Premium Essay

Syria and U.S Relations

In:

Submitted By wande99
Words 26279
Pages 106
Armed Conflict in Syria: Background and U.S. Response
Jeremy M. Sharp Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs Christopher M. Blanchard Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs September 6, 2013

Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33487

Armed Conflict in Syria: Background and U.S. Response

Summary
The popular-uprising-turned-armed-rebellion in Syria is in its third year, and seems poised to continue, with the government and an array of militias locked in a bloody struggle of attrition. Members of Congress and Administration officials are debating options for responding militarily to President Bashar al Asad’s forces’ reported use of chemical weapons in attacks on rebel-held areas and civilians. After the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Asad’s forces used weapons in limited attacks earlier this year, the Obama Administration had signaled a pending expansion of U.S. civilian and military assistance to the opposition. Earlier in the conflict, U.S. officials and many analysts asserted that President Asad and his supporters would be forced from power, but had difficulty articulating how that outcome would take place within the timeframes they set forth. Recent developments suggest that both the opposition and the Asad regime face considerable challenges in their attempts to assert greater control over Syria. Increasingly, analysts have focused on the potential for the regime and its opponents to carve out strongholds and prolong the fighting. Rapid escalation or swift regime change could deal a decisive blow to actors seeking to advance goals contrary to U.S. interests, but it could also further jeopardize the security of chemical and conventional weapons stockpiles and/or lead to wider regional conflict. Opposition forces are formidable, but regime forces, backed by Hezbollah fighters and Iranian and Russian material support, have initiated

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Eisenhower Doctrine

...POL 300 – International Relations Dr. Barsegian June 3, 2012 Eisenhower “Revised” Introduction In the United States, the term "doctrine" has been applied to a particular set of presidential statements, usually consisting only of several sentences. (Micheals, 2011)Presidential doctrines have also been defined as "a grand strategy or a master set of principles and guidelines controlling policy decisions. (Micheals, 2011) Eisenhower “Man” Dwight D. Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas and raised in Kansas. He was born to a poor family and attended public schools his entire life, finally graduating high school in 1909. (Dwight D Eisenhower) Inspired by the example of a friend who was going to the U.S. Naval Academy, Eisenhower won an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. (Chester J. Pach) Many have said that Eisenhower was a born leader becoming one of America’s greatest military commanders. As early as 1943 Eisenhower was mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. (Micheals, 2011) Presidents Eisenhower' began his first term in 1952 and his first task upon assuming office was to fulfill his campaign promise to end the Korean War. (Dwight D Eisenhower) Within six months of his assuming office, an armistice agreement was signed. Eisenhower instituted a new military policy for the US Armed Forces, that policy was called the "New Look". ...

Words: 2931 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

ISIS In Syria

...responsible for international relations of the United States and upholding foreign policy laws. Fast forward 226 years our peaceful diplomatic talks have shifted to talks of sanctioning and military actions against other countries, especially in the Middle East. The growing insurgence named ISIS in Syria has attracted the attention of the U.S and Russia who both agreed to get involved, but have showed no signs of cooperating. The lack of undiplomatic relations between two countries armed to the teeth, with separate...

Words: 955 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

The United States and the Middle East

...only in the Middle East but around the world and a situation in Israel that hasn’t shown any lasting progress for decades, it’s time for the United States to take another look at its political strategy for achieving lasting peace in the region. With the events of early 2011 in the Middle East, otherwise known as Arab Spring, the region has become highly unstable and vulnerable to the influences of terrorism. This is a critical time for the United States to reestablish healthy diplomatic relations in the region in order to decrease the spread terrorism and harsh anti-American sentiment as well as bring about a lasting peace. In order for America to improve its foreign affairs in the Middle East it needs to finish strong in Iraq and Afghanistan, reach a peace agreement in Israel, push for more diplomacy with Iran, and support the rebels in Syria fighting injustice. By involving the rest of the world in the current situation in the Middle East the United States can build better diplomatic relations and bring about peace more rapidly, while also decreasing the already massive strain the region has on its economy. The second war in Iraq never should have happened. Though this is a bold statement that possibly discredits the sacrifice of thousands of American soldiers, it is a concept that...

