Syria causes of civil war. The civil war in Syria and the history of political settlement

The conflict in Syria, which can easily be called a civil war, has been going on for the fifth year, involving more and more countries.

Many people are drawn into the confrontation in the Arab Republic, along with the Middle Eastern states. Western countries: USA, Canada, France, UK.

At the end of September 2015, Russia responded to requests from the Syrian government to provide support in the fight against the radical group “Islamic State” - without defeating the terrorists, resolving the bloody conflict in Syria is not possible.

To understand the origins of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, it is necessary to recall the events that preceded it in the Middle East. In the winter of 2010, a wave of protests swept across the Arab world, some of them leading to coups d'état. Governments have been forcibly removed in Libya, Yemen, Tunisia and other countries in the region.

In April 2011, in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo, clashes occurred between protesters and police, killing people. Already in the summer, Sunnis who deserted from the army created the Free Syrian Army (FSA). They demanded the resignation of the government and the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thus began a long-term bloody conflict that claimed the lives of thousands of people.

The West almost immediately supported the Syrian opposition and introduced a number of sanctions against the country's leadership. In the fall of 2011, the Syrian National Council was created in Turkey from political emigrants. In the winter of 2012, the United States recognized the National Opposition Coalition as a legitimate representative of the Syrian population. Meanwhile fighting were gaining momentum.

In 2013, chemical weapons were used in Syria, killing about 1.2 thousand people. An investigation carried out by the UN mission could only confirm the fact of a chemical attack, but to this day there is no reliable information about which side of the conflict used the nerve gas sarin.

In September 2013, following a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry, an agreement was reached on the destruction of everything chemical weapons in Syria. The last batch of prohibited weapons was exported on June 23, 2014.

Fighters from the radical Islamic State group, formed from the Iraqi and Syrian wings of al-Qaeda, entered the conflict on the side of anti-government forces in 2013. Already in next year together with the Syrian territories controlled by militants, the Islamic State has spread its influence to a region larger in area than Great Britain.

In the fall of 2014, the United States announced the creation of an international anti-terrorist coalition, which began striking militant positions. However, according to experts, the actions of the forces led by Washington did not lead to for some time significant successes. Moreover, the coalition has been repeatedly accused of killing civilians and not terrorists as a result of airstrikes.

Russia, in turn, has repeatedly emphasized that to successfully combat terrorism, cooperation between the countries of the region is necessary. Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially announced that Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran have created a coordination center in Baghdad to combat the Islamic State.

Currently, both Russia and the West agree that without defeating the Islamic State, it is impossible to resolve the conflict in Syria. In this regard, in September 2015, Moscow announced the start of an operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces against Islamists.

Since September 30, the date of the start of the Russian Aerospace Forces operation, Russian aviation has carried out more than a hundred combat sorties against IS targets. Su-34, Su-24 M and Su-25 SM aircraft destroyed dozens of camps, warehouses and bases of Islamic State militants.

The Russian Ministry of Defense yesterday announced the intensification of combat sorties by Russian aviation due to a significant increase in the number of ground targets identified by air and space reconnaissance throughout Syria. The official representative of the department, Major General Igor Konashenkov, spoke about this.

The Russian base in Syria is fully provided with material and technical equipment from the Russian Federation, so the military personnel currently in the Arab Republic have everything they need, the Ministry of Defense noted. A battalion tactical group is involved to guard and defend the base Marine Corps with means of amplification. Field food stations and a bakery were organized on site.

According to the UN, more than 240 thousand people have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the conflict. 4 million Syrian citizens became refugees, and another 7.6 million received the status of displaced persons. As a result, humanitarian aid to this moment More than 12 million people need it.

The conflict in Syria has continued for more than four years and is accompanied mass casualties. Events constantly fall into the spotlight of the world media. There are a huge number of parties involved in the war. Many countries are involved in a crisis.

The conflict in Syria: where did it all start?

