Final Blog Entry

Over the course of the semester my group and I researched an analyzed the ongoing conflict that is taking place in Syria.  Our research began with the Syrian government's use of chemical weapons on civilians while fighting a civil war against various army factions.  The use of these weapons caused a great international outcry for some sort of intervention.  We tracked the steps international powers were taking in order to prevent future use of these weapons as well as the ongoing violence that occurred between government and rebel forces.

I did my research each week by looking at various articles covering the conflict in Syria online.  I had a tendency to look at articles published by BBC News and CNN.  Working with a group definitely made the process of finding research materials easier.  We were able to send one another articles and discuss which topics seemed most important.  It was also helpful to research as a group because each member would have their own interpretation of what the actions described in the article meant for the people of Syria.  This made it possible to see the viewpoints of many people, rather than just your own.

Throughout this project I learned many things.  My knowledge of the civil war taking place in Syria has increased which has inspired me to learn more about the origins of this conflict.  I also learned a lot about the United Nations Security Council and how decisions regarding international intervention are made within the UN.  This project taught me how to find reliable research sources and to always look at more than just one news source on a topic in order to get a better understanding of the issue.  I also learned how to work cooperatively with a group of students on a project.  Luckily my group members and I  did not have any conflict or disagreement between one another, but we learned how to work as a group and bounce ideas and theories off of one another.  I learned that in order to gain a better understanding of an issue it is always beneficial to hear other people's opinions and ideas.

Reflection Blog

            Over the course of this semester our group detailed developments in the news about what was going on during the Syrian Civil War. At the beginning of the semester Syria was one of the hot news topics, showing up prominently in stories across media outlets each week. A lot of this interest stemmed from the seeming possibility that the U.S. might become involved in the conflict. In reality though, no concrete intervention ever came to pass. In my opinion, it never even seemed like the U.S. was really going to get involved beyond Obama’s “limited strike,” and this was mostly just hyped up by media organizations that knew that they could tantalize their audiences by talking about the possibility so much. The next stage of news focused heavily on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s decision to acquiesce to the Geneva Convention’s requirements on the use and possession of chemical weapons. A plan was developed and will apparently be brought to fruition over a period of time. Though violence is still ongoing, with the fading of the possibility that the U.S. might become involved, the media have seemed to back off significantly from detailing the events in Syria. Most news stories deal with specific conflicts on the ground and haven’t seemed to reach the same prominence that they did earlier this semester.

            Generally our group formula involved meeting once a week to work on the blog or designating one person to write it themselves. When we met as a group, people would generally have researched or kept up with the topic throughout the week. It was then interesting to see what each person thought was the most important event and what everyone had learned or read about. Thus, this turned into a good format for discussing the topic with others as opposed to simply reading a few news stories yourself.

            I rarely look forward to taking part in a group project, and if this was an exception it was a small one. Typically you watch as some people take it seriously, while others contribute next to nothing. And there is really no realistic way of avoiding this. On the bright side, though, this group was not too bad in the grand scheme of things. But in general I do not think that group projects are a particularly effective way of encouraging learning, though I cannot personally think of any other way of organizing this specific project. Anyhow, I was able to learn more in depth about the Syrian Civil War than I would have been likely to learn otherwise, so I see it as relatively worthwhile.

Final Blog Post- Jasmin Rezaie

Throughout the course of the semester my group and I analyzed the Syrian Civil War and its effect on the International community. It became quite evident that this was not a war just within a country, but many other countries had interests in the outcome too. For large economic powers such as Russia, the Unites States, and China it created tension. When the news broke that they believed the Assad regime had used chemical weapons on its own people, which is banned by international standards, the United States wanted to intervene. Three of the major members of the United Nations were at odds which created this tension. They came to an agreement to remove all chemical weapons in Syria, which appeared to fix that problem. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has already gotten rid of the factories to make these weapons, but it will take a bit more time for them to remove all the stockpiles of weapons from Syria. It is dangerous for this team to do their job due to the ongoing violence in Syria. Now cooperation from both sides of the war is important to the U.N. sanctioned mission. The war continues to carry on with no apparent end in sight. Once again it threatens to drag in other neighboring countries.

