant. Some of the most important developments are:
FROM PROTESTS TO UPRISING
The Syrian conflict began in 2011. The Assad regime has ruled Syria since 1970, and Bashar al-Assad has ruled Syria since his father’s death in 2000. As the Arab spring swept the region, protests erupted in Syria. The Assad regime responded violently, using artillery, tanks, rockets, and mortars to suppress the initially peaceful protests.
Some members of the army refused to fire on protesters. As units defected, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was born. Some civilians also took up arms to join the FSA. Although the FSA has central leadership, now led by Brigadier General Abdullah al-Bashir, it has often been criticized for its lack of central command structure.
THE SYRIAN CONFLICT
has left 191,000 dead, 6.45 million internally displaced displaced, and created nearly 3 million refugees in surrounding countries. As the conflict entered its fourth year in 2014, it was both the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and the world’s leading cause of forced displacement.
Both government forces and armed opposition groups have committed serious human rights abuses. Chemical weapons were used on innocent civilians with no consequence. Barrel bombs, gas tanks filled with TNT and shards of glass or metal, are dropped from helicopters, indiscriminately maiming and killing civilians. Who has committed these atrocities and why has become an increasingly complex story. This post aims to unravel this story in a comprehensible and concise manner.
#syriasly
Moderate political opposition to the Assad regime was initially dominated by the Syrian National Council. This group merged with several other opposition groups in November of 2012 to form the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, commonly referred to as the Syrian National Coalition. Representatives from the Syrian National Council took a significant portion of the seats in the new coalition. Most recently, the representatives from the Syrian National Council withdrew from the Coalition after it agreed to participate in talks with the Assad regime in Geneva in January 2014.
The FSA has been formally joined with the Syrian National Coalition since May 2013, with FSA representatives given 15 seats in the coalition.