The war in the Middle East is still going on. Around the beginning of the conflict in Syria. The reasons are different for each of the current parties. But it all started with anti-government protests. The Baath Party has ruled Syria for more than 70 years. Last years Bashar al-Assad is president. The opposition, inspired in other countries, begins to radically criticize the government and calls on its supporters to take to the streets. In the spring the protests escalated sharply. There are violent clashes between protesters and the police and army. There are constant reports of deaths. A number of northern provinces are practically not controlled by the government. Bashar al-Assad declares that he is ready to seek a compromise and dissolves the cabinet of ministers. But it was already too late.
Important role played social media. Through Facebook and Twitter, the opposition coordinated its actions and called on people to take actions of disobedience. By the summer, the conflict in Syria is gaining new momentum. Opponents of the government create armed groups, the West supports them and threatens Assad with sanctions if force is used.

Syria: history of the conflict

The clashes take on the character of full-scale hostilities. Rebels unite in A few months after the start of the protests, radical Islamists are actively joining the opposition. Midway through the year, a suicide bomber kills several senior government officials.

In the fall, fighting practically does not stop. The EU and the US are actively supporting the rebels, providing them with technical and financial assistance. A number of Western allies are introducing sanctions against Syria. Government troops managed to recapture a number of cities and secure reliable protection Damascus. The rebels announce plans to attack Aleppo, the second most populous city after the capital. They make several unsuccessful assaults.

International presence

The conflict in Syria is beginning to attract more and more external players. Türkiye officially begins to support the opposition. In the summer of 2012, immediately after announcing their entry into the war, government troops shot down a Turkish plane and opened fire on other targets. Later, artillery hits a column of Turkish vehicles after they cross the border.

Libya and Iran are beginning to support Assad. Armed members of Hezbollah (which can be translated as “Party of Allah”) are arriving in Syria. Together with them, the Syrian army liberates Al-Quseir. In winter, the Assad regime launches a large-scale offensive, which brings significant successes. Against this background, constant terrorist attacks occur in government-controlled cities.
Opposition troops increasingly fit their stereotype in the West. Islamists are joining armed groups. Al-Qaeda is sending a significant contingent to Syria. Cells of this terrorist organization organize training camps.

Relations with Turkey are deteriorating. Several armed clashes occur. The Turkish parliament allows the use of armed forces against Syria, but the war does not start. Some Gulf countries that are allies of the United States provide regular assistance to anti-government forces.

The role of Kurdistan

The conflict in Syria has many various forces. Kurdistan is a serious player and is often called a "third party." Kurds live in eastern Syria, Iraq and Turkey. Their armed militia is called Peshmerga. This organization was created to protect the territory where ethnic Kurds live. They are loyal to the Assad regime and actively oppose ISIS.

Islamization of the conflict

By 2014, the protracted war was gaining new momentum. The “moderate” opposition plays virtually no role. It is still actively supported by the EU and the US, but in Syria now only the language of weapons is understood. The main fighting is underway. The Jabhat al-Nusra organization controls a significant part of Syria. They are often called terrorists, and information appears in the media that the Islamists are receiving assistance from the United States through the “opposition.”

ISIS is one of the most brutal and largest organizations that has catalyzed the conflict in Syria. The reasons for the success of this organization are still a matter of debate among analysts. The world learned about IS after its militants suddenly captured the large city of Mosul. The Islamists created their own state on the territory under their control. The local population lives strictly according to For example, men are prohibited from cutting their hair. Violations of the rules result in various severe punishments.

One of the important components of IS activities is propaganda. The world community was amazed by a number of videos showing militants executing prisoners. Moreover, the murders occur with sophistication and are filmed by professionals. ISIS is considered an international terrorist organization. A number of NATO countries and Russia are launching attacks on the territories of the Islamic state.

In the winter of 2011, the first shots rang out in the previously flourishing peaceful state of Syria. The country entered into a protracted internal conflict. Civil war in Syria today, according to official data international organizations, claimed the lives of more than two hundred thousand people.

