Today, Syria is one of the most troubled regions on the planet. It is on the territory of this state that numerous radical groups are concentrated, including the largest of them, ISIS. The Syrian conflict has been going on for several years now and is caused by many different factors: religion, politics, socio-economic development, the Islamization of the population, etc. A new round of tragic events in Syria began in 2015. What are the main causes and consequences of this four-year war?
Fighting in Syria: the beginning of the conflict
The war in Syria did not break out from scratch. The swept "Arab Spring" caused the formation of anti-government movements on the territory of this state, which were categorically against the current President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, and the Baath Party, which dominates the Parliament. This led to the fact that in the summer of 2011 hostilities began in Syria between state forces and the anti-government coalition. A major role in aggravating the situation was played by the Kurds, who became the thirdparty to the armed conflict. In 2014 and 2015, the situation in Syria worsened due to the growing influence of the terrorist organization ISIS.
According to a UN report, the main reason for the armed conflict in this state is an open confrontation on religious grounds. However, the parties to the conflict - Shiite groups and Sunni rebels - reject this opinion.
Today, the armed conflict has escalated into open military clashes on an inter-confessional and inter-ethnic basis. This led to serious political and economic destabilization in the region, as well as numerous civilian casu alties.
Despite the fact that political scientists name a huge number of causes determining this conflict, all of them can be combined into a single galaxy, in which one factor, one way or another, causes another.
Poverty of the local population of Syria
The fighting in Syria, according to many researchers, is primarily due to the lack of proper socio-economic support for the population. But if you dig a little deeper, you can find out that for the period of 2011, Syria could fully provide itself with food, in addition, light industry was developing well on the territory of the state. According to statistics, about 10% of the currency was imported into the country by Syrians who left for neighboring countries to work. In other words, the population that would have been below the poverty line during this period of time was a small part of all inhabitantsstates. However, it was the representatives of this social stratum who decided to commit righteous jihad in Syria.
Freedom is the meaning of life for Syrians
Many participants in the anti-government uprising in Syria unanimously say that they wanted to get more freedom and independence from the authorities, which Bashar al-Assad promised when he assumed the post of head of state. In other words, they did not want to go further along the path of conservatism, thereby entering the "Middle Ages". Indeed, in his campaign speeches, the current Syrian President promised to modernize the state's economy, as well as embark on a path of democratic change, which grants citizens such a valuable freedom.
During his reign, Bashar al-Assad did a lot for the state, including raising salaries and pensions for military and civil servants. In addition, a banking reform was carried out, investors flocked to the country, which improved the microclimate in Syria. However, these changes were gradual, which did not suit the patrons of the Arab Spring, who had already rebuilt many countries in the Middle East in their own way.
The religious factor is the fundamental basis of the armed uprising
Of course, this factor has become one of the fundamental factors for the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East. The fighting in Syria, oddly enough, is between two directions in Islam - Sunnis and Shiites. The government "top" is represented by Shiites (Alawites), while the majority of the population is Sunnis. Despitetolerance of local residents, it was not possible to combine two directions in a single society, which resulted in an open conflict between the groups.
Terrorism is the "plague" of the 21st century
Not the last, but even the key position at the moment in the ranking of the fundamental causes of the war in Syria is terrorism. New members are constantly joining the ranks of ISIS, who are ready to commit jihad both on the territory of the state and beyond its borders: in Europe, Russia, America. One of the key reasons people join ISIS is the $5,000 salary that is paid for one month. This fact of the buildup of terrorist forces led to Russia's military operations in Syria, which will prevent the penetration of jihadists into the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as the intensification of the military confrontation between the rebels and the Syrian government forces.
Why does Russia need this war?
Russia's fighting in Syria is due to the direct interest of the state. It is this country that is a reliable partner of the Russian Federation in the Middle East. The Russian government, including its President Vladimir Putin, is pursuing a purposeful policy that will help stabilize the situation in Syria. This is necessary to ensure that the borders of the state are calm, because to allow such a flash of "aggression" among neighbors means to show one's helplessness in the struggle for world leadership.
The military operations of the RF Armed Forces in Syria require numerous financial outlays, but this is precisely what makes it possible to eliminate the maintoday the problem of mankind is terrorism. After all, Syria is the home country of ISIS. The latest fighting shows that Russia is determined to fight this problem, unlike its partners, until the blood of civilians is shed, as happened in November in Paris. But that's not all.
Among other things, the military operations of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria are aimed at warning the US and EU countries that it is not worth being accomplices to criminals who are financially supported by the sale of illegal oil. This argument is also confirmed by the exposure by the Russian armed forces of Turkey, which acquired “black gold” at a low price from ISIS terrorists.
Summarizing, we can say that the military actions of the Russian Federation in Syria are pragmatic, allowing to stabilize not only the situation in Syria, but also in the entire world community, as well as eliminate the problem of international terrorism.
