THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

By: Elizabeth Shock

Origins of the Syrian Civil WarUprising began in March, 2011 in southern city of Daraa.School-aged boys caught writing anti-government slogans.Demonstrations became widespread in April 2011.Demonstrations were part of a wider Middle Eastern protest

movement known as the Arab Spring.Protests & violence reached the capital (Damascus) by 2012.Conflict between Syrians loyal to the Syrian Ba’ath Party

government & those who wish to oust it.

What did the protestors hope to achieve?Protestors wanted president Bashar al-Assad to resign

An end to government corruptionBetter employment opportunitiesFree elections, a parliamentary government, release of

political prisoners, & the right to organize peaceful protests.

President Bashar al-Assad President of Syria & the Secretary of

the Syrian-led branch of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party.

Has served as the president since 2000.

Succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad. Father ruled Syria for 30 years prior. Ba’ath Party is the original secular

Arab nationalist movement, founded in Damascus in the 1940s to combat Western colonial rule.

Violence Deployed tanks and snipers

as a way to stop the protestors.

Water & electricity were shut off in certain parts of the country.

Security forces confiscated flour and food.

The Syrian Army surrounded many cities throughout Syria.

Soldiers who refused to kill civilians were executed by the Syrian Army.

The United States’ Response Supported opposition groups by giving them weapons Provided the most amount of aid out of the anti-Assad countries Total U.S. humanitarian assistance since the start of the conflict in

March 2011 is now more than $5.1 billion Obama administration has a goal to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees

(has only accepted 1,100 so far in 2016). Trained rebels to fight against the Syrian government. Asked president Bashar al-Assad to step down on several occasions. Restricted investments in Syria – restricted exports from the US into

Syria. Reluctant to get militarily involved.

Chemical Weapons The chemical sarin kills

hundreds of Syrians in Ghouta. Rebel groups blamed the

government. Government blamed the rebels –

arguing the attacks would cause the US to attack Syria.

The use of chemical weapons was the “red line” for the US.

United States insisted the Syrian government committed the attacks.

United States caught exaggerating the number off deaths.

Humanitarian Crisis This is the biggest refugee population from a single conflict in a

generation. It is a population that deserves the support of the world but is instead living in dire conditions and sinking deeper into abject poverty.” UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, July 9, 2015.

Over 4 million have left Syria, while 7 million are displaced within Syria. Resources in neighboring countries are being exhausted due to the

amount of refugees. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees states Syria’s

development status dropped by 4 decades. Several countries throughout Europe have taken a very large number of

refugees.

Before & After

2014

2011

Works Cited Clement, Scott. "Poll: Americans Also See Chemical Weapon ‘red Line’ in Syria." Washington

Post. The Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. Erlich, Reese W., and Noam Chomsky. Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What

the World Can Expect. Amherst, New York: Promethus, 2014. Print Lesch, David W. Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 2012. Print. McHugo, John. Syria: A History of the Last Hundred Years. New York/London: The New Press,

2014. Print Office of the Spokesperson. "Myths and Facts: Resettling Syrian Refugees." U.S. Department of

State. U.S. Department of State, 25 Nov. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. Cohen, Jeffrey. "Where Have 4.8 Million Syrian Refugees Gone?" The Conversation. Reuters, 17

Apr. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2016 Office of the Press Secretary. "Government Assessment of the Syrian Government's Use of

Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013." The White House. The White House, 30 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.