Pre-war Syria

Everyone who has ever visited the country before the war compares it with an exotic ancient corner of the earth, which poets glorify in their works. This is true. Syria is a country with a long history, culture, ancient buildings, streets and temples. It used to be a developing state in the Middle East. Not everything went smoothly. Syria does not have huge natural resources, so the population did not prosper very much. The agricultural complex played a huge role. Previously, this little pearl of the East was a state in which it was safe to live. The population had high level social security, which is very important for an eastern state. The country was on the path of liberalization, but the civil war in Syria destroyed all the plans and hopes of people for a bright future.

Causes of collisions

What happened? Why was this corner of peace destroyed by war? There are a number of reasons, both internal and external, that have plunged the state into the abyss of contradictions in which it now finds itself.

The internal reason for the war in Syria lies primarily in the slow growth of the economic well-being of the country's population. But poverty cannot be called a key prerequisite for clashes. Although many researchers are confident that it was in the most vulnerable circles of the population that thoughts of opposing the government began to spread.

The second reason is the liberalization of society. Naturally, having felt the heady taste of European freedoms, it is difficult to refuse them. Now in Syria itself there are very few of those ideological instigators of the conflict left. But, from the words of some of them, it becomes clear that people wanted more freedom. They did not want their every step to be regulated by the state; women dreamed of taking off the burqa, studying and working.

The new president, Bashar al-Assad, who came to power in 2000, envisioned a series of reforms, but he needed to act quickly. And the young politician adhered to the usual national slowness.

Surprisingly, today the participants in the first anti-government rallies are hiding in territories controlled by the state army. Because only here you can hide from the horrors that the civil war has brought in Syria.

Religion in the East has always been a bone of contention; it is closely connected with politics. Muslim fanatics and their groups became provocateurs of clashes.

Among the external reasons, one can highlight such as the redistribution of spheres of influence in the Middle East between major players in the world market and support for the opposition from terrorists around the world.

President Bashar al-Assad

In 2000 new president from the family of the ruling Assad dynasty, he replaced his father Hafez Assad as head of state after his death. Elections in pre-war Syria cannot be called democratic, since only one candidate was nominated for the ruling post.

Nevertheless, the new president wanted changes in his state. His plans included reforms in the banking and tax spheres, modernization of the economy, and generally the gradual liberalization of Syrian society.

With Bashar coming to power, a gradual reformation of the country began, but many innovations came across conservative circles of the ruling elite from the Baath.

Assad has held the post of president of the country for 15 years. In 2014, he was re-elected for a third term; the opposition and the Friends of Syria group of countries do not consider these elections valid, since the civil war in Syria at that moment was at its peak.

"Moderate opposition"

To be honest, even specialists who understand international and public entities have a hard time determining who is part of the “moderate opposition.” Or rather, these organizations have long since crossed the line of “moderation.” The opposition consists of about twenty parties and organizations. The coalition of forces for peaceful change includes several political groups committed to constructive dialogue with the government.

The National Coordination Committee consists of 13 parties promoting social equality.

The Kurdish National Council consists of 16 parties from this ethnic group.

The Syrian National Council is a radical wing of the opposition. The Free Syrian Army is an armed offshoot of the SNA. In 2013, all armed groups left this entity and created the Islamic Coalition, which advocates jihad in the region.

Another paramilitary group is the Syrian National Army.

The Islamic Front is fighting both the Syrian government and opposition groups.

The essence of the war in Syria lies not only in economic, but also in religious problems. Radical groups no longer listen to either the United States or each other. They are tearing Syria apart, killing civilians and forcing Assad to resign.

First armed clashes

According to many political scientists and researchers of this conflict, opposition groups began to form long before the open confrontation. Then why did the war in Syria begin only in 2011? The point is that a signal from outside was needed. This signal was the Arab Spring, which affected a number of authoritarian regimes in the region.

