Today, one of the most troubled regions on the planet is Syria. 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 and is due to 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?
The fighting in Syria: the beginning of the conflict
The war in Syria did not erupt from scratch. The swept “Arab spring” became the reason that anti-government movements began to form in the territory of this state, which were categorically against the current Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the Ba'ath party prevailing in 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 large role in the aggravation of the situation was played by the Kurds, who became the third party to the armed conflict. In 2014 and 2015, the situation in Syria worsened due to the growing influence of the ISIS terrorist organization .
According to the 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 view.
To date, the armed conflict has escalated into open combat clashes on an interfaith and interethnic basis. This has led to serious political and economic destabilization in the region, as well as to numerous civilian casualties.
Despite the fact that political scientists call a huge number of reasons that determine this conflict, all of them can be combined into a single galaxy in which one factor, one way or another, determines 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 completely provide itself with products, in addition, light industry developed well in the state. According to statistics, about 10% of the currency was imported into the territory of the country by the Syrians, who left for the nearest countries to earn money. In other words, a population that would be below the poverty line during this period of time made up a small part of all residents of the state. However, it was the representatives of this social stratum who decided to commit a righteous jihad in Syria.
Freedom is the meaning of Syrian life
Many participants in the anti-government uprising in Syria unanimously reiterate that they wanted more freedom and independence from the authorities that Bashar Assad promised when assuming the post of head of state. In other words, they did not want to continue on the path of conservatism, thereby entering the "Middle Ages". Indeed, in his election speeches, the current Syrian president promised to modernize the state’s economy, as well as to embark on the path of democratic change, which will give citizens such valuable freedom.
During his reign, Bashar 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 were drawn into the country, which improved the microclimate of 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.
Religious factor - the primary basis of armed rebellion
Of course, this factor has become one of the fundamental factors for aggravating the situation in the Middle East. Fighting in Syria, oddly enough, is between two areas in Islam - the Sunnis and Shiites. The government "elite" is represented by Shiites (Alawites), while the majority of the population are Sunnis. Despite the tolerance of local residents, it was not possible to combine the two directions in a single society, which resulted in an open conflict between the groups.
Terrorism - the "plague" of the 21st century
Not the last, but even the key position at the moment in the ranking of the underlying causes of the war in Syria is terrorism. ISIL is constantly joining new members who are ready to perform jihad both on the territory of the state and abroad: in Europe, Russia, America. One of the key reasons people join ISIS is their $ 5,000 salary, which they pay in one month. A similar fact of the buildup of terrorist forces led to the hostilities of Russia 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 of insurgents with Syrian government forces.
Why does Russia need this war?
The fighting in Russia 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, V.V. Putin, is pursuing a deliberate policy that will stabilize the situation in Syria. This is necessary so that the borders of the state are calm, because to allow such a surge of "aggression" among neighbors means to show your helplessness in the struggle for world leadership.
The combat operations of the RF Armed Forces in Syria require numerous financial costs, but this is what allows us to eliminate the main problem of mankind today - terrorism. After all, the country - the "abode" of ISIS is precisely Syria. Recent hostilities show that Russia intends to deal with this problem, unlike its partners, until the blood of civilians has been shed, as happened in Paris in November. But that is not all.
Among other things, the military operations of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria are aimed at warning the United States and EU countries that it is not worth being accomplices to criminals who are financially provided through the sale of illegal oil. This argument is confirmed by the exposure of the Russian armed forces to Turkey, which acquired "black gold" at a low price from ISIS terrorists.
Summarizing, we can say that the hostilities of the Russian Federation in Syria are pragmatic, allowing to stabilize not only the situation in Syria, but throughout the world community, as well as eliminate the problem of international terrorism.