The Syrian Civil War, Recent Players, and Its Effects
The complex situation concerning the Syrian revolution and the refugee crisis it has caused is building new tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Due to the constant escalation of this terrifying civil war Syrian people have been leaving their nation in even greater numbers, neighboring countries have reached capacity, and many are being turned away from European countries. Making matters worse, Russian Prime Minister Putin sent fighter planes to Syria in support of Al- Assad, furthering the bloody conflict. The Syrian refugee crisis is exacerbated by Russia’s aid to Syrian President Al-Assad which opposes American policies calling for the end of Al-Assad’s regime. This presents a threat to US fighter planes in the region, ratchets up the tension between the U.S. and Russia, and gives Al-Assad one more method of slaughtering his people.The conflict of interest between the United States and Russia concerning the side each country supports may strain relations going forward. This brings us to the question of whether or not outside countries should even involve themselves. If so, where do we cross the line from aid into interference? Most importantly, as this conflict escalates and the need to put an end to the situation for the sake of the refugees becomes more urgent, how is the global community to put a stop to this civil war?
On Syria Sources:
http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly
11 comments:
The Syrian refugee crisis is escalating and shows no signs of stopping. The Syrian civil war has created a terrifying environment in Syria and it will only get worse with the introduction of advanced technology from Russia. I completely agree that Russia is making the situation worse. The advanced technology and the men that they are sending in may be fighting against ISIS but they are also adding to the carnage. The fighter planes will only increase the destruction and carnage. This may help stop the war eventually but will increase the influx of refugees; something that is dangerous with so many countries already at max capacity. Not only will the fighter plane do more harm then good but they also pose a threat to US fighter planes and are skipping over NATO bases. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has already started protective measures. He is now supporting a NATO rapid response team in Europe.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/22/politics/defense-secretary-ash-carter-rapid-response/index.html
The Syrian refugee crisis has been the center of attention in the news for the last few months and is constantly growing on an international level. I feel that it has been a wise decision for the U.S to take a back seat in this issue in order to sustain a safe haven for the citizens of the U.S in not allowing a flood of Syrian refugees that include terrorists to enter the country. In addition, the war being fought in Syria is between enemies of the United States which makes it extremely difficult to support one side. On the issue of the refugees fleeing Syria, it is necessary to come to a solution in which they aren't all fleeing into 2 or 3 countries because right now they are all trying to get to Germany because of there economic stability, however they are also making their way into Greece which is currently struggling mightily with their economy and is barely able to support their own people. I feel that U.S and the European countries need to make a decision sooner rather than later in order to contain the refugee crisis from getting to the point where there is no way to control the situation. My final solution is to fix the problem at its source, find a temporary place for the refugees, and restore their homeland to a point in which they can go back home.
Since the end of World War II the United States has had a global presence, protecting civil liberties around the world and ensuring peace. This has not been possible for the Syrian crisis, and with the 2016 election coming up, the situation will be even harder to correct. President Obama has made some dedication to the Syrian cause by accepting 1,500 refugees in the past 4 years and donating more than four billion in humanitarian aid, but overall we have not made the biggest impact on the conflict. And depending on who will win the presidency, this could change or I won't. But until then, only a small amount of aid will be able to happen. Trump and many of the republican's view the Syrian crisis as a strictly European problem while democrats such as Hillary Clinton aim to vastly increase the aid to Syrian refugees and work with Europe to solve the crisis. So, to answer your questions, I believe that the United States should make a greater commitment into the Syrian civil war by accepting more refugee's and working with Europe to aid as best we can. While this is true, this simply will not happen until after the 2016 election and if a democratic president is elected.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/where-the-2016-candidates-stand-on-the-syrian-refugee-crisis/
The Syrian refugee crisis is a serious issue. There are millions of people who are in Syria. Thousands are attempting to flee to outside countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. The refugees find shelter wherever they can. Many families stay in living rooms with no heat or running water, in abandoned chicken coops and storage sheds. Without a doubt, the refugee crisis needs to be solved as soon as possible to try and help the millions of lives who are affected from this. Many times, bringing in outside countries often creates problems as there are more individuals with strong opinions. However, in this scenario, I believe countries should involve themselves. Syria needs help and is struggling as an individual unit. If the United States or other countries are willing to provide aid, then they should definitely do so. Furthermore, Ethan (Brodi) brings up an interesting point about protecting the Americans lives from refugees that could be terrorists. The line is crossed from aid into interference if the outside country faces extreme damage in the process of providing aid. Global community can put a stop to this civil war by working together as one power. Countries need to think about the lives that are harmed. If numerous global powers take action, then the Syrian crisis may be solved.