Manifestos and unrest in largest cities Syria began in winter. But the majority of Protestants opposed the arbitrariness of officials and city authorities and demanded that the president judge them. The beginning of the war in Syria, some historians and politicians was considered inevitable back in 2011, since the president acted slowly and did not want to make concessions to the opposition. And in the region there has begun a real influx of terrorists and mercenaries entering the conflict on one side or another.

Third force

Today, after prolonged bloodshed in Syria, many diplomats and participants in the negotiation process believe that only political leaders organizations and official authorities are able to resolve the conflict. No peace summits and round tables will not help, since some terrorist groups, such as ISIS, fight against everyone, including civilians, systematically killing women and children. The only way the world community can support Syria is to stop supplying weapons to militants and recognize the fighting radical

The Syrian conflict has been enough hot topic in the period from 2011 to 2017, because The conflict affected the interests of world powers.

At the end of 2010, uprisings began in Asian and African countries, labeled as the "Arab Spring". The uprisings developed into more serious conflicts: in certain states the government changed, in others the conflict was marked by military action.

The conflict in Syria began in 2011, due to the population's dissatisfaction with the authorities and the political regime.

The first stage of the war is complex and ambiguous. The blow has been dealt to stability in the state. Discontent has formed in society; political opposition; internal political crisis; the opposition began insurgency; An internal conflict arose that developed into a civil war.

The internal opposition in Syria was unable to organize an organized protest against government forces. The political leadership of Syria, led by Bashar al-Assad, maintained control over the situation. Government forces were able to give an organized rebuff to armed domestic opposition forces and foreign fighters. The country has shown that the victim state can resist a war of controlled chaos in the first and second stages.

Between August and September 2015, Russian Federation began to increase its military contingent in Syria. On September 30, 2015, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turned to the Russian Federation with an official request for military assistance. And after the Federation Council gave the President the go-ahead to use Russian armed forces on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation, already based on the territory of the Khmeimim airfield, began to strike territories controlled by the Islamic State (an organization banned in Russia ).

1. Preconditions for the conflict

Syria is a multi-party parliamentary republic, but the peculiarity is that all parties must declare their commitment to the course of socialist transformation. The constitution enshrines the leading role of the Baath Party.

The head of state is the president, who is necessarily a Muslim, and he is usually the leader of the Baath Party. The president is elected for 7 years and has no restrictions on the number of terms he can serve in power. The President has the right to: appoint a cabinet of ministers, declare a state of martial law or a state of emergency, sign laws, declare an amnesty, and also make amendments to the constitution, he also determines foreign policy country and is the supreme commander of the armed forces.

The armed conflict began in the summer of 2011. The opposition demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, the abolition of the state of emergency that had been in force since 1962 and democratic changes, for example, such as: free participation of any parties in elections, the abolition of Article 8, which proclaimed the leading role of the Baath Party), limiting the presidential rule to 2 terms 7 years each.

The main reason is considered to be the dissatisfaction of the population with the socio-political system and the authoritarian rule of Assad, the predominance of Alawite representatives in government and military structures, corruption of the highest echelons of power, and religious contradictions.

If we talk about the structure of the Syrian opposition, then there are 3 main “groupings”: Syrian National Council, National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Supreme Kurdish Council. Role armed forces The Syrian opposition is carried out by the Free Syrian Army.

Main financial assistance external Syrian opposition began to be provided to the monarchies of the Persian Gulf, primarily Qatar and Saudi Arabia and they poured at least $17 billion into the organization of military operations as of September 2014. On the other hand, there is quite strong support for Assad from Iran, without which, without special labor it would be possible to reset the mode.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed concern that unless Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stops suppressing opposition protests, civil war will break out in Syria.

On January 10, 2012, the President of Syria blamed an external conspiracy for the current situation, blaming the Arab League observer mission that arrived in Syria at the end of 2011.

Initially, Bashar Assad sought to stabilize the situation in the country and made concessions in the political, economic and social spheres. It repealed the ban on women wearing... educational institutions niqabs. On April 21, the president signed a decree lifting the country's state of emergency, which had been in effect since 1963.