Words: 4029 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Will Syria Be the Next Iraq? - a Thematic Analysis

...! ! ! ! ! Assignment#3! MB!8600! ! WILL!SYRIA!BE!THE!NEXT!IRAQ?! > A!look!at!what!USA’s!move!in!Syria!should!be! by! Deep!Bhatia! Student!ID:!500128395! September!24th,!2013! ! ! 1! ! Table&of&Contents& 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 ! Introduction...................................................................................................................................1!! Methodology.................................................................................................................................1!! Summary!of!the!empirical!findings................................................................................................2! References.....................................................................................................................................5! Appendix........................................................................................................................................8!! ! 2! ! WILL&SYRIA&BE&THE&NEXT&IRAQ?& Introduction& What!began!as!a!relatively!minor!civil!uprising!in!Damascus,!Syria!in!March!2011!as!an!influence!of!Arab& Spring!(wave!of!demonstrations!and!protests!in!the!Arab!world)!has!now!escalated!to!a!full>blown!civil! war,!with!an!alarming!number!of!deaths,!and!the!news!of!chemical!weapons.!The!war!initially!began!as!a! protest!from!the!masses!against!the!allegedly>corrupt!regime,!led!by!Bashar!Al>Assad,!whose!main! demand!was!that!he!step!down!from!his!post;!however,!recent!tolls!have!estimated...

Words: 4107 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Syria's Civil War

...Syria’s Civil War The civil war going on in Syria has been a topic of much discussion. What began as peaceful protests has turned into brutal civil war with over 100,000 deaths and counting. The images of men, women, and children being gassed or shot to death are just horrible to watch and hard to bear. With all these casualties and the U.S government expects to make a series of targeted military strikes against the Syrian government? Syria is a country in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Syria is very diverse, ethnically and religiously. The country’s population is divided among Sunni Arabs (a little less than 60 percent of the population); Christians (about 10 – 12 percent); Alawites, a Shiite offshoot also about 10 – 12 percent); Druze (about 6 percent); and various, mostly Sunni, ethnic minorities, primarily Kurds and Armenians (Carpenter 1-2). The President of Syria is called Bashar al-Assad, who succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad after the latter's death in 2000. Hafez al-Assad had ruled Syria ruthlessly for 30 years. Throughout his rule, Hafez was forced to devote his time and energy to matters of defense and foreign affairs. As a result, the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is, as the Middle East commentator David Lesch has pointed out, “a child of the Cold War and the Arab- Israeli conflict” (qtd. in McHugo). Neither was caused by Syria, but the country suffered terribly as a result of both. The massacre started in April 2011, when...

Words: 1853 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Taking Into Account the Power Capabilities Available to the Participants as Leverage, Discuss the Syrian Crisis

...POWER CAPABILITIES AVAILABLE TO THE PARTICIPANTS AS LEVERAGE, DISCUSS THE SYRIAN CRISIS Historical Background Syria is described as a country of fertile plains, high mountains and deserts, and is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shia and Arab Sunnis, the last of who make up a majority of the Muslim population. Syria gained its independence from France in 1946 and united with Egypt from 1958 to 1961 after which a pan-Arab nationalist Baath (Renaissance) party took control in 1963. The Alawite minority (constituting about 12 % of the total population) has exercised monopoly over the political leadership of the country for almost four decades with notable support from the Christian community that is anti- Islamist. The Baath government has seen authoritarian rule at home and a strong anti-Western policy abroad, particularly under President Hafez al-Assad from 1970 to 2000. In 1967 Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel after the Arab defeat in the Six Day War. Civil war in neighbouring Lebanon in the 1970s allowed it to extend its political and military influence in that country. Syria pulled its forces out of Lebanon in 2005, having come under intense international pressure to do so after the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. A UN report implicated Syrian and pro-Syria Lebanese officials in the killing, although Damascus still denies any involvement, (CBC News). BBC News reported...

Words: 3505 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

The Growing U.S. Concerns with Iran

...The Growing U.S. Concerns with Iran Jeremy Bondy American Military University DEFM600 B001 Win 12 Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth February 25, 2012 Table of Contents Introduction 3 History 4 Assumptions 5 Secrecy of Iran's Nuclear Program 6 Evidence of Nuclear Weapon Development 6 Refusing IAEA Inspections 7 Closing the Straits of Hormuz 8 Iran Aid to Syrian Government 9 Iran's Supporting of Militant Groups 10 Replacing the Iranian Regime 10 Variables Used to Define a Model 11 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction As time goes on Iran is becoming an increasing area of concern and threat to the United States and its allies. Iran has been working for some time at trying to establish itself as a dominant power, especially within the Middle East. This quest for recognition has caused rising national security concerns within the United States and some of its allied countries. Some of the most recent concerns include; Iran's nuclear program, threats of closing of the Straits of Hormuz, the oil sanctions, and Iran's threats towards other oil producing Arab nations. Iran has also been working at strengthening its ties with Syria, the Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiite groups in Iraq, and ties to groups in Palestine and Afghanistan. According to Mansour (2008), Iran has many tools in place that have a major impact on their surrounding countries and on the United States. Iran is gaining allot of ground on becoming a dominating force...

