Syria's New Threat

 


By Kaye Foley

The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the worst the world has seen. Nearly 4 million people — mostly women and children — have fled to neighboring countries, and 7.2 million more have been internally displaced.

Civilian life in Syria was devastated by the civil war that began in 2011, but tension in the country has long existed. Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, as president in 2000. The Assad family is Alawite, an offshoot of the Shiite branch of Islam, while the country itself is about 75 percent Sunni. The government, fearful of being overthrown by the overwhelming majority, rules its people under an oppressive dictatorship. In March 2011, Syrians took to the streets protesting the Assad regime. The government responded with violence, and the country erupted into a sectarian war.

Rebel groups formed in opposition to the regime. Most of these moderate rebel groups are under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army. Jihadi groups have also taken a foothold in Syria amid the chaos of war to enact their own agendas. All of the secular, religious and ethnic divisions of the various fighters further complicate the brutal conflict.

After four years of civil war, an estimated 220,000 people have been killed. Half of those victims are assumed to have been civilians. Thousands of people flee Syria each day and head to nearby countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt.

Refugees have also looked to other countries for asylum, including the United States. But the U.S. counterterrorism officials have admitted having security concerns. They worry that potential terrorists could come to the United States among the refugees.

However, State Department officials believe that the U.S. has a responsibility to help the innocent victims of war. Despite concerns, they have said it’s likely that the U.S. will admit up to 2,000 more Syrian refugees by the end of the year.

While the fate of Syria and its people is still unknown, at least after watching this video you can say, “Now I get it.”