A sufficient number of foreign fighters fought in Syria, including thousands of fighters from Yemen trained in Jordan by American and Saudi special forces, a large number of Afghan Taliban were brought to the Syrian front with the help of the Pakistani Inter-Services Service ISI. And on the basis of this, all this acquired the very, very unpleasant character of an international war to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

At the official request of the President of Syria, from September 30, 2015, the Russian Federation provided support to Syria. Airplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces from an airbase in the Latakia region began conducting an air operation with targeted strikes on the positions of Islamic groups.

Russia and Iran are supporting government forces. On the side of the government are paramilitary forces (Lebanese Hezbollah), pro-government paramilitary forces (National Defense Forces).

2. Russia’s role in the Syrian conflict

The Syrian issue has determined the contradictions between the United States and Russia. Russia made a bet on Assad in March 2011. She determined that he should win.

Moscow did not want to lose an ally in the Middle East.

The primary issues are economics and military advantage.

Regional forces on Russia's southern borders are shifting. Russia, supporting Bashar al-Assad, sent a navy and vetoed resolutions against Syria. Stability is Russia's priority; it is trying to change the situation in favor of Assad and establish a controlled regime in Syria.

Russia and China understand that the removal of Bashar al-Assad is part of the West’s plan in the struggle to strengthen its influence in the region, and this plan will not be limited to Syria.

Iran will be next central Asia, Caucasus and Russia. Russia is not going to change its policy; it has always been against changes in other countries through intervention. She will continue her line in the Syrian crisis.

Bashar al-Assad said that by blocking “undesirable” resolutions on the Syrian issue, “Russia saved not only Syria, but the entire Middle East, maintaining stability in the world and stopping Western hegemony.”

This phrase is controversial because the attention of the Russian media and the public from the conflict in Syria has been weakened by the events in Crimea and Donbass.

In March 2014, when Russia began to resolve its issues in Crimea, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad sent a telegram to Russian President Putin in which he declared “Syria’s support for President Putin’s rational, peace-loving course to restore stability in the countries of the world and combat extremism and terrorism.”

Government troops were tired from four years of hostilities and had difficulty holding back the terrorist advance. The population was leaving the country. The actions of the Russian group, which began on September 30, 2015, turned the situation in Syria over the course of five and a half months. The basis for the success of a military operation against terrorists is the coordinated work of Russian aviation in the air with units of government and patriotic forces on the ground. To increase their combat capabilities, modern weapons and military equipment were supplied to the Syrian army as part of military-technical assistance.

The infrastructure and supply channels of terrorists were destroyed, a transition to offensive actions was carried out, which were carried out simultaneously in 15 directions, which forced the militants to abandon large offensive operations and move on to action in small groups.

In early October 2015, after a week of Russian airstrikes on militant infrastructure, the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic began to advance in order to liberate areas and settlements from armed groups. In early November 2015, the Syrian army liberated the city of Al-Taiba, establishing control over the strategic road between Hama and Idlib. National reconciliation committees began to operate.

December 28, 2015 chief of the main operational management General Staff Sergei Rudskoy noted that with the support of Russian aviation, detachments of the “Syrian Democratic Army under the command of Ayman Flyat Al-Ganimu” are attacking the capital of the “Islamic State” - Al-Raqqa. 2015 ended with Syrian government forces, supported by Iranian and Lebanese allies, achieving success in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia and the suburbs of Damascus. However, success is not strategic, but tactical.

On the night of February 27, 2016, a truce came, during which Russia and the United States sought to reach a compromise, excluding a possible Turkish invasion of Syria. A formal truce will give time for rapprochement.

On March 14, 2016, Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of the main forces of the Russian Federation from Syria in connection with the implementation of assigned tasks, however, although the Russian contingent in Syria has been reduced, the main military group still remains; fighters and bombers have been replaced by helicopters and S-400 air defense systems still continues to be on duty and monitor the sky near Turkey to prevent further clashes with this country. Thus, de jure, this was the withdrawal of the main Russian Aerospace Forces group, and de facto, a change of weapons.

