The Syrian civil war tends to be an ongoing multi-sided civil war, which has multiple actors involved in it. In one side, the US , Turkey and in the other side Iran and Russia. The article clearly states how Syria’s civil war long has provided a free-for-all battlefield for proxy fighters. But in its ninth year, it is drawing major foreign actors into direct conflict, with the threat of all-out confrontations becoming a real possibility.
Russia tends to have a major role in the Syrian civil war, because of its long history with Syria and its military bases. Also, Turkey has a key role in its need to overthrow the Bashar regime even though it did fail with the direct US and Russia involvement.
The civil war in Syria is far from being a normal civil war or an overthrow of the Bashar regime, it is actually the new political confrontation , seek for world power and expansion of either the US or the Russian influence. I see it as the new indirect cold war era, between both sides once again. “The history repeating itself”, however this time will end up by destroying the middle east and getting control over it.
Ghada,
Syria remains a difficult and contentious case. As you say, there are so many foreign powers involved, and the Assad regime has the blood of thousands on his hands, given that the casualty count is now approaching 500,000 and millions have been left homeless and have had to flee the country. It does appear that the civil war may now be in its final stages, since Assad has been able (with the help of Russia and Iran) to re-take most of the territory that had been lost.
But that leaves the obvious question: what comes next? How will Syria possibly re-build the shattered cities and infrastructure? How will it repatriate the millions of refugees? And will the Russians, Iranians and Turks actually withdraw? –Professor Wallerstein