One day in March 2011, a group of teenagers spray-painted pro-democracy slogans on a school wall in the southern city of
Daraa. The teens were immediately detained and allegedly tortured by Syrian police, triggering numerous protests nationwide. Although the prisoners were eventually released, existing tensions had already grown and protests were reoriented – this time towards the goal of toppling Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad.
Opposition Rising
By July 2011, Assad had ordered troops to occupy many major Syrian cities including Aleppo and Damascus. As civilian deaths increased at a staggering rate, the U.S. and European Union placed sanctions on the Syrian government and made several unsuccessful diplomatic interventions. From late 2011 to early 2012, several rebel groups formed in opposition to Assad’s regime, including the main anti-government faction, Free Syrian Army, or FSA. The FSA was originally composed of ex-Syrian military officers. It has since expanded into one of the main rebel coalitions of the Syrian Civil War. For the greater part of 2012 and 2013, rebel groups such as the FSA battled Assad for the control of cities, countryside, and land which contained key resources.Rohan
The Players
Since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011, many sides have taken interest in the conflict. Terrorist group ISIS has taken advantage of the conflict to claim a significant land stake in northern Syria. They have vocally supported the opposition’s interest in overthrowing Assad, mainly due to the fact that he is of Shia Muslim descent. Foreign powers such as the US and Russia have conducted many airstrikes against ISIS militants in order to drive them back. However, the United States and Britain have actively funded rebel groups fighting the Syrian government, in hope that a new leadership will spark democracy. On the other end of the spectrum, countries like Russia and Iran have backed Assad and have citing the “war against terrorism” as their primary motive for this. They argued that the Assad regime’s continued stronghold of Syria would be the only hope for the Islamic State’s eventual demise.
Conclusion and Aftermath
In December 2016, after nearly four and a half years of fighting, government troops, along with Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias, finally recaptured the city of Aleppo, signaling the end of the Syrian Civil War. Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, was the rebels’ last significant stronghold, as it had been a key military base for over four years. As a result of the Syrian Civil War, more than 500,000 people died, and millions went into refuge. The United Nations has virtually accused all sides of war crimes and significant contributions to the humanitarian conflicts that occurred.
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