Syria as an Arena of Strategic Competition
Abstract
Less than two years since the beginning of the uprising in Syria, localized protests have morphed into full-blown civil conflict. What began as youths scrawling anti-regime graffiti in Daraa has given way to a countrywide insurgency that pits regime loyalists against a hodgepodge of army defectors, volunteers, and committed jihadists. Parallel to this internal escalation, the conflict has drawn in external actors, including both Syria s neighbors and extra-regional powers. There is a cruel irony in Syria emerging as an arena of strategic competition: The country that has traditionally used neighboring states as terrain for prosecuting its own conflicts has now become the object of external intervention. With the regional balance of power hinging on the conflict s outcome, Middle Eastern and extra-regional states have taken sides some in support of the Assad regime, others in support of the opposition. To address the issue of external involvement in Syria, RAND convened an analytic exercise on November 16, 2012, that brought together 26 subject matter experts who cover Syria and the various external players in the conflict. The purpose of the exercise, and of this report, was to generate a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between internal and external actors involved in Syria and how this dynamic is influencing the trajectory of the conflict. The United States was not a particular focus of discussion for several reasons. First, the exercise was designed to further understanding of the impact of outside intervention in Syria, not to debate U.S. policy options regarding the appropriate scope of American assistance to the opposition. Second, the United States has had a limited role in the conflict thus far relative to other external players. And finally, much has already been written about the costs and benefits of greater U.S. action in Syria.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA575844
Entities
People
- Erin York
- Jeffrey Martini
- William Young
Organizations
- RAND Corporation