The Jigsaw Puzzle that is Syria

It is always difficult to digest the reality of a violent foreign conflict. This is especially true when those in conflict come from a culture not particularly familiar in language, sectarian customs or religion. We may relate to images of a suffering people, but while these images put a human face on the conflict, they often also further solidify the perception that those in conflict are “there” and we are “here.”

The current crisis in Syria demonstrates this very clearly. For over three years the American people have heard occasional news reports about what has been termed a “civil war” in Syria. These reports have increased since the U.S. and allies have undertaken the offensive against ISIS, but the scope and context of the conflict remain ill-defined and unclear.

Foreign conflicts, including the Syrian crisis, can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle.

The Truth of Assad’s Lie

Note: Parts of this post contain graphic descriptions of physical abuse.

Since March 2011, when protesters took to the streets of Syria demanding reform, demanding freedom from the tyrannical reign of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the world has watched a nation slide into the throes of a civil war where an ideological kaleidoscope of oppositional factions battle a regime desperate to cling to its illegitimate power, willing to use any form of  tyranny and disinformation to do so.

Add to this the fact that the regime has encouraged the birth and growth of radical jihadist groups that are ostensibly focused on the regime’s demise, but that are in actuality serving the regime’s interests by confusing the battlefield and paralyzing already war-timid western nations who might otherwise support Syrian reform, add these together and one is left with what appears to be a Middle East morass that has a thousand paths in and no clear path out.

This of course serves the interests of President Assad very well as is evidenced by his ability for the past three years to kill over 250,000 civilians (15,000 of which are children under 15 years of age), displace over 10 million and leave much of the country in rubble and still remain in power facing only the occasional rhetorical western threats or non-credible “red line” ultimatums.