            Each week my group and I would meet on Thursday night to write our blog post together. Usually we discussed the events of that week and what we had seen in the news. Then we would all individually research the news for Syria for that week some more. Then we would compile that news into one summary, and together we would all contribute ideas on what to write. That is how we wrote our blog posts. Working as a group caused me to actually process the information so that I could or someone else could explain our findings to the rest of the group. The paragraph about its relation to international politics forced us to discuss our ideas about its effects in order to write that paragraph.

            I learned that wars that seem like civil wars really effect the international community because of alliances, the presence of international institutions like the U.N., and individual interests of each country. For some the Syrian Civil War is an essentially a proxy war. I learned a lot about the key role of international institutions in situations such as this, and the role of the United Nations specifically in diffusing the problem. By working in a group I learned that the best ideas come from a combination of other’s views. 

Syrian Army Takes Control of Qara

This past Friday the Syrian army launched an offensive against rebel forces in the city of Qara.  They carried out a series of air strikes and helicopter attacks in order to gain control of the city, which had been in the hands of rebel forces for almost a year now.  Qara lies 60 miles north of Damascus, and by taking control of the city the Syrian army has taken control of the road linking the coast to the capital.  This new development has caused an increase in the amount of violence in the city and nearby areas.  The local media has released very little information regarding the aftermath of the attack, but they have led on that "a large number of terrorists" have been killed.

This new development in the conflict between Syrian government forces and various rebel factions has created an increase in violence within the country, particularly the Damascus region.  The city itself has seen an increase in violence, as well as the nearby suburb regions, which are known to house many rebel forces and rebel supporters.  This strike is a clear indicator of the fact that the violence between the two forces will not be coming to an end any time soon.  Many Syrian citizens are fleeing the region in order to escape the increase in violence.  It is believed that nearly 10,000 people fled to Lebanon after this strike, joining the estimated 800,000 refugees forced from Syria due to the conflict.



Syrian army Captures Key Town of Qara From Rebels.  BBCNews.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25006486

Syrian War Showing No End

On Thursday, Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, announced that his army would remain in Syria “as long as necessary” (Cowell, 2013). Hezbollah has been providing military aid and support for the Syrian government throughout the civil war. Nasrallah’s reasoning for this alliance is speculated to be due to the Sunni led rebel forces and their alliance with Al Qaeda. This war has said to have “deepened the polarization between Sunnis and Shiites in many parts of the Middle East” (Cowell, 2013). Many of the alliances have been formed based off Sunni- Shiite conflict, as was evident with support from Shiite led Iran for Al Assad’s regime.

            Based on this information, it is evident that the conflict does not have a foreseeable end to the Syrian Civil War. The conflict seems to be drawing in more outside players, which may prolong the war. This war has already taken “110,000 lives and forced millions of Syrians to flee their homes” (Cowell, 2013). Now that the issue of chemical weapons has been resolved, international intervention by the U.N. doesn't seem likely. There has been word of possible peace talks in Geneva, however with the current events this may not be plausible. This war threatens to drag neighboring countries into the conflict, causing the issue to worsen.

Cowell, Alan. , & Barnard, Anne. A. , (2013, Nov. 14). Hezbollah chief says his forces will stay in syria. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/world/middleeast/syria.html?_r=0

Complications for the OPCW in Their Effort to Inspect Chemical Production Sites

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have been able to inspect 21 out of the 23 chemical weapon production sites in Syria.  With the deadline to inspect and shut down the two remaining sites fast approaching, conditions preventing the inspectors from getting there have not subsided.  The OPCW have not said who is responsible for the security concerns, but have negotiations in place to ensure the safety of inspectors as they try to reach the final sites.  Resolution 2118 has been put in place, in which it is agreed upon that the chemical weapon production equipment has to be destroyed by November 1, 2013 and the chemical stockpile must be destroyed by mid-2014.  While strides have been taken to rid the country of chemical weapons, little change has been made in regard to the fighting between government forces and rebel forces.

The fact that the OPCW has been able to reach the majority of chemical weapon production sites within Syria has shown that tremendous progress has been made in the effort to get rid of the weapons.  Unfortunately, the lack of effort put into ending fighting between the government and the rebels has shown that their lack of cooperation in that regard is going to lead to difficulties for the OPCW in carrying out their mission.  Without some sort of political resolution the country will continue to face conflict and turmoil, and the living conditions for civilians will not improve.  It is unclear how long it will take for a political compromise to be met, but it is likely it will not be in the near future.

