Syria has been enveloped in a civil war between President Bashar al-Assad's Baath government and pro-democracy opposition forces since March 2011. Since that time, the international community has largely remained hands off, with a few attempts to broker a cease-fire between the two. However, recent events in Syria and in neighboring countries have sparked renewed interest by the international community.
In the second installment of "Battle for Syria," Latinos Post will look into the international community's response to the conflict in Syria. Since the beginning of the conflict, Syria has counted on Russia and China as close allies, while remaining at odds with fellow Middle Eastern nations and Western powers. After many failed attempts, the United Nations has ceased attempting to negotiate any type of peace treaty. This week, the UN also announced that it withdrawing non-essential staff from Syria due to security concerns, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The West-
The United States has largely stayed hands-off Syria in the past but on Monday took a tougher stance against the warring country. During a speech at the National War College in Washington, President Barack Obama addressed Assad, stating, "The world is watching. The use of chemical weapons is, and would be, totally unacceptable. And if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences, and you will be held accountable."
European ally, Britain, followed suit on Tuesday after reports have emerged that Syria's chemical weapons have been moved and could be readied for use, Reuters reported. British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers that the use of chemical weapons would bring "serious consequences."
France also addressed the issue on Tuesday, saying that international powers would need to act if Syria used chemical weapons. The comments come at the same time that NATO agreed to send Patriot anti-missile batteries to Turkey's southern border with Syria.
"Turkey has asked for NATO's support, and we stand with Turkey in the spirit of strong solidarity," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels. "To the Turkish people we say, 'We are determined to defend you and your territory.' To anyone who would want to attack Turkey we say, 'Don't even think about it.'"
The Middle East-
To say that tensions between Syria and its Middle Eastern neighbors are high is an understatement. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees are spilling out of Syria and into bordering Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, forcing those countries to be at least indirectly involved in the conflict.
The conflict has already crossed over to Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. On Sunday, reports emerged from Lebanon that rebel fighters along the border had opened fire at Lebanese border patrol, NBC News reported. A previous incident involving Syrian rebels at a Lebanese checkpoint in late September was played down by local officials. In Turkey, the violence reached the border town of Ras al-Ain as Syrian government forces bombed rebel positions on Monday. According to Turkish officials, stray shells landed in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar, causing panic. By Tuesday, NATO officials decided to place anti-missile batteries along the border.
In Israel, officials have filed complaints with the UN stating that the Syrian government is violating a 1974 disengagement agreement in Golan Heights, a disputed territory between the two countries.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council, "I am concerned that the presence of armed members of the opposition and the ongoing military activities of the Syrian security forces have the potential to ignite a larger conflict between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic with grave consequences. There should be no military activity of any kind in the area of separation."
Arab nations have also come together with Western powers to form a coalition called "Friends of Syria," which hope to put pressure on Assad's regime by tightening sanctions against Syria.
Russia and China-
Russia and China appear to be among the few remaining allies the Syrian regime has managed to maintain. Since the conflict began 20 months ago, Russia has done everything in its power to deflect international meddling in the country and has also provided the regime with weapons. However a recent meeting with Turkish officials may have convinced Russia to try a new diplomatic approach to persuade Assad to relinquish power, the New York Times reported on Monday.
China, unlike Russia, has remained far less vocal of its support for Syria. Despite vetoing three Security Council resolutions to address the conflict, China issued its own proposal to resolve the civil war. According to the NYT, the "vague" four-point peace plan involved a cease-fire in stages and a political transition to end the conflict.
Despite their support for the Syrian regime, recent attitudes in Russia and China seem to suggest that they are more open to transitioning Assad out of power.
In the next installment of "Battle for Syria," we will take a closer look into Bashar al-Assad's government and his inner circle.
The first installment of the series, "Battle for Syria - Part I: Understanding the Conflict that is Ripping the Nation Apart," took a brief look at the key players in the conflict as well as some key facts regarding rising death tolls and increasing numbers of refugees leaving Syria.