The syrian government facilitated the flow of extremists and foreign fighters through its territory, permitting them to use syria as a transit point for. Initially, the fsa was formed to defend civilians in locations where protests. The struggle for power in syria sectarianism, regionalism, and tribalism in politics, 19611980 2nd ed, 1981. Could a similar powersharing model be applied to todays syria. The free syrian army fsa is an armed opposition organization conducting operations in syria against bashar alasads baathist regime. Propagandaserving reforms devoid of substance and credibility, like the constitutional amendments of february 2012, have done nothing to deescalate the situation. In fact, syria became a local theatre of the cold war, and a place where competing arab blocs vied for control of the newly independent state. Paywall free reading of new articles posted daily online and almost a century of archives. Just a month ago, the free syrian army appeared to be in disarray. A battleground when it is weak, it became a major regional actor when the state was consolidated under hafiz alasad.
On 6 october 1973, syria and egypt initiated the yom kippur war against israel. What syrias power struggle means council on foreign. The first section provides a brief historical overview of sectarianism in syria in order to understand its role in the current conflict. The power struggle culminated in the november 1970 syrian corrective revolution, a bloodless military overthrow that installed hafez alassad as the strongman of the government.
The assyrian struggle for independence was waged by the assyrian patriarch and the chiefs assyrian. Gen adnan assad, a cousin of the late syrian president, hafez assad. Lebanon became the scene of a struggle for power between druzes and maronites, with undertones of social conflict. The next 20 years were a period of mounting crises. The outcome of the kurdish struggle in syria and neighboring countries is intimately tied to unfolding of the revolutionary civil. Politics and society under asad and the bath party dam, nikolaos van on. This paper provides context for understanding the cycles of violence in syria. The present contribution first describes the aggravated middle eastern power competition in the 21st century, thereby emphasizing two aspects. The regional cold war ten years on, these forces have now come full circle in syria with devastating consequences. Critics of a syrian taif, a powersharing arrangement between ethnic and confessional communities 2 similar to the lebanese model, hold that there are fundamental differences that make power sharing inapplicable to syria.
The american government expected iraqi shiites to rise against saddam hussein during the u. Syria is the swing state in middle eastern political struggles. April, 17, 2011syrian protesters shouts slogans calling for president bashar assad to. On the road in syria, struggle all around the new york times. Women obtained the right to vote in 1949, and their in volvement in politics dates to the struggle for independence from the ottoman empire at the beginning of the last century. The group was founded by colonel riad alasad, a former syrian air force officer who defected in july 2011. Assyrian struggle for independence military wiki fandom.
Seven years on since the syrian conflict began, more than 350,000 syrians are dead and almost half the population has been displaced from their homes. More than 700,000 members of the syria campaign have. The overlapping domestic, regional, and international struggle for syria is yet another chapter in the grand geopolitical contest underway between saudi arabia and iran and their respective allies, unleashed after the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of iraq by the united states. The shiite jihad in syria and its regional effects phillip smyth. Deciphering syrias power dynamics institute of developing. Read this essay on the kurds in syria, a struggle for selfdetermination. The syrian revolution and the struggle for kurdish liberation. Iran to protect its ally in damascus and project power within syria, iraq, and. Since 2011, syria has been fighting a brutal civil war in which the assad regime with support from russia and iran has used brutal tactics to cling to power. Given the regional power shift generated by the iraq war, sunni gulf.
Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more. The kurdish parts of syria will undoubtedly become the focus of the power struggle that is emerging in the region over syria, said joshua landis, a syria expert at the center for middle east. The kurds in syria, a struggle for selfdetermination. Politics and society under asad and the bath party. Research paper syria, iraq and the struggle for power. Pdf when the arab spring reached syria, its pharaoh, bashar alassad, was in no mood to give up easily. The kurdish people have entered a new phase in the struggle to control their future. Like tan, yang writes, hu is a true son of the people, a flag of hope flying on high, a flag of battle against the forces of evil and corruption. First, lebanon is a liberal society with a free market. A monumental work on syrian power politics nikolaos van dam robert fisk, the independent an excellent book patrick seale an admirable study. Politics and society under asad and the bath party 4th edition, 2011.
