Annotated Bibliography

(Humud, Blanchard, & Nikitin, 2019)
This website serves many purposes for my research and policy recommendations; it has
numerous statistics that other sources have not been able to provide with almost bi-monthly
updated reports. The primary purpose for using this article is due to its deep analysis of all
parties’ efforts or lack thereof in this civil war.
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL33487.html#_Toc4515297
(“What’s happening in Syria? – CBBC Newsround”, 2018)
This article takes a look at the origins of many of the different entities involved in Syria’s civil
war. The author surmises the genesis to be the protests that were disrupted with violent
government force in the city of Deraa. Also, there is a fundamental claim presented that the harsh
oppression on all facets of public life are what give fire to Syria’s current state.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16979186
(Higgins, 2019)
Syria struggles to hold power in its borders with the declining support from major powers like
the US. ISIS, while not as powerful as they once were in Syria, has gained its momentum in
neighboring state Iraq and is capable of resurgence. Due to the deceased security, ISIS has been
able to take a hold of sectors that they previously were not capable of gaining power in.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/08/withdrawal-of-us-troops-in-syria-strengthened-isis-dodwatchdog-
says.html
(Erickson, 2018)
The reason that the US got involved in Syria was because of its desire to provide humanitarian
aid, not for economic or political reasons. More than half of the entire country of Syria has
somehow been affected by the ongoing civil war; the death toll nears half a million Syrian lives
alone. Approximately 12 million Syrians have been displaced and half of them have taken refuge
in other states.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/12/syria-explained/
(Gerges, 2013)
Without the full backing of the US and UK, the Free Syrian Army is left in shambles. They
barely are able to ward off infiltrations by ISIS. Saudi Arabia and Iran’s ongoing proxy wars are
one of the largest obstacles for peace negotiations in the Arabian Peninsula.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/15/saudia-arabia-iran-proxy-war-syria
(Huber, Reid, & Koenig, 2019),
Of the approximately 6.7 million Syrians who have fled Syria to seek refuge, the majority of
them have stayed in the Middle East. This means that the neighboring Arabian states have felt the
biggest of strains due to their neighbors civil war. While the conditions that these refugees live in
is much better than what they would be dealing with in Syria, it is still a humanitarian crisis on
all fronts that cannot be left alone.

Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help

(Ignatius, 2015)
The reason that ISIS has seen the amount of success it has seen in its recent years is because of
its fresh ideology on unity that spans technology, political, and economic boundaries. Instead
perpetuating a nationalist dogma, like most modern states, it proposes unity based on religious
standards and justifies them by alluding to oppression by foreign states.
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/how-isis-started-syria-iraq/412042/
(R2P Monitor, 2019)
The intentional community has attempted to mitigate the situation in Syria by referring the
International Criminal Court. Although this was a solid effort, it is not enough when the full
attention of the UN is not directed towards the humanitarian aid necessary to see Syria move past
this status of war.
http://www.globalr2p.org/regions/syria
(Stavridis, 2018)
Stavridis claims the US has adopted a bystander position in the Syrian civil war. While yes the
US does host troops to provide aid, there is no actual improvements being made with this
gesture. The US needs to strong hold this situation by leading the UN negotiations and look to
repair relations with Turkey as they are a key ally in the region. Also, Russia and Iran can not be
left alone to psi their own agendas in the peninsula.
https://time.com/5195442/eastern-ghouta-syria-civil-war-anniversary/
(Hirsh, 2019)
The series of misguided decisions made by President Trump regarding Syria are not unique. Due
to the complexity of the issue, information is ever-evolving; the fact that there is not a constant to
the whole situation is what makes Syria a topic garnering international attention.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/08/the-problem-with-americas-syria-policy-isnt-trump-itssyria/
Bibliography
Erickson, A. (2018, December 18). 7 basic questions about the war in Syria. Retrieved from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/12/syria-explained/
Gerges, F. (2013, December 15). Saudi Arabia and Iran must end their proxy war in Syria |
Fawaz Gerges. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/
15/saudia-arabia-iran-proxy-war-syria
Higgins, T. (2019, August 8). Withdrawal of US troops in Syria strengthened ISIS resurgence,
DOD watchdog says. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/08/withdrawal-ofus-
troops-in-syria-strengthened-isis-dod-watchdog-says.html
Hirsh, M. (2019, January 8). The Problem With America’s Syria Policy Isn’t Trump. It’s Syria.
Retrieved from https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/08/the-problem-with-americas-syriapolicy-
isnt-trump-its-syria/
Huber, C., Reid, K., & Koenig, D. C. (2019, August 19). Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and
how to help. Retrieved from https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrianrefugee-
crisis-facts#fast-facts
Humud, C. E., Blanchard, C. M., & Nikitin, M. B. D. (2019, March 25). Armed Conflict in
Syria: Overview and U.S. Response. Retrieved from https://www.everycrsreport.com/
reports/RL33487.html#_Toc4515338
Ignatius, D. (2015, October 29). How ISIS Spread in the Middle East-and How to Stop It.
Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/how-isisstarted-
syria-iraq/412042/
R2P Monitor. (2019). Populations at Risk Current Crisis. Retrieved from http://
www.globalr2p.org/regions/syria
Stavridis, J. (2018, March 12). How the U.S. Can Help End the Syrian Civil War. Retrieved from
https://time.com/5195442/eastern-ghouta-syria-civil-war-anniversary/
(2018, April 16). What’s happening in Syria? – CBBC Newsround. Retrieved from https://
www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16979186