Opposition supporters took up arms

Why is there a war in Syria

buy canada goose jacket cheap Even before the conflict canada goose outlet website legit began, many Syrians were complaining about canada goose sale uk high unemployment, corruption and a lack of political freedom under President Bashar al Assad, who succeeded his father Hafez after he died in 2000. buy canada goose jacket cheap

Canada Goose Outlet In March 2011, pro canada goose outlet parka democracy demonstrations erupted in the southern city of Deraa, inspired by the “Arab Spring” in neighbouring countries. Canada Goose Outlet

Canada Goose Parka The unrest spread and the crackdown intensified. Opposition supporters took up arms, first canada goose victoria parka outlet to defend canada goose vest outlet themselves canada goose outlet official and later to rid their areas of security forces. Mr Assad vowed to crush what he called “foreign backed terrorism”. Canada Goose Parka

buy canada goose jacket It is now more than a battle between those who are for or against Mr canada goose outlet belgium Assad. buy canada goose jacket

Many groups and countries each with their own agendas are involved, making the situation far canada goose outlet germany more complex and prolonging the canada goose outlet us fighting.

They have been accused of fostering hatred between Syria’s religious groups, pitching the Sunni Muslim majority against the president’s Shia Alawite sect.

canada goose clearance sale Such divisions have led both sides to commit atrocities, canada goose outlet torn communities apart and dimmed hopes of peace. canada goose clearance sale

canadian goose jacket They have also allowed the jihadist groups Islamic State canada goose outlet uk (IS) and al Qaeda to flourish. canadian goose jacket

canada goose coats on sale Russia which already had military bases in Syria launched an air campaign in support of Mr Assad in 2015 that has been crucial in turning goose outlet canada the tide of the war in the government’s favour. canada goose coats on sale

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Thousands of Shia Muslim militiamen armed, trained and financed by Iran mostly from Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, but also Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen have also fought alongside the Syrian army.

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A global coalition they lead has also carried out air strikes on IS canada goose womens outlet militants in Syria since 2014 and helped an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces canada goose outlet england (SDF) capture territory from the jihadists.

Turkey has long supported the rebels but it has focused on using them to contain the Kurdish militia that dominates the SDF, accusing it of being an extension of a banned Kurdish rebel group in Turkey.

cheap Canada Goose Saudi Arabia, which is keen to counter Iranian influence, has also armed and financed the rebels. cheap Canada Goose

canada goose store Israel, meanwhile, has been so concerned by what it calls Iran’s “military entrenchment” in Syria and shipments of Iranian canada goose outlet factory weapons to Hezbollah that it canada goose outlet new york has conducted hundreds of air strikes in an attempt to thwart them. canada goose store

How has the country been affected?

But the UN has warned of a “bloodbath” if there is an all out assault on the province, which is home to some 2.9 million people, including a million children.

Canada Goose online Hundreds of thousands of civilians are already experiencing dire conditions in overcrowded sites in which basic services have been stretched to breaking point for months. Canada Goose online

canada goose The SDF meanwhile controls most territory east of the River Euphrates, including the city of Raqqa. Until 2017, it was the de facto capital canada goose shop uk of the “caliphate” proclaimed by IS, which now controls only a few pockets of land across Syria. canada goose

Will the war ever end?

It does not look like it will anytime soon, but everyone agrees a political solution is required.

Canada Goose sale The UN Security Council has called for the canada goose jacket outlet implementation of the 2012 Geneva Communique, which envisages a transitional governing body “formed on the basis of mutual consent.” Canada Goose sale

canada goose black friday sale But nine rounds of UN mediated peace talks known as the Geneva II process since 2014 have shown little progress canada goose black friday sale.