(WASHINGTON POST) -Syria is the seventh most populous country in the world and home to around 22 million people. Its border is one of the busiest in the world, with neighboring countries Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq all requiring permission to cross. Islamic terrorism is a growing problem in the country, but a territorial conflict with Turkish forces also plays an important role. On August 21, 2011, an uprising by the Syrian people began. By late October 2011, at least 13,000 people had been killed. Many within the United States felt that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad would fall within a year. However, the subsequent years brought a breakdown in order and security in many areas of the country, and after several months of protests in March 2012, most were dispersed in the streets. At the time of writing, more than 100,000 people have been killed and the country is currently embroiled in a civil war.
(EPA)
WHAT’S NEW?
The war is entering its ninth year, beginning with protests in the city of Daraa after a teenager was arrested in June 2011 for scribbling graffiti saying that God was the only God. The protests quickly spread throughout Syria and involved major cities like Damascus, Daraa, Aleppo, Homs and Homs. Significant defections from the Assad regime spread, followed by the brutality of the government and its response by armed forces.
(NIAC)
What happens now?
The United States and its partners have committed to the withdrawal of their troops within the year. But the major question now is what to do about Iran, a country and government that, though the United States does not want to invade Syria, it wants to confront.
(I/EPA)