Syria+4

SYRIA  by Alison, Peter , and Vicky The ares in Syria owned by the British or French after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Created originally as a French mandate, Syria has endured riot after riot, and rebellion after rebellion. A p redominately Sunni country, it is ruled by Alawite Shi'ites, a minority. The Syrians fought for independence in the 1940’s just as they fight for a Ba’ath party-free government today. Conflicts over the past century vary from external issues such as land-driven wars with Israel to internal conflicts like the oppression of the Kurds by the Shi'ite government. Syria’s violent but successful past has been the fuel for the Arab Spring led by the Free Syrian Army, an organization that strives to end Assad’s leadership and reinstate a fair and liberal government. Coups, unions, and oppressive governments were what it took to make Syria into the ever-changing country it is today.

**Time Line** 1918 - Following WWI, the Sykes-Picot agreement gives control of the Syrian area to France. It is ruled as a French Territory 1920-1946. 17 April 1946 - Syria gains independence from France. May 15, 1946 - Syria, Transjordan, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon attack Israel, fighting against a Zionist state. February 1, 1948 - Syria and Egypt form the United Arab Republic led by the socialist and radical Arab Ba'ath party. 1961 - After a coup, Syria ends its unity with Egypt. Later that year, Syria revokes the citizenship of its Kurds. 1963 - The pan-Arab Ba'ath party stages a coup with Hafez Assad, who becomes president. June 5-10 1967 - In the Six Day War, Israel takes the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Syria. 1970 - Hafez Assad takes full control. October 6, 1973 - The Yom Kippur War begins as Syria tries to regain the Golan Heights from Israel. 1976 - Syrian troops are stationed to Lebanon. There, Syria dominates Lebanon's foreign policy. 1981 - Israel annexes the Golan Heights. October 21, 1998 - Syria Branded the Kurdish Workers Party as a terrorist group. December 8, 1999 - Syria and Israel agree to be peaceful toward each other. June 11, 2000 - A day after Hafez Assad's death, Bashar Assad is elected to presidency by the Ba'ath party. 2002 - Syria is accused by the US of being part of the "axis of evil" and making and buying weapons of mass destruction. 2007 - Israel attacks what it claimed to be a Syrian nuclear facility. Syria says that it was an unused military facility. 2008 - Syria and Lebanon establish diplomatic relations. 2011-2012 - The Arab Spring, revolutions throughout the Arabian world in which protestors riot for more rights and then end of autocratic governments, spreads to Syria. March, 2011 - protestors demand the resignation of Bashar al-Assad.

= Famous People and Groups: =

Sultan al-Atrash:
-Led revolt through Syrian and Lebanon against French mandates -French sentenced al-Atrash to death but he escaped to Transjordan -Returned to Syria in 1937 after signing Franco-Syrian Treaty -Participated in Independence Intifada in 1945 that led to Syrian independence -One of the most popular leaders. Hafez al-Assad and Nasser have both honored him for leading revolutions

Gamal Nasser:
-The Syrian Baath Party requested a United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria. They merged into a single unit of southern Egypt and northern Syria with Nasser as president -In 1959 Yemen joined and they called themselves the United Arab States. -In 1961 Syria withdrew from the union after a military coup and Yemen followed shortly after ending the union

Hafez al-Assad:
-Joined Syrian wing of the Baath Party in 1946 -Syria lost Golan Heights to Israel in 6 day war in June 1967 which affected the future of his ruling -Became prime minister in 1971, then president after -al-Assad tried to establish Syria as a leader of the Arab world -Led surprise attack on Israel in 1973 with the help of Egypt -Joined U.S. led alliance against Iraq in the Persian Gulf War from 1990-1991 -Tried to make peace with Israel but still wanted return of Golan Heights

Bashar al-Assad:
-Son of Hafez al-Assad -His brother Basil was going to become president but he died, so Bashar inherited presidency in 2000 -Economy was already bad when he started -Many problems were in place: He had to maintain military presence in Lebanon and settle water quarrels with Turkey

** Ba'ath Party ** -A pan-Arab organization that currently dictates Syria -Founded by Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar -Is opposed to westernism and wants to unify the whole Arab world into a single state. -Its moto is "Unity, Liberty, Socialism."