Two Syria Chemical Weapons Sites Not Yet Inspected. BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24712508. 

Chemical Weapon Destruction Deadline to be Met

A spokesman for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) stated earlier this week that the deadline for destroying all equipment used in the making of chemical weapons will likely be met.  This deadline is set for November 1, and marks a milestone in the efforts to relieve tension within the country's borders.  Inspectors for the OPCW have visited 18 of the 23 chemical weapons sites have have stated that the Syrian government is being very cooperative.  Norway has considered the request of the OPCW to destroy the Syrian stockpile of chemical weapons, nearly 50 tons of mustard gas and 500 tons of nerve agent precursors.  An official destruction plan will be decided upon at a meeting for the OPCW executive council in Hague this November.

The immense progress that has taken place in regard to the removal of chemical weapons from Syria shows that the syrian government has been cooperative throughout the removal process and will most likely continue their cooperation throughout the rest of the process.  Though it is still unclear where exactly the weapons are being taken or where they are being destroyed, the efforts by the OPCW and countries such as Norway has shown that an international agreement is in the near future.  Overall, the efforts of the OPCW and the Syrian government to remove the weapons shows that the issue is moving in a positive direction and strong efforts are being made to relieve tension in syria.

Borger, Julian. (2013) Syria Deadline for Chemical Weapons Destruction Will be Met, Says OPCW. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/23/syria-deadline-chemical-weapons-opcw.

Syria May Have Peace Again

 

It may seem that the situation in Syria has faded, but that is hardly case. The media is not making Syria their main headlines, but the war still continues between the Syrian Government and the rebels. This week according to the New York Times, for the first time Syrian officials announced on Thursday the possibility of peace talks. From the time the United States (US) and Russia united late September, their goal now is to make Syria getting rid of their nuclear weapons. Negotiations of making peace are on the table. Reports are that there will be a conference to discuss peace in Syria on November 23 of this year. The issue that is not certain yet, and probably delaying this process is, who would be the representatives for the rebel group (opposition forces), and for the Syrian Government when they meet in Geneva for this peace negotiation? The United Nation officials have not confirmed the news of this date, and say that “we should not get ahead of ourselves.” Although things do look promising and peace in Syria may be on the horizon, for now only time will tell.

The possibility of these talks could mean the end to a three year civil war in Syria. The conflict in Syria has affected global politics as a whole due to the disagreements after it was discovered that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons. Now that the war may be coming to an end, how Syria plans to carry on as a country will be up for a whole new global debate.

Cowell, Alan. (2013) Syrian Official Says Peace Talks Could Resume Nov. 23. New York Times.              17-2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/world/middleeast/syria.html?ref=syria&_r=0

Disarmament in Syria

The international team has searched three out of 20 or more sites in Syria for the stockpile of chemical weapons with the increased violence of the civil war between the Syrian government and the rebels.  The United Nations has ordered the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) to dispose of its chemical weapons by November 1^st 2014.  Eventually, the U.N. will have to search for the chemical weapon production sites in rebel territory.  Director-General of the OPCW announced on Thursday that the Syrian government is being cooperative in the organization of a ceasefire between the Syrian government and the rebels.  Cooperation from the rebels is necessary for the safe passage of the OPCW in disarmament of chemical weapons.

            In regards to the international community the cooperation of the Syrian Government proves to be a promising turn of events.  Tensions between the U.S. and Russia have been subdued and everyone is in agreement that ridding Syria of its chemical weapons is the best course of action to take.  The significance of the elimination of the chemical weapons sets the precedent that the use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

 

Wilson, Steve. "Syria Crisis: Chemical Weapons Inspectors Complete Visit to Three Sites."The Telegraph. N.p., 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Delays in Chemical Disarmament Operations in Syria

     The United Nations security council has come to the agreement to confiscate the chemical weapons being held by the Syrian government while providing the population with much needed aid.  This has proven to be very difficult due to increased tension within the nation.  Due to rising hostility humanitarian groups have been denied access into the country leaving some two million people without aid.  The increased tension has also prevented the UN chemical disarmament team from proceeding with the disposal of what is predicted to be 1,000 tons of sarin and other chemical agents.  The UN chemical disarmament team is also aiming to shut down the country's chemical weapon production sites.  The security council is requesting that fighting within the nation comes to a pause in order to allow humanitarian groups to provide the population with aid and give the UN chemical disarmament team safe access to the chemical stockpile in order to complete their operation.
     If the Syrian government does not agree to temporarily stop fighting in the nation the UN chemical disarmament team cannot carry out their mission of removing the chemical weapons from Syria.  A large threat to national and international safety is the possible ongoing production of chemical weapons at the country's production sites.  The longer the UN is delayed in their operation, the longer the syrian government has to produce and possibly hide or distribute other amounts of chemical weapons.  This could have serious implications internationally if it falls into the wrong hands such as terrorist organization groups in neighboring countries.

