SYRIA IN AN INTRACTABLE WAR

IT is time to wonder how the Syrian civil war is going to end.  It began on 15^th March 2011 and is

continuing with no end in sight. More than 80,000 people were killed and 15 Million people were displaced. The war is not concentrated at one spot; the conflict is spread all over the country making the normal life impossible everywhere.

The discontentment against the Syrian Government was always there among the people. The country is ruled by Bashar Al Assad and his family who belongs to minority Alwite sect which represents only 12% of the population when the majority of the population is Sunny Muslims comprising more than 75% of population.

 The reason for the uprising is not just sectarian. There were all the ingredients in the Syrian society to trigger it. The rising prices, economic inequality, unemployment, falling standard of living, human right abuses everything that make life difficult for common people.  They cannot be blamed for  wishing to change the ruler. The Arab spring that visited in some neighbouring countries kindled the hope that a change of Government was not impossible after all.

 The unrest started at two main cities of Damascus and Aleppo. The Government was already apprehensive of people’s unrest as Tunisia and Egypt came under revolt and when some students wrote anti Government slogans on a city wall, the Government took action against them with all vengeance far beyond their action warranted to nip the tendency in the bud. The incident, on the contrary, triggered a mass protest which continues to this day.

Unlike the protesters in Tunisia and Egypt the Syrian protesters are not well organised.  There is not a common leader representing the protesters. It is the fundamental weakness of the Syrian opposition. There are political leaders, religious Heads and sectarian leaders in the protest group and they all want the Assad Government to go, but between them there is no idea what to do next or who to take charge. It has complicated the situation in Syria to the advantage of Assad Government and to the sufferings of its people.

  There were times when the Government appeared to be losing ground but it withstood them with brutal attack against the protesters like they were invaders from another country. The Assad Government says that they are terrorist groups and treats them just as such. While the world condemns the violent crackdowns on protesters countries like Iran and Russia are tactically supporting Syria. The protesters get support from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

 The Russian Republic has been an all-weather friend of Syria and it does not like the Assad Government to fall. Apart from the fact that Russia has military outposts in Syria it fears that religious fanatics would take over Syria if Assad Government fell.  In the case of Iran, one of the Shia countries, does not like Sunny Muslims taking over Syria after the fall of Assad Government and hence it supports the present Alwite Assad Government. The Alwite is a sub-sect of Shea Muslim group

Like in all similar cases the losers are the people of Syria. There is not proper food supply and shelter. People have turned nomads, changing camps from violence ridden places to comparatively peaceful places and when that area comes under attack they flee from there.  The  camping at local schools or colleges and they are provided food by local administration or other agencies as and when it is possible by them. In cities when the violence starts all shops down their shutters and people stay indoors. There are snipers on tall buildings, so walking outside is very dangerous. No factories or other establishments are working in areas of conflict and people are mostly unemployed. The students are unable to attend

schools or colleges as they are full of refugees. In short the country is literally paralyzed except at the war-front.

If properly administered Syria has every potential to become a prosperous nation. It is an oil producing country. The Assad family which has been in power for nearly half a century did not give her a proper and peaceful administration. If people got what they wanted they would not revolt against any Government and once they start it, the uprising is hard to put out with piecemeal offers or plans and like ants, they will fight till the end.

Images from Google