South Africa's Foreign Policy And National Security Concerns Over The Ongoing Conflict

With the end of World War One and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the allied powers in Europe were left in control of the Ottoman territory in the Middle East. The nation of France was left in control of the area now known as Syria and Lebanon. The French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon, which was formalized in 1922, officially made France responsible for creating the two states and preparing them for self-governance (Kjeilen). By 1943 both nations had achieved their independence from France, and they agreed to a tentative mutual security agreement. However relations between the two nations remained strained. While the governments of both nations were unified in their opposition to

Much of the international news right now seems to relate to the crisis situation created by the civil war in Syria. The topic is on the minds of politicians, especially regarding the Syrian refugees hoping to escape the dangers of the war. Syrian rebels are attempting to overthrow the existing government. Some of these rebels have the support of the United States while others, such as those who are connected to ISIS, do not. Russia has intervened on the side of the Syrian government. The reasoning for their intervention is perceived differently depending on the political theory followed in the explanation. The three major theories in international relations are realism, liberalism, and constructivism -- each of which will be discussed in terms of how they would explain the Russian intervention in Syria.

Syria’s civil war is the worst humanitarian crisis of modern time. The “Syrian Civil war Began in March of 2011, between rebel brigades and government force; economy and infrastructure is destroyed” (Library, 2016). “Divisions between secular and religious fighters, and between ethnic groups, continue to complicate the politics of the conflict” (Corps, 2016). Additionally, the Syrian civil war has taken a significant

I am writing to you today as a student at the College of William and Mary. I am in an International Security class and recently we studied the events occurring in Syria. As you are well aware, the situation in Syria has been dramatically deteriorating in recent months with the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the recent entrance of Russia into the conflict. Syria, meanwhile, has been in the midst of a ravaging civil war since the early spring of 2011. Currently, the government of Syria is led by President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the Syrian Ba’ath Party, a branch of the same Ba’ath Party that Saddam Hussein was also a member of. This similarity may lead some to think that Syria will end up like Iraq, with a

Before World War I, the countries of Europe competed with one another in a race to colonize the world. The end of World War I brought national sovereignty, and an end to colonization to the forefront of the Allies’ concerns as they drew up plans for peace, and as a result, the Allied countries received former enemy colonies to watch over and guide to independence1. As a result of this mandate system, among other colonies, France received Syria. Instead of guiding Syria to independence, however, as the conflict dragged on, France forgot its mission and attempted to subdue Syrian resistance to her humanitarian efforts. This paper will address the following questions: Who is more to blame for the violence, the Syrians or the French? What did

A current issue on the minds and agendas of the international community is the Syrian Refugee Crisis. The situation has only escalated since its start in 2011, and as the number of displaced Syrians reaches over 9 million, countries around the world, not just the ones in the Middle East, are increasing efforts to offer asylum and aid for these people. The Syrian Refugee Crisis began with peaceful anti-government protests in March of 2011, but after the violent response of the government, rebels, army defectors, and many civilians formed the Free Syrian Army by July of the same year (Mercy Corps, Sept 2nd, 2015). The presence of ISIS within Syria and the differing views of religious groups (namely Sunni and Shiite) in the country only add to the chaos of destruction of the country and the Syrian people’s lives and homes. With the constant state of war within the country, basic necessities like food, water, and shelter have become scarce and Syrian people are looking to find new homes of stability and safety. The large majority of Syrians have fled to the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey. However the burden of harboring these refugees has put huge stress on the countries as the sheer number of people entering the country becomes too much to handle. Today one in five people living in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee (Mercy Corps, Sept 2nd, 2015). With the neighboring countries already beyond capacity, Syrians are looking for shelter in places outside this

Currently, in both the United States and South America there is no segregation. However tension between races in both countries still exist. In the United States, African Americans make up the minority of the race. As a result, many feel that they still are not valued as equally as the white majority. The white majority disagrees, however, resulting in conflict over differing opinions. In South Africa the roles are flipped, but the tension still remains. Some of the white minority feels superior to the black majority and thus feel that the apartheid was justified. Conversely, some black Africans still want retribution for the years of oppression that they have faced.