Work Cited

Shamir, Shlomo. (2013). UN officials: Recent escalation in syrian civil war could delay work to disable      chemical weapons. The Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/UN-officials-Recent-  escalation-in-Syrian-civil-war-could-delay-work-to-disable-chemical-weapons-327803.

Authors:
Kelsey
Luke
Hao
Angela
David
Wes
Jasmin

UN Security Council Votes

              As of this morning, the United Nations has scheduled to meet to cast votes on a draft resolution on that would require Syria to destroy all chemical weapons.  The proposed U.N. resolution would "require the destruction of a category of weapons that the Syrian government has used ruthlessly and repeatedly against its own people. And this resolution will make clear that there are going to be consequences for noncompliance," according to Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.  Two aims of this council was first, to increase the pressure on Syria in allowing access to members of the Commission of Inquiring monitoring the violations of human rights to make sure that those responsible for violating those rights are brought to justice.  Another aim of the council to support international agencies that are seeking to deliver aid to more than six million people in the face of bureaucratic obstacles and restrictions on visas as well as the risk of violence from all sides.

            President Obama, ignoring the protests by citizens and military, came to the resolution that Syria’s use of chemical weapons was intolerable and could not go unnoticed.  His statement was supported by Russia, in which Syria agreed to eliminate its chemical weapons under the agreement negotiated by Russian minister Mr. Lavrov and Secretary of State, Mr. Kerry.

            As of this afternoon and after much time spent delegating the U.N. Security Council votes to adopt a resolution that requires Syria to eliminate its chemical weapons.

           

Walsh, Nick Paton, Dana Ford, Andrew Carey, and Jim Sciutto. "Security Council Could Vote Tonight on Syria Chemical Weapons Resolution." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

Cumming-Brice, Nick. "U.N. Rights Panel Increases Pressure on Syria." New York Times. N.p., 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.

U.S. Strike on Syria is Up in the Air

            The chances of a U.S. strike on Syria have been thrown into doubt and confusion this week following the apparent compliance of President Bashar al-Assad to the international ban on chemical weapons. Following the Russian proposal, Syria acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which will require the presentation of a complete list of its chemical weapons by Saturday and the complete destruction of its stockpiles by June 30, 2014. In an interview with Fox News, Assad emphasized the technical difficulties and the $1 billion cost involved, and even Putin has said he does not have 100 percent certainty that the project will be seen through. President Obama continues to exert pressure on the situation by affirming that the U.S. will consider military options if Syria does not comply. Secretary of State John Kerry demanded that Syria have speedier compliance with the regulations and is currently in talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in order to smooth out a deal.

 At the UN General Assembly the U.S. and its allies the U.K. and France are pushing for an authorization of military force if Syria fails to follow up on its promises of chemical disarmament, while Russia and China have made it clear that they would use their veto powers against such a resolution.

            As regards the war on the ground in Syria, Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil has claimed that neither side of the fight is powerful enough to ensure a military victory and that this could lead President Assad to pursue a cease-fire. It is unclear, though, what groups could be involved in such peace talks or if Assad’s resignation would still be a possibility.

1. Wood, Paul. "Syria Crisis: Putin 'confident' on Chemical Weapons Plan." BBC News. BBC, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24166891

2. "UN Confirms Syria's Assad Signed Chemical Weapons Decree." Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera, 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/11/syria-political-stalematelooms.html

3. Strobel, Warren. "Kerry-Lavrov Rapport Smoothed Path to Syria Deal." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 15 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/15/us-syria-crisis-kerry-lavrov-idUSBRE98E01W20130915

4. "Syrian Deputy PM Says War Has Reached Stalemate, Cease-fire an Option." Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/19/syrian-deputy-pmsaysceasefireapossibility.html