Taking control of areas in the northeast of Aleppo province has complicated the supply of militants and the transfer of reinforcements from Turkey through the corridor between Jarabul and Azaz. Conditions have been created for the defeat of ISIS north of Aleppo.

Control has been restored over three large oil and gas fields, which were a source of income for terrorists.

The provinces of Hama, Homs and Damascus are located in the central part of the country.

Most of them have been cleared of illegal armed groups. The process of reconciliation is most actively carried out there.

Thanks to sudden checks of combat readiness, the Russian Armed Forces have repeatedly practiced the transfer of military formations over long distances. Units of the Russian Special Operations Forces operated in Syria

Political observers from around the world were confident that the reason for Russia’s intervention in the Syrian conflict was that the Assad regime, which controls 1/5 of the country’s territory, may not be able to withstand the onslaught of the Islamic State and the moderate opposition supported by the West.

But not everything is so simple; there are other opinions regarding Russia’s intervention in the conflict in Syria. Russia is one of largest exporters crude oil and gas, export volumes in 2014 natural gas amounted to approximately 174.3 billion cubic meters, and crude oil 223.4 million tons. The main consumers of our oil and gas products are the countries of the European Union and Asian countries (for example, China).

Among various geopolitical explanations of the motives that forced Russia to intervene in the affairs of Syria, a number of experts believe that Moscow is deliberately seeking through its actions to complicate the situation in the Middle East, in order to thus achieve an increase in world oil prices.

However, at the same time, there are many factors when assessing the possible impact of Russian military intervention in Syria on oil prices.

David Bailey, a professor at Georgetown University's Graduate School of Foreign Service and a partner in the environmental and energy consulting group Element VI Consulting, argues that Syria itself is not a major oil producer, and that with current global production at 80 million barrels per day, Oil production in Syria has fallen from 500 thousand in the 90s. up to 20-30 thousand today.

Another version is possible. Syria is important element gas pipelines from both Iran and Qatar. For the Qatari then it is an obstacle, the Iranian, in turn, remained in the project (construction of a gas pipeline from the Iranian Assalouyeh gas field through Iraq and Syria, June 25, 2011). The fact is that the configuration of gas supplies to Europe largely depended on Syria’s position.

It is worth focusing a little on the interests of the parties. The “Qatar” gas pipeline benefits Qatar itself, Turkey, Syria (if it leaves the alliance with Iran, which is impossible for political and religious-ideological reasons), and Europe. And Russia is the loser.

The position of the United States is curious; formally, they are the losers because Qatari gas will compete with American gas in the European markets.

However, the situation takes on a different form if it is assessed in dynamics. The US and Europe have made progress in forming a common free trade area. And this changes things somewhat. American gas, while continuing to compete in Europe with Qatari, Russian and Algerian gas, due to the free trade zone can practically be equated with European gas, that is, gain advantages over competitors.

Thus, this is a struggle for a new balance of power in the European and global gas market.

Geopolitical motives Russian politics may be simpler.

Forcing Obama and the West to treat Russia as an equal, breaking through the isolation over actions in Ukraine by forcing them to work with Russia as a major independent player in the Middle East. Russia would like to maintain power for Assad and consolidate its military presence in the region. Perhaps the goal is also to form a coalition of Shiite regimes in Iran, Iraq and Syria that would oppose the unilateral actions of the United States.

Maybe main reason The beginning of the operation in Syria was a banal fight against terrorism. During the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, more than 2 thousand militants who came from Russia were eliminated. Also, do not forget that some of the militants fighting in Syria with Russian passports united in September 2014 into a certain association called “Mujahideen of the North Caucasus and Levant,” which, after the civil war in Syria, is going to Northern Caucasus, that is, Russia.

