Anatomy of Syria’s civil war gone global
What was once an uprising against brutal rule of Assad now a clash of world powers
WASHINGTON— Syria’s civil war began six years ago this week as a popular revolt against the brutal regime of President Bashar Assad.
Now a domestic uprising that has left an estimated 500,000 dead and millions homeless has morphed into a global war, sucking major powers into a conflict growing more volatile by the day.
The United States, Russia, Turkey and Iran — as well as foreign terrorists — have joined the fray with an array of forces, often with conflicting objectives. In the shadows, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East have secretly backed armed fighters to overthrow Assad.
Here is how one country’s civil war turned into an international crisis.
The start The powder keg was lit in March 2011, when a group of boys were tortured by Assad’s agents for having written graffiti supporting the Arab Spring. Thousands protested the boys’ treatment and the regime responded by killing dozens. .
The Obama administration called on Assad to step down because of his brutal crackdown against dissidents, but it did not support the rebels at a time when it could have made a difference, said Mustafa Alani, director of national security for the Gulf Research Center in Geneva.
Iran and Russia, by contrast, did not hesitate to throw support behind their longtime ally, Assad. Even so, the rebellion spread and Assad lost control of large swaths of territory, particularly in the north.
Daesh is born The growing chaos attracted terrorists, including remnants of Al Qaeda in Iraq. An Al Qaeda offshoot, which came to be known as Daesh, (also known as ISIS or ISIL) grew in power as it battled Assad’s forces. By 2014, Daesh began seizing terrain. It emerged as the most powerful of the forces battling Assad. Later that year, the militant group launched a lightning strike into Iraq, capturing Mosul.
U.S. forces enter In August 2014, the United States responded with a bombing campaign against Daesh targets in Iraq. A month later, U.S. warplanes began striking targets in Syria.
Today, 5,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq to train and advise Iraqi forces. Another 500 Americans in Syria support a coalition of 45,000 Arab and Kurdish forces battling Daesh.
Russia, Iran save Assad As Daesh has lost ground, Assad has strengthened his position. Assad appeared to be on the verge of defeat until Russia entered the battle in September 2015.
While Russia dropped bombs, Iran provided critical ground forces that included Hezbollah, an Iranianbacked militia based in Lebanon.
Last year, Russian-backed Syrian forces seized Aleppo, once the country’s largest city and a rebel stronghold. Today, most of the remaining opposition to Assad is made up of radical groups, including Daesh and Al Qaeda affiliates.
Turks versus Kurds Turkey, once one of Assad’s fiercest opponents and a key U.S. ally in the region, is increasingly focused on what it sees as a greater threat: Kurdish fighters who may try to seize parts of Syria, Iraq and Turkey for an independent enclave.
The Kurds, who have tenacious ground forces, have been one of America’s most reliable partners against Daesh. With U.S. help, the Kurds have rolled up successes in much of northeast Syria, along the Turkish border. But their battlefield prowess worries the Turkish government that they will unite with Kurdish separatist groups inside Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the United States would damage its relations with Turkey if it allows the Kurds to participate in the offensive to oust Daesh from Raqqa.
Battlefield gets smaller As Daesh loses territory, the potential for mishaps among the foreign forces grows, raising worries that a mistake could lead to a wider war. Last month, for example, Russian aircraft accidentally struck U.S.backed Syrian forces near Manbij, a town near the Turkish border. U.S. advisers were nearby, but not hurt.
Last September, U.S. aircraft mistakenly targeted Syrian regime forces in Deir ez-Zor, killing dozens. The Pentagon said it was a series of errors that led the U.S. military to believe they were targeting Daesh.