This Week's News on Syria

Since the news broke, and the videos started to spread that the Syrian Government had used chemical weapons in an effort to wipe out opposition forces in a Syrian town; the news media has been in a mass frenzy reporting all the latest updates as they developed these last few weeks. In a brief description, here is some of what is going on. President Obama in his address on Tuesday spoke to the American people to develop his case for a military strike on Syria (to read the transcript for the full speech or watch it http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/running-transcript-president-obamas-sept-10-speech-on-syria/2013/09/10/a8826aa6-1a2e-11e3-8685-5021e0c41964_story.html.  He appealed to our sense of humanity, and stated that if we did not do something it would set a precedent that other countries could break this international law. He stated his intentions for a “targeted military strike” and nothing more. He took the debate to congress which they reconvened on Monday to take a vote, however the idea of a military strike may no longer be necessary due to the fact that Russian President, Vladimir Putin, Russia an ally with Syria, proposed that the Syrian government release all their chemical weapons to international control. On Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry is to meet with Russia in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss this solution and the details.  And breaking news as of Thursday August 12, Syria’s U.N. ambassador formally asked to join the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is in our interest now how the Obama administration will react, and how the talks will go.

            What started as a civil war in Syria has now spread to effect global politics as a whole. Tension with Russia continues to grow after Russian president Putin wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times earlier this week. He mainly wrote it in response to President Obama’s address on Tuesday night. Many American politicians are upset and up in arms with some of the comments he made against America being “exceptional.” As we mentioned, the tension started because Russia is allies with the Assad regime.

Sources:

Washington Post Staff. (2013, September 10). Full Transcript: President Obama’s Sept. 10 Speech on Syria.WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved September 12, 2013, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/running-transcript-president-obamas-sept-10-speech-on-syria/2013/09/10/a8826aa6-1a2e-11e3-8685-5021e0c41964_story.html.

Payne, Ed. (2013, September 12). Syria civil war: 5 things to pay attention to today. CNN.com. Retrieved September 12, 2013 from http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/12/world/meast/syria-civil-war-diplomacy/index.html?hpt=wo_c1.  

Civil War in Syria

        Tension between the Syrian government and a coalition rebel forces has drawn much international attention these past few weeks.  While this is an ongoing conflict of around two years now, recent developments on the issue have created a great amount of political turmoil worldwide.  

        As I said before, this conflict is nothing new.  In early 2011 Syrian citizens mimicked the peaceful protests that had taken place in Egypt and Tunisia in order to show their growing disdain with the government and President Assad’s leadership.  The Syrian government responded to these protests violently.  When the demonstrations initially began security forces were sent to quietly kill those involved in the hopes of silencing activists without drawing too much international attention to the issue.  Security forces also used torture and rape as means to punish activists.  As protests continued the government increased the intensity of their responses, which soon escalated to open-fire on protesters.  

        The consistent violence displayed by the government led rebel groups to counter with violent actions as well, leading to the outbreak of a civil war.  The opposition forces began organizing themselves, and in July of 2011 opposition activists met in Istanbul to form a unified union, known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA).  Outbreaks of violence continue to take place within the nation’s borders and many political powers worldwide do not think peace will come any time soon.  

        As I stated earlier, recent developments on this conflict have created much political turmoil worldwide within the past few weeks.  It is speculated that the Syrian government carried out an attack on civilians using chemical weapons, which many international leaders believe goes against the agreement that chemical weapons are immoral and should not be used against civilians.   The use of these weapons has raised many questions regarding whether or not other international powers should become involved with the issue.  In the past week president Obama has requested congressional approval to perform a tactical strike on Syria in order to prevent any further use of chemical weaponry.  The possibility of US intervention has caused a lot of debate with the United States' own borders, and has increased tensions between the United States and other international powers such as Russia and China.

Authors:

Angela Markwith

David Galdamez

Wes Campagna 

Hao Le

Luke Manuel

Jasmin Rezaie-Tirabadi

Kelsey Turner

Work Cited

Fisher, M. (2013, August 29). 9 Questions About Syria You Were Too Embarrassed to Ask.  The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/29/9-questions-about-syria-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/

(2013, September 4). Syria Profile. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14703856

Acosta, J. (2013, August 31). Obama’s last minute decision to seek congressional approval for Syria strike. CNN U.S. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/31/us/obama-last-minute-decision/index.html?iref=allsearch