The syrian civil war united states institute of peace. Syrias alliance with iran united states institute of. In the second half of 2015, the leaders of egypt, israel, jordan, kuwait, saudi arabia, and the united arab emirates all visited moscow, and some have signed agreements to. Countries like the united states, russia, iran and saudi arabia and political networks like hezbollah and islamic state, are all using the conflict to wage their own fight with others. Americas interest in syria is israel pakistan defence. The conflicts in syria, iraq and yemen cannot be resolved unless iran is at the negotiating table. It looks like you have accomplished the seemingly impossible. Israels interests and options in syria larry hanauer d espite efforts by the united states, europe, turkey, and iraq to keep the syrian civil war contained within that countrys borders, the instability that the conflict has created has spilled over into the region and beyond. The three primary conflict dimensions of interest to u. Second, military involvement in syria is a very serious test for russias ties in the region. Toward a new us policy in syria the washington institute. Three days after sunni militants calling themselves the islamic state of iraq and syria seized mosul, iraqs secondlargest city, president obama paused on. Sep 17, 20 a lot of realist commentators, most notably, stephen walt at harvard, claim that the united states has no vital interest at stake in syria. Syrias alliance with iran this is the fifth in a series of usipeace briefings on syria published by the institutes center for conflict analysis and prevention.
One interest at the forefront of washingtons thinking, of course, is u. It is necessary, thus, to determine what americas interests are in the syrian civil war, which. This high lighted to allies and adversaries the lack of us interest in addressing. Clearly, the us and iran believe that their common interests in syria are worth discussing with each other and with other international powers. Apr 12, 2017 in syria, this includes both is and the assad regime. Pdf when the arab spring reached syria, its pharaoh, bashar alassad, was in no mood to give up easily. Doing so is the only way to stop the killing, end the flow of refugees to europe, and restore order. In the wake of recent israeli airstrikes against the t4 airbase in syria and the shooting down of an israeli f16 fighter in february, iranianisraeli tensions have been escalating. This document is explanatory only and does not have the force of law. Aug 23, 20 obamas references to the core national interests that would be threatened by the use or spread of chemical weapons in the middle east could be a sign that a decision on us action in syria is.
With russia and turkey seeking new solutions, dw examines where the major players stand. Israel has five main objectives in the syrian conflict. Jan 17, 2017 lastly, even if the us tried, us trade andor aid would be ineffective in rebuilding syria. Russia has a strong interest to resolve the syrian crisis via negotiations. The syrian gambit is thus part of a broader move to recoup russian influence in the middle east. In that instance, russia took the initiative after the united states proved reluctant to act. When deciding to use force in syria and iraq, provide military assistance to egypt, or pursue sustained highlevel initiatives to forge israelipalestinian peace, american leaders invoke u. The strategic interests at play in us debate over syria al. The united states, syria and russia geopolitical futures. Us interests are broader than keeping russia in check, and russian influence in syria is far from new. Rarely, however, are these interests clearly spelled out or are the assumptions on which they are. In that instance, russia took the initiative after the united states. Some russian objectives conflict with us goals but others are neutral with respect to us interests and others are the same as those interests.
Apr, 2018 the us, uk and france launched strikes against targets at three sites in syria in the early hours of saturday morning, following a week of threats of retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons. United states and its partners from syriabased terrorist threats, and promote the conditions for a negotiated settlement to end the conflict in syria. The us and irans common interests in syria fair observer. Deposit interest rate in syria 19802010 data 20192020. Think of syria as a proxy war two powerful nations unwilling to risk the massive destruction that would accompany a direct conflict. More information about syria is available on the syria page and from other department of state publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. Nov 18, 2015 second, military involvement in syria is a very serious test for russias ties in the region. The united states second main interest is to end the civil war. Alnusrah front is an alqaeda aligned extremist group. In addition, the united states would like to defeat or at least weaken other islamic extremist elements among the antiassad rebels.
Israel seeks to minimize iranian and russian influence in syria, block the transfer of advanced weapons to hezbollah, prevent syria from posing a credible military threat to israel or permitting iran to do so, undermine the legitimacy of syria s claims to the golan heights, and prevent sunni militants from establishing infrastructure or. How to salvage us interests in syria fair observer. Such disputes can be resolved, as us history shows. Syria relations the united states established diplomatic relations with syria in 1944 following the u. For example, the complicated civil war and rise of isil in syria has led to massive refugee flows to europe, exacerbating the domestic economic, political, and. Oct 12, 2015 and if in fact the only measure is for us to send another 100,000 or 200,000 troops into syria or back into iraq, or perhaps into libya, or perhaps into yemen, and our goal somehow is that we are. Syria sanctions program united states department of. Foreign policy towards syria under the donald trump administration article pdf available november 2016 with 1,007 reads. Global leadership report, through a poll conducted during the syrian civil war, 29% of. Israel seeks to minimize iranian and russian influence in syria, block the transfer of advanced weapons to hezbollah, prevent syria from posing a credible military threat to israel or permitting iran to do so, undermine the legitimacy of syrias claims to the golan heights, and prevent sunni militants from establishing infrastructure or. It is not interested in syrias future, nor in the ancient european hypocrisy. The united states focused then on the iraqi army, run by saddam husseins sunni regime. Nov 03, 2015 seeking to wash our hands of the problem wont serve anyones interests. Middle eastern affairs are in a state of constant flux, and grow even more so every year.