Sources:
http://www.mercycorps.org/articles/turkey-iraq-jordan-lebanon-syria/quick-facts-what-you-need-know-about-syria-crisis
I firmly believe that the United States not only should be helping the Syrian refugees, but should have been helping them for years. I strongly disagree with Brodi as well. Many of the Syrian refugees are not terrorists. Many are fleeing from terrorists. It's completely wrong to limit people who just want to protect their families because of the rare occurrence of a terrorist. Most Syrian refugees would be happy to leave their lives and would be some of the most loyal citizens many countries have. If someone escape from certain death, why on earth would they then terrorize the people that saved them? The only problem at hand is that the U.S. hasn't done something sooner. According to a New York Magazine article, the Washington director of the Human Rights Watch, Sarah Margon said, "'These numbers are a good start, but they are woefully inadequate, unbelievably late, and not a substitute for a policy that would ensure better protection for Syrians.'Part of the problem, she said, is that the U.S. government has not addressed the growing refugee crisis for several years and is just now rushing to action" (Danner). The U.S. has made terrible decisions in dealing with Syrian refugees. I understand how hard it is for countries economically, but the Syrian people need asylum. In my research, I found interviews with many Syrian refugees where the interviewer asked why they left.
"There was a kidnapping... and a bomb in the school where my daughter goes."
"Everyday, three to four people were killed in front of me."
"Our house was destroyed. We were left in the streets" (Plus).
There must be sympathy for these people. The American public cannot morally just become isolationists. These human beings deserve safety.
Sources:
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/23/refugees-explain-why-they-fled-syria.html
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/09/us-will-accept-more-syrians-but-not-many.html
I believe that it is America's duty to protect liberty, both within and beyond our shores. With that belief in mind, our country has only extended our arms to roughly 1,000 Syrian refugees, out of the 4 million who have been displaced (NPR). Night after night, I have observed the horrific news footage of Syrian women, men, and children, trying desperately to seek refuge anywhere they will be accepted. What is occurring in Syria can be considered genocidal, and America's political officials seem to be doing as little as they can to help. If it were 1945, would you expect America to send immediate aid, support, and relocation to Jews across Europe? The answer is clear, and it is cruel that Americans do not have the same compassion, and heartbreak for the atrocities in Syria. The Syrian people have been under attack from their evil leaders for years, ranging from chemical attacks on citizens two years ago, to the current slaughter as a result of the civil war taking place.
I believe that is not only our moral duty to extend welcome arms to the people of Syria, but our political duty as well. It was Martin Luther King who said that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," and I believe that Americans need to heed these words. We as a people, who have been more the exposed to media coverage of the evils of the Syrian government, need to take a stand. It is no longer enough for the Obama administration to merely send monetary aid. We need to show the Syrian leaders that they will not be able to get away with the acts that they have committed in the modern world. It is our duty.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/06/16/414898818/of-4-million-syrian-refugees-the-u-s-has-taken-fewer-than-1-000
http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-proposes-500-million-to-aid-syrian-rebels-1403813486
It is important to examine the origins of the civil war in Syria before making criticism of the powers at play. The Syrian Civil War is simply one part of a string of conflicts occurring in the middle east, sparked by the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. We need to understand why Russia might feel the need to send squadrons of its air force to bases within Syria. This is for the support of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. Russia has been a long time friend of the Shia (Al-Assad belonging to a sect of Shia Islam) governments in the Islamic world, like Iran and Syria, because they oppose the Sunni regimes that the US supports in the region, like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States. These Islamic countries are used as instruments in the greater geopolitical battle between the US and Russia. What are the alternatives to supporting the Al-Assad regime? ISIS and Al-Nusra front are alternatives which are infinitely worse, and elements that the U.S. have been training have been ineffective at best. Technically speaking, Al-Assad is the most stable option for Syria at the moment. Though basically a despot, him and his father (Hafez Al-Assad)kept Syria stable and free of sectarian violence for almost 50 years. Both Russia and the US have seriously miscalculated the implications of the Syrian Civil War, and if the US wishes to oppose and work against Al-Assad, which it should, then it should be obliged to welcome as many refugees as is practically possible.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-us-trained-fighters-have-not-joined-forces-with-al-qaeda/2015/09/23/a75d1080-6203-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_story.html
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been gradually showing more and more support for Syrian President Al Assad. Recently it has become apparent that Russia may be preparing to station forces in Syria based on satellite imagery of Syrian sites that seem to be setting up to receive Russian forces, both sites appearing to be near the Mediterranean port city, Latakia, Syria. As the US has given many efforts to get Al Assad out of power, the mobilization of Russian forces into Syria would only increase the tensions that already lie between Russia and the United States. I believe that if Russia does get directly involved with Syria's civil war, it will only be a matter of time before the US has to provide even more support to the Syrian Rebels Though Russia's intentions remain unclear, the US government assures that they will be keeping a very close eye on Russian military activity in Syria.
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/23/middleeast/syria-russia
Correction:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/23/middleeast/syria-russia-military-buildup/
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