= Twentieth Century Issues in Syria = In October of 1918, Emir Feisal, supported by the British army took over Damascus, Syria and ended the 400 year long Ottoman reign. However, in June of 1920, the the San Remo conference placed Syria under a French Mandate, ending Feisal's kingdom. During the mid 1920's, nationalistic revolutions spread through Syria. All attempts at a new constitution were quickly shut down by the French government. In 1936, France agreed to grant Syria independence as long as France was still controlling it economically and militarily. After WWII and the fall of the French to the Germans, the Syrians gained complete independence in 1946. In 1947, the Ba'ath party was founded by Michel Aflaq and Salah-al-Din al-Bitar. The Ba'ath party is a radical and socialist group that wants the resurrection of a clean Arabian state. In 1958, Syria and Egypt formed the United Arab Republic, with an Egyptian president ruling the state. However, the president's decision to dissolve Syrian political parties upset the Ba'ath party, which prompted the Syrian military to take over Damascus and end the union. In 1967, the Israeli army took the Golan Heights from Syria and destroyed much of its air force. In 1973, after Assad had been elected for a seven-year-term, rioting broke out because Assad had disbanded the requirement for presidents to be Muslim. The rioters accused him of being atheist, but they were subdued by the military. In the early 70's, Syria attempted to regain the Golan Heights from Israel and upon failure, Assad said he would be willing to make peace with Israel provided that Israel gave up its Syrian land. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, riots broke out in Syria. A member of the Muslim Brotherhood attempted to assassinate Assad, but failed. In 2000, Assad was succeeded by his son, Bashar. The Golan Heights, the land that was disputed between Israel and Syria.

= Twenty-First Century Issues in Syria = The early 2000's for Syria was marked by sparring with Israel, in which Israel bombed varies sites in Syria claiming they were being used to develop nuclear weapons or train terrorists, and lessening tensions with Lebanon, where Syria ending a decades long occupation in 2005, and other surrounding countries. The most important events in recent Syrian history, however, are related to the Arab Spring revolutions sparked in Tunisia. Attention has beem drawn to Syria, as it is the largest revolution currently going on. Most of the rulers of Syria's government and military are Alawite Shi'ite Muslims, whereas the majority of Syria's population is Arab Sunni Muslims. This ethnic and religious difference between the government and the people, along with the fact that the government is brutally repressive and very reluctant to enact any reforms, are the main reasons that the Syrian uprising has taken place. Protests in Syria began in early 2011, and the government reacted in a very heavy handed fashion towards the protesters. In November 2011, Syria was suspended from the Arab League. The Syrian government's extreme brutality has led to a death toll among Syrian citizens that may be more than 7,000 people, with some of the most intense bloodshed of recent happening in the city of Homs, which is being unmercifully shelled by the Syrian government to try and break the Free Syrian Army's presence there. The Free Syrian Army is the armed rebel force led trying to unseat al-Assad from power. Many international countries have condemned the actions of the Syria government, but an attempt at passing a resolution calling for Assad to step down, but it was blocked, mainly by Russia. Russia did this because they have billions of dollars invested in Syria, and are also selling the government weapons and their sole submarine base on the Mediterranean Sea is in Syria. Russian delegates met with Syrian leaders earlier this week, and called for a cease-fire. Everyday new events occur, so by the time you read this anything could have happened in Syria.

.. The revolts in Syria, protesting Assad's government.

A map showing where the rebellions have been taking place since March 2011

media type="youtube" key="FdpzVlhKlqs" height="315" width="560"  The story of an undercover NBC worker in Syria

** An article from the first weeks of the Arab Spring in Syria, at which time al-Assad was contemplating giving in to the rioters or oppressing them. **   - [|NYDailyNews.com - Syrian President Bashar Assad wavers on crackdown or compromise]   - Posted a week before Bashar al-Assad's speech to the entire nation, this article centers around the beginning of the revolutions and the governments first attempts to calm them. Around this time, Bashar realized he would make concessions to give more civil liberties and political freedoms. Bashar was worried that instability in Syria could lead to the "destabilizing [of] the entire region." ** An article describing Russia's support of Bashar al-Assad's government while other European countries turn against it. **  - [|The New York Times - As Nations Line Up Against Syrian Government, Russia Sides Firmly With Assad]   - Based on reasons such as Syria importing many of Russia's weapons and the threat of an Arabian war provided that Assad loses the rebellion, Russia is backing Syria during the Arab Spring. Russian officials say that they are acting within their rights, and it supporting Syria is not a choice between good and bad for Russia, but a choice between bad and worse. ** The following is an excerpt from an interview between Cecily Hilleary and Colonel Riad al-Assad, the leader of the Free Syrian Army. **  ** Hilleary **: What is your mission?


 * Al-Asaad **: As Commander of the Free Syrian Army [FSA], my mission is to protect the protesters and defend Syrian people and cities against violations, the killing of innocent people, and I seek an end to this regime, which is a criminal, brutal regime run by gangsters who are unlawfully ruling Syria.


 * Hilleary: ** Do you have enough manpower and weaponry to accomplish this mission?


 * Al-Asaad: ** No. The FSA is not equipped with the necessary equipment. However, we are on the ground fighting back, using our strong beliefs, supported by the entire population, and that is enough to enable us to protect our people and topple the regime in a short period of time, God willing.

---


 * Hilleary: ** In making the decision to turn against the Syrian army, the defectors face tremendous risks.


 * Al-Asaad: ** The risks are great. They are facing assassinations, arrest and death sentences. However, any Syrian who has decided to defect has been willing to devote his life, without fear, to going forward with the struggle against the regime – to the end.


 * Hilleary: ** Are they all under the FSA’s command—and have there been any difficulties coordinating with the various brigades?


 * Al-Asaad: ** Yes. There were some difficulties. That’s why we have formed regiments on the ground across Syria and we communicate on a daily basis. I am not working alone. There are officers assigned to command different areas, and each one is communicating with his area and coordinating with officers in that area. So we are in complete coordination with each other. Operations are carried out with my knowledge and they are carried out in a systematic, well thought-out strategy against Assad’s forces.


 * Hilleary: ** Are Shi’a, Sunni and Alawites represented among your ranks? Some media reports have…


 * Al-Asaad: ** Not at all. We reject sectarianism, as we have suffered from it under this regime for 40 years of injustice and oppression that used a sectarian approach. As for us, we reject such an approach and we are open to all people and allow all factions to join the FSA, with no discrimination whatsoever between Alawites, Druze, Christians and even Kurds. We invite all to join this Free Army, so that it can be a real national army that is really protecting the country and allowing every Syrian citizen the right to live in a secure country, within their beloved homeland.


 * Hilleary: ** Today, we hear that the United Nations has, for the first time, referred to the crisis in Syria as a “civil war.” Do you agree with that assessment?

 ** Al-Asaad: ** No. It is not a civil war. It is rather a war by the regime against its own people. It is a gangster’s campaign against the Syrian people. Ironically, the regime perceives the Syrians as slaves. That is why this criminal gang is launching a war against a helpless people.  I assure you, Syrians have been killed by the tens of thousands – not just 4,000 [the U.N.'s latest figure] – because thousands are missing and their loved ones have never learned their whereabouts, especially for those in detention camps and prisons. A lot of detainees were found dead on the streets or in forests. The brutal torture of detainees by the regime has resulted in many deaths—so the regime has resorted to just dumping their bodies into the woods or along roadways.

 ** Hilleary: ** If you had a chance to deliver a personal message to the U.S. President, what would you tell him?


 * Al-Asaad: ** I urge President Obama to stand by the Syrian people, who have been dealt with unjustly. Syrians are being killed, raped, subjected to theft. They are losing their homes. Syrians deserve the same rights to freedom that American people enjoy, so I call on President Obama to really support the Syrian people quickly – until this regime falls. The entire Syrian population has already decided that this regime should leave.

** On the other side of things, this video is an interview between Barbara Walters and Bashar al-Assad on his opinion on the current issue in Syria. **  media type="custom" key="12404644"

1) What was the reason behind most of the wars with Israel?
 * 1) The land in the Gaza Strip
 * 2) The land in the Golan Heights
 * 3) The need to westernize
 * 4) The difference between various muslim sects.

2) Which of the following is **NOT** true about Hafez al-Asaad?
 * 1) He allied with the US against Iraq.
 * 2) He believed in the pan-arab ideals of the Ba’ath party.
 * 3) He encouraged rebellions across the Arabian world to gain power.
 * 4) He became president by staging a coup.

3) Who controlled Syria prior to independence (but after the Ottoman Empire)?
 * 1) Germany
 * 2) Britain
 * 3) France
 * 4) Spain

4) Who was the president of the United Arab Republic?
 * 1) Gamal Nasser
 * 2) Sultan al-Atrash
 * 3) Bashar al-Assad
 * 4) Hafez al-Assad

5) In which area of Syria has the government been most harsh?
 * 1) Damascus
 * 2) Homs
 * 3) Golan Heights
 * 4) Room 706.

6) What is the name of the militant group in Syria attempting to overthrow the Assad Regime?
 * 1) Ba’ath Party
 * 2) United Arab Republic
 * 3) Al Qaeda
 * 4) Free Syrian Army

Disclaimer: All information is subject to change at any moment due to how freakishly current this stuff is. Literally. Most of the information we used was published this morning. I bet you anything the rest of it was published tomorrow morning.