In addition, the non-intervention by Saudi Arabia will be examined and this paper will attempt to determine why they have not become involved in the Syrian Civil War despite being a large power in

‘’In the winter of 1915-1916, two diplomats, Sir Mark Sykes of Britain and François Georges-Picot of France secretly met to decide the fate of the post-Ottoman Arab world. According to what would become known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, the British and French agreed to divide up the Arab world among themselves.’’ (Fromkin) In the agreement, the British would get control of Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan while the French would get control of Syria, Lebanon, and turkey.’’ The Sykes-Picot Agreement contradicted the promises that were made to Sherif Hussein by the British this caused a huge amount of tension between the British and Arabs. But, this isn’t the last of conflicting agreements the British would make.’’

Imagine. The world around you is falling apart. Turmoil and chaos surround you as you are awoken by explosions, firefights, screaming, and crying every morning. You go to bed every night wondering if someone will break into your home and steal anything valuable that has not been taken by the civil war already. You think about the dead bodies you saw on the side of the road; how they got there, what they did to deserve such a punishment, how their loved ones are doing and if they have found out the horrendous news yet. You are left with the choice to either continue to take your chances in your war torn country or you can accept the unknown and attempt to run away from all the chaos that you have known for the past few years. The latter might sound like the obvious choice, but where will you go? Every country surrounding Syria has closed its borders, so where do you? How will you continue to feed yourself? Your children..? This is just the average day in the life of a citizen of Syria. The Middle East has seen turmoil for years, and this civil war is not going to make anything better. Therefore, I find it crucial to continue to maintain the same amount intervention with Syria as the world has been. Success in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will depend on a clear, effective U.S. strategy in the region. It is in the best interests of the U.S. to ensure that ISIS is

Syria has been the epicenter of wars and prosperity for many decades. Whether it’s the Syrian-Franco war that gave their independence, or the flood of Universities that entered in the 1950’s; it’s always been a mixed bag with Syria. Many people will look at the destabilize modern Syria and wonder “How did it get to this point?”, well in reality it was not one event rather a concurrency of events that all led up to Syria’s likely demise.

As of recent, there is an ongoing debate over the response of the Obama administration related to the events occurring in Syria and the potential violation by the Syrian government of customary international law and relevant treaties and conventions in the use of chemical weapons against its own people. The conflict itself has history which is required to be thoroughly examined before conclusions can be placed and actions are to be carried out. The Syrian Civil War has not only affected the lives of Syria’s citizens but has becoming a pressing issue in direct international relations between countries like Russia and the United States. Obama’s administration has their own response to the crisis at hand and believes that a military strike is a fully legal move to make given the situation present at hand. According to the evidence, it would seem possible that a violation has not occurred and that the threat by Obama’s administration to use force in the Syrian crisis stands on illegitimate grounds because the proceedings are done by Syrian government on their own grounds. However the atrocious actions committed by the Assad regime could in fact provide legality to military intervention by the United States. Finally, the focus will be to determine whether chemical weapons are in fact the sole factor for international intervention.

In recent news, Syrians have been seeking to overthrow their authoritarian leader Bashar al-Assad. As a result, a civil war has killed over an estimated 120,000 Syrians and has also left many displaced. In the meanwhile, international efforts have been complicated and passive. In the United States, pressure is building in congress on whether or not to intervene. Though intervention has proved successful in Libya, which faced a similar civil war, it is unsure if such an attack would be practical in Syria. The US, widely known for its humanitarian outreach, is under question on whether or not they have a moral imperative to step in, while also considering its possible negative outcomes for itself and the international community as a whole.

Syrian civil war started in 2011 was the outcome of the opposition against the President Bashar al-Assad regime. The uprising emerged as a response to the Arab spring movement that lead to regime change in Tunisia and subsequently turned into mass unrest rooted into the discontent with long-term dictatorship and poor economic situation in the country (Manfreda, n.d.). The number of Syrian citizens killed in the civil war reached 140000 since March 2011 (SBS 2014). The European Commission (2014, 2) reports approximately 9.3 million civilians “in need for humanitarian assistance”. The scale of armed rebellion between government and opposition that lead to an increasing number of casualties among civilians did not remain unnoticed by the

Despite the successful transition into a democracy, a country that poorly manages conflicts is what haunts South Africa to date. It continues to defy the promotion of good governance. Often times finding difficulty for the citizens of South Africa to meaningfully express their demands and concerns without violence as a means to get attention. Violence seems to be a legacy long left behind from a country torn by apartheid. A country where violence seems to be a first resort rather than a last. To understand the structure of South Africa today one must recognize the function of it’s past. The identification of society and its conflicts must be understood to help with the development of conflict resolution.