The military operation in Syria has also become a testing ground for various new weapons, equipment and cruise missiles. For example, during the conflict, the Russian Air Force used high-precision guided munitions for the first time. As for conventional unguided bombs, the VKS managed to achieve more high precision strikes thanks to the use of modern onboard equipment for their guidance. It is impossible not to mention cruise missiles; of course, front-line bombers could also destroy the targets, but the launch of these missiles demonstrated that Russia has the ability to strike remote targets from ships located deep in the defense zone Russian system Air defense.

Until last September, most analysts believed that Russia was unable to conduct military operations far from its own territory and that its armed forces would not be able to deliver large numbers of troops and equipment to distant theaters of operations. However, the Russian armed forces managed to transport necessary equipment and personnel, using most of its heavy military transport aircraft and almost all transport ships deployed in the European theater for the operation in Syria. In addition, Russia raised its own naval flag on several Turkish commercial cargo ships and also used them to transfer equipment to Syria. In Russia itself there are practically no alternatives for military transportation railways. However, the Syrian campaign has shown that the sea and air transport assets at Russia's disposal are quite sufficient to conduct a small operation far from its own borders, and that Russia is capable of using unconventional methods to build up its capabilities in this area.

Conclusion

Ultimately, thanks to the help of the Russian Federation, it was possible to maintain the integrity of the Syrian state and leave Bashar al-Assad in his place. Terrorists on the territory of the state can be considered defeated, all territories previously captured by them have been liberated.

As we can see, Russia’s intervention in the conflict in Syria did not cause a rapid increase in oil prices, however, thanks to this action, our state still maintains its oil and gas monopoly in Europe, since in the event of Assad’s defeat, the territory that was already At the moment of Syria, pipelines would pass from the Arabian Peninsula to Turkey, and then to Europe.

To date, Russia's military operation in Syria has officially ended; on December 11, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally visited the Khmeimim airbase and ordered the withdrawal of troops. At the same time, only the main core of the forces is being withdrawn; the air base and the naval logistics center in the port of Tartus will continue to function.

March 15, 2011 against the backdrop of the so-called During the Arab Spring, mass anti-government protests began in Syria. Opponents current regime in the country's capital Damascus. Then anti-government demonstrations broke out in the south of the country - in the city of Daraa, located on the border with Jordan.

In April 2011, mass demonstrations demanding fundamental reforms. People died as a result of clashes with the police.

By the end of 2011, the deepest internal political crisis had developed into an internal armed conflict. The Syrian leadership, which was late in implementing political reforms, did not keep up with the progress of the protests. The demands of the Syrian street, which is fundamentally Sunni, for democratic rights and freedoms, by analogy with other Arab countries, quickly transformed into slogans for the overthrow of the ruling regime of Bashar al-Assad (he himself is an Alawite; Alawites -).

International Committee Red Cross (ICRC), which regards the conflict in Syria as a civil war.

The growth of the crisis was facilitated by its unprecedented internationalization with the support of the anti-Assad opposition by regional (Turkey, Arabian monarchies) and external (primarily the USA and France) players. The desire of the latter to change the regime in Syria at any cost has led to the militarization of the conflict, pumping the irreconcilable opposition with money and weapons. Demands for the departure of Bashar al-Assad were combined with the accelerated emergence of “umbrella” opposition structures as an alternative to the regime. The culmination of this process was the creation in November 2012 of the National Coalition of the Syrian Revolutionary Forces and the Opposition.

In parallel, the formation of the armed wing of the opposition took place under the “roof” of the so-called. Free Syrian Army. Sabotage and terrorist activity over time evolved into large-scale guerrilla warfare in a wide “theater of combat operations.” As a result, significant areas of the country along the border with Turkey and Iraq came under the control of the armed opposition, and the “front line” came close to the capital.

Meanwhile, the logic of the development of the conflict has led to the polarization of Syrian society and the bitterness of confrontation, including on an inter-religious basis. Against this background, the positions of Sunni Islamic radicals (the al-Qaeda group Jabhat al-Nusra*, banned in Russia, etc.) with their calls for the jihadization of the rebel movement have strengthened in the camp of the armed opposition. As a result, thousands of “fighters for the faith” from all over the Arab-Muslim world flocked to Syria.