Words: 3169 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Should the U.S Provide Foreign Aid to Syria?

...Should the U.S provide foreign aid to Syria? Syria continues to be categorized as a state sponsor of terrorism, since 1979. Syria’s government supports U.S.-listed terrorist groups and allows some of these groups, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to maintain headquarters in Damascus. Both of these organizations have been labeled as a terrorist group not only by the U.S, but also by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Israel. The Syrian government also houses and aids worldwide terrorists, and serves as the center of trade in illegal narcotics. An American supported Israeli-Syrian treaty would make it far more difficult, rather than easier, for the United States to speak up or take action against these activities. The 2006 State Department Country Report says the Syrian government remains an active supporter of Hezbollah and has a secret presence in Lebanese politics. The goal of the Hezbollah is to dominate Lebanese politics in order to create a theocratic Islamic state out of Iran and to act as Iran’s (and Syria’s) substitute in confronting Israel and the US as a second front. Syria has suspected ties to the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. However, Syria still rejects the terrorist categorization, denies involvement in the Hariri killing, and says it was Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups on its soil to be legitimate resistance movements aimed at beneficial Arab territory held by Israel. Reports claim...

Words: 1847 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

The Kurds in Syria, a Struggle for Self-Determination

...The Kurds in Syria, a struggle for self-determination Thiebald WoudaS2556790IRIO Academic Skills 2Research PaperDrs. H. Sportel27-01-2014Amount of words used: 2378 | Table of Content Introduction________________________________________________________3 Chapter 1 Setting up an own state_______________________________________________5 Chapter 2 The Kurds in Syria and their claim for an own state_________________________7 Conclusion________________________________________________________10 Bibliography______________________________________________________11 Introduction The Kurds have always dreamed of their own state which they call Kurdistan. Kurdistan is located in the Middle-East and is divided over 4 countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. In 1920, the Kurds were close to establishing their own state because the foundation of a Kurdish state was mentioned in the Treaty of Sevres. However, after some discussion of other involving parties, the Treaty of Sevres was replaced in 1923 by the treaty of Lausanne, in which the Kurds were neglected. This excluded the establishment of a Kurdish state. Years of revolt went by and although the Kurds have tried to become independent, an own internationally recognized state was never established. Syria was no exception, the Kurds were suppressed by the Syrian government. For example on 23 august 1962, when as a result of a decision of the government, 120000 Kurds lost their Syrian citizenship. But then...

Words: 4066 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Presidential Powers

...declared. The framers of the constitution meant by Article II, Section 2 that once war has been declared the president’s responsibility as commander in chief is to direct war. This clause has been interpreted that the president has the power to act with free hand in foreign affairs or can send troops to battle without consulting Congress. There have been many instances where presidents have sent troops without consent of Congress. President Truman sent American troops to the war in Korea without requesting authorization from Congress, Clinton sent forces to Bosnia to support NATO operations against the Serbian aggression, and President Obama led a missile strike in Syria . Some criticize these president’s decisions but others feel that they acted with the country’s best interests in mind. In June 1950 President Truman sent U.S. troops to Korea without congressional authority. This still today stands as the most important precedent for the use of military force without approval.  Truman believes since he is the commander in chief that he has the authority to send troops to Korea without authorization. No president had ever launched anything on the scale of the Korean War before without congress’s approval. Truman was facing an emergency which required him to act fast which prevented him from being able to obtain legislative authority. However, nothing prevented him from returning to Congress and asking for a supporting statute after the fact. In some cases it may not be reasonable for...

