Syria was once one of the Middle East s most stable states. Today it is a country on its knees. Almost 200, 000 people are estimated to have died in its bloody internal conflict and, as the violence intensifies, Syria s future looks bleak.
In this timely book, Samer Abboud provides an in-depth analysis of Syria s descent into civil war. He unravels the complex and multi-layered causes of the current political and military stalemate – from rebel fragmentation to the differing roles of international actors, and the rise of competing centers of power throughout the country. Rebel in-fighting and the lack of a centralizing authority, he contends, have exacerbated Syria s fragmentation and fragility. This, in turn, has aided the survival of the Assad regime, contributed to the upsurge of sectarianism, and led to a major humanitarian crisis as nine million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes.
A resolution to the Syrian conflict seems unlikely in the short-term as the major actors remains committed to a military solution. As this situation persists, the continued fighting is reshaping Syria s borders and will have repercussions on the wider Middle East for decades to come.
Table of Content
Acknowledgements
Maps
Introduction
Chapter One: The Rise and Fall of the Ba’ath Party
Chapter Two: The Syrian Uprising
Chapter Three: The Emergence of Armed Opposition
Chapter Four: When the World Wades In
Chapter Five: Fragmentation
Chapter Six: The Humanitarian Crisis
Conclusion: Prospects for Resolution
Bibliography
About the author
Samer N. Abboud is Associate Professor of International Studies at the Department of Historical and Political Studies, Arcadia University
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