The current context is born of the syrian revolution that emerged as part of the arab spring of early 2011. The aggravated struggle for regional power in the middle. External actors and interests as drivers of conflict. The syria campaign builds global support for syrias heroes in their struggle for a free and peaceful syria. Politics and society under asad and the bath party, 4th edition by nikolaos van dam.
Nikolaos van dams the struggle for power in syria and, of course, patrick seales biography of assad. But the new system of taxation and conscription caused unrest. A struggle within a struggle crisis group middle east report n6, 22 january 20 page ii neither fighting nor supporting the regime, while assuming a sceptical approach toward the nonkurdish opposition, viewed as overly arab nationalist and islamist. Since gaining its independence from the french in 1946, syria has had a rocky and troubled history. If youre able, and if you like our content and approach, please support the project. The capitulation of france in june 1940 brought vichyappointed general henri dentz as high commissioner and a new cabinet headed by khalid al azm, a wealthy landlord from an old damascus family who was to play a leading role in syrian politics 22 years later. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. The struggle for power in syria by nikolaos van dam. While syria s fight remains a struggle largely fought by syrians focused on their. The muslim brotherhood and the struggle for syria, 1947. This is the first episode of syriana analysis series about the struggle of international and regional powers over syria. As the syria conflict persists and the humanitarian crisis in the region worsens. While syrias fight remains a struggle largely fought by syrians focused on their. In syria an attempt was made to apply the new ottoman administrative system.
The struggle for syria in 2011 institute for the study. Hafez alassads ability to control syria for 30 years and his sons ability to stay in power for 11 years, to date, derive also from the fact that. Struggle for syria, 19471958 between accommodation and ideology joshua teitelbaum although syria gained independence in 1946, its independence was initially nominal. Yang likens hus historical role to that of tan sitong, a martyr of the 1898 reform movement from hus home county of hunan. Politics and society under asad and the bath party, by nikolaos van dam. Women in syria have a relatively long history of emancipation, and the country is one of the more advanced in the arab world when it comes to womens rights. This piece is dedicated to the memory of a true scholar, friend.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. However, the power struggle within the baath party continued until 1970, when hafez alassad took over. The uprising became militarized in autumn 2011 with the creation of the free syria army. The struggle companies saraya alsira is or was 5,000strong commando force deployed around damascus. Request pdf on jan 1, 2012, jorgen jensehaugen and others published the struggle for power in. Killing the truth how russia is fuelling a disinformation campaign to cover up war crimes in syria. And it is time for their nonkurdish counterparts to devise a credible strategy to reassure all syrians that the neworder vision of the state, minority rights, justice and accountability is both tolerant. In the midst of turmoil in the middle east, and in the face of protests and demonstrations from homs to damascus and other places all over syria, the bath party and bashar alasad are truly caught up in a struggle to hold onto power in syria.
Scenarios and policy options for the international community. Politics and society under asad and the bath party by nikolaos van dam i. The regional struggle for syria edited by julien barnesdacey. The iraq and syria border, located between the iraqi city of rabia and the syrian city of alyarubiyah. Isis and the third wave of jihadism 341 aladnani, to a request more than a year ago by rival militant islamists in syria who called for isis to submit to a sharia court so that a dispute with. However, consistent armed resistance in idlib emerged in.
The all alawite struggle companies are broadly similar to the defense companies and arewere fanatically loyal to the syrian government and were heavily used during the. Tauris, 2011 if you want to understand the cruel tragedy of syria, there are two books you must read. Politics and society under asad and the bath party 4th edition by nikolaos van dam isbn. Isis and the third wave of jihadism current history.
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