![]() ![]() ![]() The Kurds have been a critical part of the developments in Syria we look at their prior understanding with Assad, their work with the US, and what will happen to them once the US withdraws. ![]() We take a brief look at the evolution of the US' role in the region, from supporting Assad's opposition, to its working with Russia against Islamic extremism, to its move toward the goal of forcing Assad to the negotiating table, instead of overthrowing him. This played a huge part in ISIS' ability to quickly establish themselves over so much of the region, and one must understand that part of the goal of ISIS was to create a state for Sunni Arabs in Syria and Iraq where they had long been discriminated against by Shi'a ruling groups. The northeast of the country had long been under resourced and treated unfavourably by the leadership in Damascus, with the region's oil wealth and agricultural potential largely having their economic benefits exported to the capital. We look at the early days of the conflict, how it quickly devolved into an ethnically driven war, the early involvement of al-Qaeda, and the short amount of time it took for any democratic opposition groups to be pushed out by more authoritarian factions. Landis takes us through the deep religious, cultural, economic, and ethnic divisions in Syria that played a part in the country's civil war, and the extent to which it was caused or sparked by the 2011 Arab Spring protests. ![]()
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