Some warn that the violence gripping the country could lead to another sept. A lot of realist commentators, most notably, stephen walt at harvard, claim that the united states has no vital interest at stake in syria. The united states has so far refrained from taking an active role in syria, despite calls by some for military intervention against the assad regime. These realities would mean supporting the russianturkish ceasefire effort as a means of easing refugee outflows and restraining iranian gains, even if a syrian political solution is far off. It is not easy, so many will avoid this and keep with. Core us interests now at stake in syria, obama says. In syria, this includes both is and the assad regime.
Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian. Both the united states and russia seek to ensure a stable and unified syria, though the two countries disagree on how to achieve this. Obamas references to the core national interests that would be threatened by the use or spread of chemical weapons in the middle east could be a sign that a decision on us action in syria is. Israeli officials consider an indefinite iranian presence in syria to be a serious security threat exacerbating the threat already posed by. Strategic interests in the middle east and implications for the army. In september 2014, the united states began air strikes in syria, with the stated goal of preventing the islamic state from using syria as a base for its operations in neighboring iraq. Nor should the united states intervene or increase involvement in syria simply because russia does. Israels current policy seems to be to stay out of it unless any red lines are crossed, at which point it would act. The us, uk and france launched strikes against targets at three sites in syria in the early hours of saturday morning, following a week of threats of retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons.
Careful distilling of statements by russian leaders and russias strategic documents would reveal there are several important national interests of russia at stake in syria, including. If assad loses power, these contracts would be forfeited. Oct, 2015 in fact, the us has been largely ignoring wars in africa for a number of years. The challenge will be to maintain momentum during obamas remaining term in office, and following the 2016 presidential election in the us. Graham asks for a strategy in syria, he means a strategy for regime change which is not, at least for the time being, the administration. For decades, consecutive us administrations pursued a foreign policy in the middle east designed to contain the islamic republic of iran. In the usrussia talks on syrias chemical weapons, the two countries may clash over moscows interests and american ideals. The united states entered iraq with the belief that the shiites would welcome the u. The time to turn the tide against assad is now, senator menendez said, the united states must play a role in tipping the scales toward opposition groups and working to build a free and democratic syria.
The logic of this would have been to allow the iraqi shiite majority to form a government. Subsequently, relations have evolved through legislation, bilateral agreements, and trade. Diplomatic relations between syria and the united states are currently nonexistent. While the united states has many interests related to the war in syria, a consensus seems to have developed within the foreign policy community. But experts are skeptical, and americans are wary of new. Few however, recall the remainder of that 1939 adage. Relations with syria united states department of state. This page includes a chart with historical data for deposit interest rate in syria. The us has labeled them a foreign terrorist organization, but has been critical in rebel o. Americas interest in syria is israel if syria falls apart, our life will change in the short run of course. States possesses few political, economic, or military interests in syria, but it does possess such interests in every single one of syria s neighbors and cannot afford the possibility of. Executive orders 338, 399, 460, 572, 573, 582, 606, and 608, applicable laws, and the. The us could begin by limiting the damage of the syrian conflict to its wider regional stability and counterterrorism goals.
The united states has about 2,000 troops on the ground in syria, based mostly in northeast syria. The united states needs to consider the effects of its intervention in northern syria on turkey, its north atlantic treaty organization ally, and on terrorist groups it seeks to destroy, including. What is israels interest in syria and the possibility of a usled attack. The strategic interests at play in us debate over syria. Sep 07, 20 the slight change in the balance of power within syria that air strikes could establish may be more than offset by a bump in assads popularity for standing up to the united states. In fact, the us has been largely ignoring wars in africa for a number of years. A sustainable strategy to contain is and undermine its recruitment efforts. Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian conflict. As the war in syria grinds on into its third year, support among the american public for more robust u. Oct 16, 2015 very few analysts believe the united states would undertake a massive military operation in syria in the range of 100,000 troops or risk nuclear war with russia over syria.
Sep 10, 20 what is israels interest in syria and the possibility of a usled attack. Russias many interests in syria the washington institute. May 10, 2018 in the wake of recent israeli airstrikes against the t4 airbase in syria and the shooting down of an israeli f16 fighter in february, iranianisraeli tensions have been escalating. First, the current situation in syria is not a zerosum game. Syria sanctions program united states department of the. Hezbollahs interests in syria hanin ghaddar, managing editor of now news lebanon and a former public policy at the wilson center, explained on july 25 why hezbollahs main interest in its involvement in syria is not to protect bashar alassad, but rather, iran. The situation in syria only grows more complicated. Iraq and syria has encouraged both washington and tehran to find greater common ground, and it has fostered a growing interest on the part of western and iranian officials in exploring a more open relationship to address shared security concerns.
While kuwait probably would pitch in some funds, saudi arabia and qatar are highly unlikely to join the effort and overall the money will be inadequate given the scale of destruction which, we should remember, is mainly the doing of the syrian government. When you want to understand the reality of international relationship and power games you need to do some things that may take you from hours of reading to years of analysis and understanding. Syrias complex and devastating civil war has drawn in multiple foreign powers since it broke out in 2011. Seeking to wash our hands of the problem wont serve anyones interests. More broadly, russia is now the worlds secondlargest arms exporter after the united states. Nevertheless, russia and the united states have been able to cooperate on other security issues, working together in 20, for example, to eliminate the assad regimes stockpile of chemical weapons. Its mission is to be an analytical, researchled global forum for informing, influencing and. Priority issues between the two states include the arabisraeli conflict, the golan heights annexation, and the iraq war according to the 2012 u. Thats why the united states is in no hurry to intervene. And if in fact the only measure is for us to send another 100,000 or 200,000 troops into syria or back into iraq, or perhaps into libya, or perhaps into yemen, and our goal somehow is.
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