Everything You Need to Know About the Syrian Civil War ABC News
As the United States moves closer to a possible military strike on Syria, an already complicated international crisis is about to get even messier. From how Syria got embroiled in a bloody civil war in the first place to why the U.S. is getting involved now, here's everything you need to know about Syria, but were too afraid to ask. "
At just 67-years-old, Syria is a nation that has endured the amount of political strife of a country more than twice its age. Following its independence from France in 1946, Syria quickly fell into a pattern of political instability and military coups for the first few decades of its existence.
The most prominent of these conflicts stemmed from Syria's involvement in the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, during which Syria and its Arab allies were defeated by Israeli forces. The conflict planted the seeds for future animosity to grow between the two countries, while giving way to the rise of nationalist sentiments and concentrated military power.
Continued political uncertainty in the region erupted in 2011 during the Arab Spring, and eventually manifested in Syria as protesters rose in opposition of the reigning Baathist regime."
*What will happen if the U.S. does intervene?
As reported by ABC's Colleen Curry, U.S. intervention might lead to a much larger chain reaction in the Middle East, possibly involving Syrian allies like Hezbollah and Iran. In a more dire situation, Syria could even launch attacks on Israel, a strong U.S. ally.
"When you do a military strike it often has ramifications you don't anticipate," said Dan Byman, a senior fellow of foreign policy at Brookings Institute."
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/syrian-civil-war/story?id=20112311
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