Words: 1358 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Ronald Reagan Rhetorical Analysis Essay

...timely arrival notwithstanding—was a matter in foreign relations. It renewed national confidence and was foretelling of Reagan’s possible competency in foreign policy. As for the Soviet Union, Reagan was initially distant and distrustful in both rhetoric and policy. He spoke of it as an “evil empire.” His foremost policy was that of containment: preventing countries vulnerable to communism from becoming communist. Parting with the policy of his predecessors, Reagan harbored no illusions about the efficacy of detente, a cornerstone policy under Nixon and Ford. After growing anxious of Soviet nuclear capability, Reagan upped defense spending, It was then that he begun the SDI program (Strategic Defense Initiative), or Star Wars program, its affectionate name. It was...

Words: 719 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

New Era in Turkish Foreign Policy

...THE TURKISH REPUBLIC CAG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THE NEW ERA IN TURKISH FOREIG POLICY: A MULTI- DIMENSIONAL TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY Erhan KAYA SEMINARY THESIS ADVISER PROF. DR. ALI ENGIN OBA YENICE-MERSIN/2011 Approval of the Graduate School of Economic and Administrative Sciences ________________ Prof. Dr. Ali Engin Oba Adviser I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. ________________ Prof. Dr. Esat Arslan Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Esat Arslan ________________ Prof. Dr. Ali Engin Oba ________________ I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all materials and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name: Erhan Kaya Signature: I would like to thank Professor...

Words: 8038 - Pages: 33

Free Essay

Russian Policy

...“cold war” actually drove indirect fighting and war between many other smaller nations such as Israel and a few Arab nations, and how these two superpowers were on the brink of an a out war. To be able to fully identify the role that the United States and Soviet Union played in this war, the history and background must be understood. This war was the fourth battle of the ongoing dispute today known as the Arab-Israeli conflicts that started in 1948 when the Jewish state of Israel was formed. In the earlier war known as the “Six Days War” in the year of 1967, Israel had captured the Sinai Peninsula from the state of Egypt and half of the Golan Heights from its neighbor Syria. “On June 19, 1967, the National Unity Government of Israel voted unanimously to return the Sinai to Egypt and the Golan Heights to Syria in return for peace agreements. The Golan would have to be demilitarized and special arrangement would be negotiated for the Straits of Tiran. The government also resolved to open negotiations with King Hussein of Jordan regarding the Eastern border.” (Herzog, 253) This offer...

Words: 1717 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Six Day War Research Paper

...fought in June, 1967. It was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab forces including Egypt, Syria and Jordan. The United States and Soviet Union were both involved. The U.S. supported Israel and the U.S.S.R. supported the Arab forces. Countries like France and Great Britain were also involved but tried to remain neutral. The war was caused by the mutual distrust, mounting tension and military build up on each side. The war led to more conflict and tension in the Middle East. The Six Day War was caused by the history of war between Israel and Arab countries. Before the Six Day War, there had already been two wars involving Israel and a neighboring Arab country. Israel was involved in the Arab-Israeli War and the Suez Crisis. Israel won both wars, securing their spot in the Middle East. Israel also had numerous armed conflicts with Arab forces. In between major armed conflicts, there were terrorist attacks committed by Arabic. Groups like the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Arabic guerrillas from countries like Syria, Egypt and Jordan committed these attacks. Another cause of the Six Day War was the mounting tensions on each side. Although Arabic guerrillas already conducted attacks on Israel, the formation of the PLO in 1964 resulted in an increased level of terrorism in Israel. In May, only one month before the war, Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israelis. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson said “If a single act of folly was more responsible for this explosion...

Words: 1431 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Chemical Weapons Network

...The Senate Committee On Foreign Relations voted on Wednesday to give President Barack Obama the power to a launch a limited military attack to punish Syria for using chemical weapons. The vote was 10-7. It marked the first time in more than a decade — since a 2002 resolution that preceded the Iraq war — that members of Congress have voted to authorized military action. The resolution, which could be voted on by the full Senate as early as next week, forbids Obama from using ground troops in Syria and allows the military response to last no longer than three months. The yes votes comprised seven Democrats and three Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, who had expressed reservations that the United States was not doing enough to arm the rebels fighting Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Earlier in the day, President Obama landed in Stockholm and, at a press conference with the Swedish prime minister, declared that punishing Syria for using chemical weapons was a matter of upholding the credibility of the world. Answering a question about his statement last year that Syrian use of chemical weapons would be a “red line,” President Obama said the response was not about him. “I didn’t set a red line — the world set a red line,” President Obama said. “The international community’s credibility is on the line, and America and Congress’ credibility is on the line because we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important.” He further...

Words: 1069 - Pages: 5