According to data at the end of 2015, more than a thousand armed anti-government groups, including more than 70 thousand people, were operating in the country. Of these, tens of thousands were foreign mercenaries, and the majority were extremists from more than 80 countries, including Muslim states, the EU, the USA, Russia and China (Uyghur Muslims).

External support allowed the terrorist organization "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" * (ISIL), later * (IS, Arabic Daesh, banned in Russia) to become more active. In the summer of 2014, the organization "Islamic State"*.

A new round of conflict arose in August 2013, when a number of media reported the large-scale use of chemical weapons by Syrian troops in the vicinity of Damascus. More than 600 people became victims of the attack. The Syrian National Opposition Coalition claimed that the number of victims could reach 1.3 thousand people. After the incident, the parties to the conflict repeatedly declared their innocence, blaming their opponents for the incident. UN inspectors went to Damascus to... An investigation conducted by a UN mission confirmed the fact of a chemical attack, but the mission did not determine which side of the conflict.

The possible use of chemical weapons has sparked a global debate about the need to launch a military operation in Syria. In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward an initiative to place the Syrian military-chemical potential under international control. On September 28, 2013, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Syria in support of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) plan to... At the end of June 2014, the removal of chemical weapons from Syria was completed. At the beginning of 2016, the OPCW.

The international coalition led by the United States is striking at ISIS positions in Syria, and the coalition is operating.

On September 30, 2015, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turned to Moscow with a request for military assistance. Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the Federation Council a proposal to adopt a resolution on consent to the use of contingents of the Russian Armed Forces abroad; the Federation Council unanimously supported the president’s appeal. The military purpose of the operation was stated to be air support for Syrian government forces in their fight against the Islamic State terrorist group. On the same day, aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) began conducting an air operation of the IS* group in Syria.

The Russian Armed Forces began military operation in Syria at the official request of the President of the Republic Bashar al-Assad on September 30, 2015..

As of September 2017, the aerospace forces carried out more than 30 thousand combat sorties, carried out over 92 thousand airstrikes, and as a result hit over 96 thousand terrorist targets. Among the terrorist facilities destroyed by the Aerospace Forces: command posts (total 8332), terrorist strongholds (total 17194), concentrations of militants (total 53707), militant training camps (total 970), weapons and ammunition depots (total 6769), oil fields (212 ) and oil refineries (184), fuel transfer stations and tanker columns (132), as well.

December 18, 2015 UN Security Council in support of the political transition in Syria. As the basis for a political transition in Syria, the UN Security Council approved the Geneva Communiqué of the Action Group on Syria dated June 30, 2012 and the “Vienna Statements” (a joint statement dated October 30, 2015 following the multilateral negotiations on Syria held in Vienna and the statement International group Syria support dated November 14, 2015). Negotiations between the Syrian government and representatives of the Syrian opposition under the auspices of the UN.

Eight meetings took place in Geneva, but they did not bring any progress.

The last Geneva consultations ended in mid-December 2017 with mutual accusations between the parties, and it was not possible to begin direct negotiations between the delegations. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura called the eighth round “a missed golden opportunity” and pointed out that both sides created a negative and irresponsible atmosphere in the negotiations. The main discussions at the talks are centered around a 12-point non-formal document on the future of Syria, proposed by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. Parallel discussions are taking place (constitution, elections, governance and terrorism). On January 25-26, 2018, a special meeting on Syria was held at the UN office in Vienna.

In parallel, in Syria in Astana, initiated by Russia, Iran and Turkey. Eight rounds of negotiations took place, the last one being . During this time, a memorandum was signed on the creation of de-escalation zones in Syria, a provision was agreed on a joint task force to monitor the cessation of hostilities in Syria, and a number of other agreements were reached that... During the seventh round of negotiations, it was decided to hold the Syrian National Reconciliation Congress in Sochi.

*Terrorist and extremist organizations banned in Russia.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources