Syria
Eastern World and Civilizations 2014
“The Arab awakening is a tale of
three battles rolled into one:
• people against regimes;
• people against people;
• and regimes against other
regimes.”
Hussein Agha and Robert Malley
Nowhere is this more evident than
in Syria: all three dimensions are
forcefully present, simultaneously
Pair-Share
•Discuss this quote with your partner.
•Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Examples to support position?
•“One man’s terrorist, is another man’s
freedom fighter” –Gerald Seymour
“The Syrian conflict has triggered something more fundamental than a difference of opinion over intervention,
something more than an argument about whether the Security Council should authorize the use of force. Syria is the
moment in which the West should see that the world has truly broken into two.” (…)
“The situation in Syria has mutated from an uprising in a few outlying cities into a full-scale civil war. Now it has
mutated again into a proxy war between the Great Powers”
Michael Ignatieff, The New York Review of Books
First Some Background on Syria…
Syria is roughly the
size of the state of
Missouri and is
home to over
20 million people.
Background Information
• Prior to WWII Syria was a French colony, that gained
independence
• They constantly go through a cycle of leaders, who are backed by
the army/ Muslim group, then overthrown by a coup
• The Assad family has been in power since the 60’s under the
Baath Party
• Hafez al-Assad was the “president” and groomed his first son to
take the position
• The first son died
Background Information
• So they turned to Bashar…
• Bashar inherited the republic after his dad
died in 2000.
• The Parliament amended the constitution,
reducing the mandatory minimum age of
the President from 40 to 34 to allow Bashar
to become legally eligible for nomination
• 97.29 % Referendum !!
Syrian American Council
www.sacouncil.com
8
Since 2000,
Syria has been ruled
by President Bashar alAssad.
His rule has been
autocratic,
meaning
governed by
one person, without
any democracy.
Since 2011,
the Syrian people
have protested against
him, demanding their
basic human rights.
Their revolt has
been part of a
movement for
freedom in the
Middle East known
as the Arab Spring.
The Arab Spring is a pan-Arab
movement, meaning that it stretches
across the Arab countries of the
Middle East.
The Arab Spring started in the country of Tunisia. Soon
afterwards, other Arab countries also rebelled against autocratic
leaders, demanding democracy and a better standard of living.
The Rebellion
The revolt in Syria was
started by students
who wrote
anti-government graffiti
on the walls of their city.
Assad’s forces struck back, attempting to
crush the rebellion with brutal force.
It didn’t work.
Current Syria
Syria is involved in a violent internal conflict.
In early 2011 peaceful demonstrations took place with political activists demanding
greater freedom for the people of Syria.
The Syrian Government reacted with
violent crackdowns on Syrian civilians.
Since then retaliations have been
going on between both sides – the
Government and the Opposition (Free
Syrian Army); leading to full blown civil
war.
cbsnews.com
Current Syria
• There is still unrest in Syria and the use of chemical weapons has been brought to the
forefront
• Israeli forces are still attacking them
• Rebels are fighting the government still, even killing government personnel
• Several investigations have showed that there still is the use chemical warfare in Syria
cause hundreds of fatalities of men, women, and children
• The US has expressed that they are ready to order a strike but the U.K. parliament has
been fighting it
• Syrians are clearly losing to the government
• The country itself is falling apart, its losing unity and identity
Events in Syria 2013
• The U.N.'s refugee agency reports that over 1.5 million Syrians have left
their country to escape the war
• European Union nations end the arms embargo against the Syrian
rebels (May 27, 2013 )
• The Obama Administration says that Syria has crossed a 'red line' with
its use of chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin gas, against
rebels
• It will be stepping up its support of the rebels, who have been calling for the United States and others to
provide arms need to battle al-Assad's forces (June 13, 2013 )
• Assad will not step down
Events in Syria 2013
• Ghassan Hitto is now the prime minister of The National Coalition for Syrian
Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (March 19, 2013 )
• Ahmad Assi Jarba is now the new leader of the Syrian National Coalition (July 6,
2013 )
• May 5 2013 Israeli forces conducted an airstrike in Syria targeted at a research a r
facility in mountains near Damascus as well as one the previous week
• In August a research team was sent into Syria to investigate the use of chemical
weapons
• Claims that chemical weapons were used on civilians in an attack outside of
Damascus
• 1,400 people were killed
Refugees
Refugees are people who
have fled their country.
Often it is in response to
dangerous conditions, and
many have to leave illegally
and in secrecy.
The refugee camps
Current Syria
• About 110,000 Syrians have been killed; 1.5 million have had to flee
due to war
• Many refugees have little or no opportunity to take any
belongings, they flee with just the clothes on their back and
what they can carry.
• Syrian refugees are in desperate need of humanitarian
assistance, especially the children.
• Many are wounded, exhausted, terrified and have health and
nutrition problems.
Causes of the Syrian Revolution
Causes for the Syrian Revolution
• Political instability has been a problem for Syria since 1946, when it gained its independence
from France
• A civil war has been long in the making ever since Assad came to power
• In February 2011, 15 school students in Daraa were arrested due to painting a revolution
slogan, “As-Shaab / Yoreed / Eskaat el nizam!” (meaning “The people/ want/ to topple the
regime!”) on school walls
• The schoolboys were taken into custody where they were beaten, burned, and had their
fingernails pulled by a “secret police” headed by Gen. Atef Najeeb, a cousin of President
Bashar al-Assad
• March 15, 2011 - Activists call for a Day of Rage across Syria, inspired by other popular
uprisings across the Arab world
• In these demonstrations, Syrian addressed their unhappiness with Assad and were asking
for democratic reforms
Cause for the Syrian Revolution
• Government security forces didn’t like this, responded with:
• Kidnapping
• Torture
• Killing- troops even opened fire on protesters who then fired back
• On March 18, 5 people were killed as security forces dispersed crowds in the
southern town of Daraa (this was the first of many deadly attacks reported in the
uprising).
• Over the next days, Daraa was reported sealed off, with no one allowed to enter.
Cause for the Syrian Revolution
• On March 25, troops opened fire on protesters in several cities and
crowds clash on the streets of the capital of Damascus
• Over 100,000 people reportedly marched in Daraa and about 20
protesters were reportedly killed
• So the Syrian people decided to organize and arm themselves to fight
back
• The government really didn’t like this and so the military started
destroying entire neighborhoods and towns
• From a here, a war broke out and has been going on for about 2 years
Why Syria Matters
The Syrian uprising started as a
push for freedom and democracy—
values we share. The United States
has its own history
fighting tyranny
in the
American Revolution.
The Boston Massacre, 1770
History has also shown
that oppression often
spreads to other
countries if it is not
stopped.
Nazi invasion of Poland, 1939
We exist
as one
interconnected global
community. What affects
one person often affects
us all.
Chemical/Biological Weapons
Chemical Weapons
• Several investigations have proven that the Syrian
government used chemical weapons against the people
Chemical Weapons
Dates of Accused Chemical Weapon Use
• Khan al-Assal, 19 March 2013
• Syria's state news agency Sana reported that "terrorists" had fired a rocket
"containing chemical materials", killing 16 people in the Khan al-Assal area of Aleppo
province.
• Al-Otaybeh, 19 March 2013
• Video uploaded showing men having difficulty breathing after and attack on the
village
• Adra, 24 March 2013
• The Local Co-Ordination Committees, a network of activists in Syria, said in its
summary for 24 March that two people had been killed and "dozens" injured when
Adra was shelled with "chemical phosphorus" bombs.
Chemical Weapons
Dates of Accused Chemical Weapon Use
• Sheikh Maqsoud, 13 April 2013
• SOHR reported that two women and two children had been killed by poisoning from
"gases from bombs dropped by an aircraft on the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood.”
• Videos show patients experiencing symptoms associated with chemical weapons
• Saraqeb, 29 April 2013
• Canisters were dropped above the town from helicopters, believed to be chemical
weapons
• Ghouta, 21 August 2013
• Activists claimed rockets with toxic agents were launched at the suburbs of the
Ghouta region
Chemical Weapons
Ghoutta Attacks: 2013
• On August 21, 2013, a group of rebels attacked the Ghoutta suburbs, killing between
281 and 1,729 people.
• The Syrian government has adamantly denied the use of chemical weaponry, but lab
results confirmed the use of sarin nerve gas in weapons.
• The region, near Mount Qasion has been the target for Israeli airstrikes.
• Independent analysts have proven that the weapons were launched from areas
under government control.
Chemical Weapons
Response to the Ghoutta Attacks
• The Syrian Government says that Qatar shipped weapons to
Libya and Syria
• The citizens have started to protest, and have started raising
awareness to the corrupt government
• Russian defense experts have called the accusations “distorted”
and “one-sided”
• Experts claim that the weapons used during the attacks were
created in a factory in 1967, and could have been stolen by
outside terrorist groups
Chemical Weapons
Siege of Ghoutta
• Rebels still control the city, but loyal troops are besieging east Ghoutta
• Ghoutta is still under air raids and rocket attacks
• Troops are stationed at the only two entrances to prevent people from entering or leaving
the city
• The citizens don’t have access to electricity, bread, milk, fuel, medicine and baby milk
• They must rely on any products they are able to manually grow (it could take several
weeks or more, to produce one serving of food)
Chemical Weapons
Investigations
• UN inspectors sent into Damascus to investigate use of chemical weapons in August 2013
• Concluded that 1,429 people were killed in an attack by the possible use of chemical
weapons
• In September, the UN finds 'convincing evidence' of chemical attack (nerve agent sarin)
• In response, Russia proposes Syrian government give up chemical arms to avoid a attack by
the US
• October 1, 2013: Weapons inspectors enter Syria
• A group of weapons inspectors from Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons arrived in Damascus to begin the task of overseeing the destruction of Syria's
chemical weapons program.
Chemical Weapons
Destruction of Chemical Weapons
• Syria destroys chemical weapons facilities
• Syria has rendered its declared chemical weapons production facilities
inoperable, according to the organization in charge of overseeing the nation’s
chemical weapons disarmament.
Do you think that this is really the end of Chemical
Weapon use by Syria?
Who’s guilty of using chemical weapons?
The People’s argument
• The government is using
chemical weaponry against
their own people
• The government is corrupt,
and trying to get rid of
anyone who opposes the
power
Government/ Assad Family’s
argument
• Outside terrorist groups are
challenging our power
• Rebels are using chemical
weaponry to create
international outrage and to
involve the Westerners
Chemical Weapons
Effects of Chemical Weapons of People
• Blurred Vision
• Convulsions
• Muscle Spasms
• Excessive Saliva
• Difficulty breathing
• Foaming at the mouth
• Hallucinations
• Memory Loss
• Suffocation
• “a smell like vinegar
and rotten eggs”
Analyze the following quote:
• “Syria’s chemical weapons are a poor
man’s nuclear bomb”
(Abdel Bari Atwan, former editor-in-chief of the Al-Quds Al-Arabi London-based pan- Arab daily, said on
Al-Manar TV)
The Regime’s defence of itself
•
The regime defends itself with some of the following arguments
•
•
•
•
They feel its clear that domestic and foreign opposition is
uniquely designed to overthrow the regime. They say
concessions would only embolden the opposition
They insist reforms will come once the situation improves.
(But these reforms should have been implemented early in
2011, before the situation got out of control. At this point,
small reforms will not be sufficient for Syrians harbouring
much deeper grievances than before.)
They feel the regime was never given a chance. By asking
early on for regime change, the opposition shut the door on
reform.
The regime needs to ensure stability in Syria. No amount of
suffering should be allowed to destabilize the country.
The Syrian Army continues to support the Assad regime, partly
because many Alawites hold key posts.
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Effects Of the Revolution
Effects of the Revolution
Death Toll
• More than 110,000 people have died in the conflict
• 1.5 million have had to flee due to war
• In comparison, The Wells Fargo Center can seat a max of 19,500
• THAT MEANS YOU WOULD NEED OVER 5 ½ FILLED WELLS FARGO CENTERS TO
REPRESENT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED
• AND ABOUT 77 FILLED WELLS FARGO CENTERS TO REPRESENT THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TO FLEE
Effects of the Revolution
Economy
• The economy has greatly suffered since the start of the revolution in 2011
• 75% of the production facilities in Aleppo (Syria's commercial capital) have been
shutdown
• Farmers have been unable to till their fields or sell their crops.
