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The 8 Proxy Wars Going On in Syria Right Now

09/24/201410:21amET|UpdatedNov24,2014

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AsadAbuKhalil
Professorofpoliticalscience,CaliforniaStateUniversity,Stanislaus

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Syrian Rebels Wage

Major O

ensive In

Hama Province

TheSyrianwarisnotonlyaproxywar.Thereisastronginternaldimensionto
thewarinSyriabutithasbeenobscuredbyvariouslayersanddimensionsof
outsideinterventionandagendas.TheSyrianregimewantstostayinpower
atanycostwhiletherewascertainlyacivilpopularoppositioninSyriawhen

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Gabon Following
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Results

theuprisingfirstbegan.TherearethousandsofreasonsfortheSyrianpeople
toprotestagainstafamilydictatorshipthathascontrolledmuchoftheirlives

World War II began in Poland 77 years

since1970butthecivilprotestmovementdidnoteruptbyitself,theWestern

ago

medianarrativenotwithstanding.Concurrentwiththeprotestmovementthat

PawelAdamowicz MayorofGdansk,Poland

eruptedin2011,TurkeyandGulfregimeshadalreadysetuparmedrebel
groupstohelpbringdownaregime.
TheinternaldimensionofthewarinSyria,however,isnowprobablymarginal
totheglobalandregionalwarraginginthecountrytoday.Thereareseveral
proxywarsinSyriatodayandtheycanbesummarizedasfollows:

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1.TheinternalWahhabiwar:ThereisnowarwithinIslaminSyria,as
ThomasFriedmanandhisilkkeepasserting.Therehasbeenamoderateand
progressivestrandofIslaminSyriaandmanyofitselementshavealigned
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The8ProxyWarsGoingOninSyriaRightNow

themselveswiththeregime.Andcontrarytoearlyclaimsmadebythehired
externaloppositionanditsadvocatesintheWest,therewasnevera
moderateandprogressiveversionofIslamamongtherebelgroups.How
couldthatbethecasewhenthesponsorsofSyrianrebelIslamareTurkey,

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Qatar,andSaudiArabia?MuftiHassun(althoughheisanallyandperhapsa
tooloftheregime,andeventheslainSheikhalButi)isfarmoreprogressive

AddusonSnapchat

thananyofhisadversariesontheotherside,includingMu`adhalKhatibwho
hasrailedinthepastabouttheillsofsocialmedia,masturbationandJews,
andwhopraisedalNusrahFrontearlyonhistenureasleaderoftheSyrian
NationalCouncil.TheinternalWahhabiwarispittingthevariousWahhabi
partiesintheregionagainsteachother.TheSaudiregime,Qatariregime,al
Qa`idah(NusrahFront)andISIS:allfourareWahhabiandeachistryingto
dominatethefieldoftheWahhabimovement.
2.TheIranianSaudiwar:Thetwosidesareengagedinstrugglesindifferent
partsoftheregion,fromYementoLebanonandSyria.Theconflictover
politicaldominanceandhegemony.
3.TheSunniShiawar:Thisisarathercontrivedwarthatwasinstigatedby
theSaudiregimeatthebehestofUSandIsraeltounderminethebasis
ofArabsupportforHizbullahandIranintheregion.
4.TheRussianAmericanwar:ThiswarisreminiscentoftheColdWar.The
conflictbetweentheRussiangovernmentandtheAmericangovernmenthas
neverreachedthislevelsincethedemiseoftheSovietUnion.Theconflict
overUkraineandSyria,amongotherplaces,haspushedbothsidestoresort
tothetricksandmethodsoftheColdWar,includingproxywars.
5.QatariandSaudiconflict:ThetwoWahhabiregimesarefightingover
manyissuesbuttheybothwishtospeakonbehalfofpoliticalIslam.Qatar
banksontheMuslimBrotherhoodandsomeelementsofJihadiIslam,while
theSaudiregimebanksontheSalafisandsomeelementsofJihadiIslam.
ThisconflictmayexplaintheconflictbetweentheNusrahFrontandISIS.
6.TheHezbollahversustheFutureMovement:BothofthoseLebanese
movementshavebeenfightinginSyria.TheFutureMovementisabroadand
loosemovementwhichcomprisesvariousstands,includingSalafis.
7.ClashofIslamicidentities:SaudiArabia,Turkey,andIranareallhoping
toleavetheirnationalimprintonthepoliticalIslamistmovementintheregion.
8.TheregionalconflictbetweentheglobalorganizationoftheMuslim
BrotherhoodononehandandtheregionalSalafisontheother.
TheseproxyconflictsnowdeterminethecourseofeventsinSyriaandthe
Syrianpeoplethemselves,oneithersidesoftheconflict,haveverylittle
controloverthem.Theslogansthatarebeingraisedbybothsidesofthe
conflictmerelyservetorationalizethepoliciesanddecisionsofexternal
patrons.
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Dr.AsadAbuKhalilisaProfessorofPoliticalScienceattheUniversityof
California,alecturer,authorofseveralbooks,andcreatoroftheblogThe
AngryArabNewsService.ThispostfirstappearedonAlAlkhbarEnglish.
FollowAsadAbuKhalilonTwitter:www.twitter.com/asadabukhalil

More: Islam ProxyWarSyria AirStrikesSyria SyriaObama BasharAlAssad

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