The Syrian Civil

War

Important Information

Slide 3: History

Slide 6 & 7: Demography

Slide 10: Comparing the Regime and the Rebels.

Slide 11: Results

Slide 12: Concerns for the West

History

March 2011: Protests begin. Govt responds with violence.

July 2011: Whole nation is engulfed in Protests.

July 2011: Govt begins deploying military units in cities

across the nation.

2012: Civil War erupts across the nation.

Torture of Civilians and Children.

Govt bombardment of cities.

Widespread bombings.

Massacres

Use of chemical weapons

BBC War Timeline

Click Here

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DowaIjF5iE0

Demography

65% Sunni Arabs

9% Kurds
10% Christian
3% Druze
12% Alawite
1% Other

The Numbers

Demography of Syria

Sunnis

Alawites

Kurds

Christian

Druze

Other

The Alawites

Shia Muslims

In

control of the government since 1970

Bashar

Al Assad is Alawite

Supported

by Iran and Russia

Somewhat

supported by Christian minority

The Sunnis

Majority of the populace (65%)

Against Shia rule

Receive no foreign support

Disorganized Militias

20% Islamist

The Government v. The People: a

side by side comparison
Regime

Rebels

Shia

Sunni muslims

Supported by Russia

Some involved in ISIS

Supported by Iran

Some factions receive support from

Saudi Arabia

Control Government

Represent the majority of Sunni

Muslims in Syria

Organized Military

Disorganized and Fragmented

Minority in power in Syria

Occupies regions in Syria and Iraq

Secular Regime

Deemed Terrorists by the West

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Results

Syria is a fragmented nation

Rebels are disorganized
Assad refuses to give up
Russia and Iran military
involvement
US is apprehensive about
getting involved
4 million displaced or homeless
200,000 Imprisoned
220,000 dead

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Concerns of the Western World

What

happens if Assad stays in power?

Civil

war continues

Russia

If

and Iran become more involved.

not, who takes his place?

Likely

to be the Islamists or ISIS

Chemical
Could

weapons?

fall into the hands of the Islamists.

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Concerns Continued

Threats to other nations?

Do ISIS and the Rebels pose a threat to surrounding nations?

If they get the chemical weapons will they use them to harm Israel?

US involvement?

Who would the US support?

US must avoid conflict with Russia at all costs.

Refugees?

Where are they going to go?

Is it possible that the refugees themselves could become a terrorist

threat?

ISIS?

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Where it stands now

Regime

and Rebels locked in a stalemate.

Emergence

of ISIS as a major power in the

area.
Russian

Airstrikes Targeting ISIS.

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Thank You

James Cannon Mcilnay

jmcilnay@asu.edu

(480)226-6256

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