• Food is becoming scarce and increasingly expensive
• “More than 50% of the Syrian healthcare system's infrastructure has been destroyed”
• Of the 75 state-run hospitals, just 30 remain in operation.
• Over $100 billion is required for the reconstruction of Syria
• Syria needs at least 25 years to reconstruct what has been destroyed during the conflict
Effects of the Revolution
• Other countries have also suffered from the revolution
• It has cost Turkey seven hundred and fifty million dollars to
host the refugees, with about one hundred million more
coming in from outside source
• Turkey has been made a target of Assad since it’s borders are
open to Syrian refugees
• Will slowly drag Turkey into the war
Effects of the Revolution
• The country has been completely torn apart
• Losing their identity and unity
• People with Syrian roots who don’t event live in Syria have taken sides on the
revolution
• Sawsan Jabri and Osama Siblani represent the advancement of the Arab
community in the Detroit area
• represent dissension among Arab-Americans over Syria and underscore a
growing rift over ideological, political and regional differences.
• Each speaks for opposing camps: Jabri is a spokeswoman for the Syrian
Expatriates Organization (rebels backed by the US) & Siblani has been a
voice opposing U.S. intervention through counter-demonstrations and the
opinion pages of his newspaper.
Internationally, Syria is more isolated than ever
•
•
Russia (unenthusiastically followed by China) is its sole backer
The Assad regime has no more political or ideological cards to play
• It used to claim that it was the vanguard against US imperialism and Israeli hegemony, but its
only goal now is self-survival
• As it wages war against its own people, it exposes the country to foreign influences.
• Regime ties to important key sectors within the country are now broken
• Slow but surely, its military capacity is eroding through a continuous trickle of defectors,
declining recruitment and plummeting morale
• The economy is weak, between sanctions and disruption to the agricultural sector from the
conflict
• Despite announcements of elections in May, there is no indication that anything fundamental
will change
• The regime talks about dialogue with the opposition, but continues to intimidate and jail even
the most moderate
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Effects Of the Revolution
What’s Next?
• Possible scenarios:
• The fall of the Assad regime would require an external
intervention and/or supporting the Free Syrian Army with the
means to defend themselves and topple the regime.
• Assad remains in power for years to come and continues to
escalate violence resulting in civil war, inflamed regional
conflicts and more death and destruction.
• Assad crushes the uprising with the backing of Russia, China
and Iran, and cement his rule for the next generation. Think
North Korea.
Role of the UN, USA, and the
World
Role of the UN, USA, and the World
US
• The US is clearly against Assad’s regime but have been careful about
how they got involved
• They have given some weapons to the FSA
• President Barack Obama has been pushing for U.S. military action
• Has been talk in UN over US intervention, but the UN is split on the
matter
Right now it is unclear how long Assad will remain in
power. The United States says he must go.
Role of the UN, USA, and the World
UN and The World
• The UN has been divided on the matter
• There are many risks in intervention
• General Ban Ki-moon (UN Secretary) warned that an "ill-considered" strike
could have "tragic consequences" for the strife-torn country
• Russia and China have continually vetoed propositions in intervene
due to their ally with the Syrian government
• Do you think that the UN should take a stand in Syria? Why or not?
The U.N. has
implemented sanctions
on Syria – economic
penalties that target
Assad’s bank account.
UN Accuses Syria of War Crimes
• August 2012- U.N. accuses Syria of war crimes
• The U.N. Human Rights Council says the Syrian military committed war
crimes in the massacre of more than 100 civilians (1/2 of them children) in
the village of Houla in May 2012
UN and Allies of Syria
• UN Security Council
• split on how to intervene
• Russia and China have blocked efforts by Western countries pass harsh sanctions.
• Unable to come to an agreement on how to respond to August 2013 accusations of
chemical weapons use by Assad's regime
• Saudi Arabia and Qatar
• Saudi Arabia is supplying weapons for its own personal reasons
• Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia hate Shia Iran, so they are using the war to weaken it
• Qatar is attempting to befriend Syria in hope that one day they will be able to help
Qatar
China, Russia, and Iran have stood by the
Assad regime. They’ve blocked the U.N.
from taking strong action.
Some Political Cartoons…