The Syrian Conflict 2011 to the Present: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

The 21^st century witnessed a wave of uprisings code-named the Arab Spring that resulted in the fall of Ben Ali, Gaddafi, and Mubarak. Indeed, the ‘mother’ of the Arab Spring was in Syria where efforts to oust Assad claimed an enormous but predictable toll on human lives and immeasurable infrastructural obliteration. The United States and Russia gathered considerable allies behind them to fight for regional dominance in a Cold War style. This article argues that, in spite of pitting superpowers, the Syrian conflict deeply divided the Arab World with no solution in sight. The article further notes that, while serious damage was done to the country, peace-making in Syria needed a compromise to be struck by Moscow and Washington, considering their active role in the conflict. The conflict further deepened sectarian violence in the region as the conflict spread to Syria’s neighbors, such as Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey.