The Continued Chaos in Syria

As anyone who has glanced at a newspaper in the last two years knows, there is a pretty massive conflict in Syria right now. The initial protests started in March 2011 and have since escalated into a destructive civil war with no end in sight. In many long-running news stories, it is easy for those not directly involved to grow desensitized to the issue; we grow accustomed to hearing about new bombings, we’re used to the uncertainty. However, being lulled into a state of apathy is harmful.

The United States is poised on a brink similar to that before US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  In the next weeks Congress will be deciding on if the United States should have a greater presence in Syria, and what that would look like. The opinions on the issue are wide-ranging and entirely passionate.  Meanwhile, President Obama is travelling to Europe, looking for allies in the Swedish Prime Minister and the British Parliament.  The chaos in Syria is causing many other tensions in the Middle East, Jordan’s resources are strained to their limits taking care of the near 900 refugees that cross the border each day, Israel and Iran's opposing views on the conflict adds more strife to the stressed relations, and foreign jihadists flock to Syria to make a claim for a new government. Meanwhile, in Syria itself, it’s important to remember fighting is still happening with heavy casualties; thirty Syrians died in violence yesterday, and with the alleged introduction of chemical weapons the situation could become even bloodier. The UN declared the chemical weapons as having included the chemical sarin, and having killed 1,500 people including over 400 children. The Syrian civil war is volatile, and ignoring it won’t make it go away. The issue has created a ripple-effect, and as complications continue, it will be harder to keep up. The importance of being informed now cannot be over-stressed.

Al-Jazeera. "Syria's War." Al-Jazeera America. Al Jazeera, n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2013. <http://america.aljazeera.com/topics/topic/event/syria-war.html >.

Malbrunot, Georges . "La mise en garde d'Assad à la France." Le Figaro. Le Figaro, 2 Sept. 2013. Web. 3 Sept. 2013. <www.lefigaro.fr/international/2013/09/02/01003-20130902ARTFIG00532-la-mise-en-garde-d-el-assad-a-la-france.php >.

Weaver, Matthew, and Tom McCarthy. "Syria Live." The Guardian. The Guardian, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2013. <www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2013/sep/03/syria-crisis-2-million-refugees-live >.

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