The Civil War in Syria - Assignment Example

The Civil War in Syria Syria is currently embroiled in its worst civil war yet. The Syrian civil war has rebels who enjoy the backing of the greater Syrian population and the international community on one hand, against the President Bashar al-Asad regime that enjoys the backing of the military and allies such as Iran. Syria’s current status has been blamed on the fight for control of the state, characterized by the awakening of the Syrian population who became tired of President Assad’s autocratic rule.

It all started after the Arab spring, a term used to express the recent widespread defiance against Middle East dictatorships, which included Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan. Syria later on caught up with their Middle East neighbors and on the 15th day of March, 2011, the Syrian civil war got born (Seale 5). Soon after the Syrian uprising began many Syrian soldiers defected and started launching attacks against the state. This brought Syria to the verge of civil war as expressed by the United States.

The opposition side formed their own government, the Syrian National Council, but the internal wrangles that characterized it kept the international community from recognizing it. The opposition still stands as an amalgamation of political groups, grass root organizers, long time exiles and militants who got divided along ethnic and ideological lines. Recently, the bond between these groups has strengthened, with the toppling of the Assad regime becoming the sole unifying factor (Hubbard 16).

Currently, cities in Syria such as Damascus, the capital and Aleppo, the largest city are rife with war between the Syrian army and the rebels. There has been an increased influx of weapons, money and medical supplies in Syria through the refugee camps on the Turkish border side, much to the delight of the rebels. It got recorded that the death toll for the month of June exceeded 3,000 people, and the United Nations estimated that the conflict in Syria has left more than 10,000 people dead and thousands more displaced.

The humanitarian state of Syrians caught up in this war is wanting (Hubbard 17). Red Crescent estimates in April 2012 put the figure of people in urgent need of food, shelter, water and medical supplies at 1.5 million. Several civilian massacres got reported with the most recent one being reported near the city of Hama on 14th July, 2012, where attacks and retaliatory attacks between the Syrian army and the opposition left scores dead, with most people being killed at close range. Uncertainty characterizes the number of casualties with the state and humanitarian organizations giving conflicting figures (Hubbard 18).

The on going civil war in Syria will have an indelible mark on the history of Syria and the Middle East. The Assad regime is continuously losing ground in the war and with time and pressure from the militants; civilians and the international community, Assad and his sympathizers will get ousted. This will be a textbook showcase of good prevailing against evil. Democracy and the rule of law will get restored. Syrians will guard their new found democratic space and will ensure that whoever takes over office will uphold the rule of law.

This will improve the image of Syria to the International community and create democratic space, which has been elusive in the Middle East. Works Cited Hubbard, Ben. "Syria: Civil war engulfs Damascus." The Christian Science Monitor 16 July 2012: 17, 18 19. Seale, Patrick. "The Destruction of Syria." Middle East on line (2012): 6,7.