As I write this, Russia is not only conducting airstrikes against ISIS, but against the enemies of Bashar al-Assad. Considering the UK, US and many other countries don’t think Syria has a future under his regime, it was no surprise then to hear that Barack Obama condemned Putin’s move as “a recipe for disaster“. America’s problem doesn’t end there. Iran too is propping up the current government, while China has heavily been rumoured to back Assad too.
The problem doesn’t end here. Not only are the world powers quarrelling over what a post-war Syrian government would be, Europe is torn over the ongoing migrant crisis, with hundreds of thousand of refugees mainly from Syria flocking to its shores, even at immense personal risk. While countries like Germany are projected to have very generously accepted 800,000 people this calendar year, Hungary has set up a barrier between itself and neighbouring Serbia, and Slovakia doesn’t seem to be too keen on accepting Muslims. Hungary claims that currently the conditions of the Dublin regulation (which means asylum seekers must register at the first EU country they arrive at) are not being met, and while it’s true that this is happening not nearly enough, one of two things must now happen: Either the EU changes to accommodate for these migrants, or these migrants change and abide by the EU.
This crisis is dividing dividing not only the EU but the UN too. This week’s 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly was dominated by the steely handshake between Barack Obama and Vladmir Putin. With the two arguing about Syria on very different grounds, what could they have possibly agreed on?
It seems that all which can be hoped for at this point is compromise. Both the EU and UN must recognise the eclectic views of its constituents, and note that some countries for various reasons will take more people than others. They must also promote international dialogue on brokering the end of the civil war, which is the root of all these issues. Once agreements are made on these subjects, then we can move on. Amid reports that the Schengen zone may be in danger, these are tough times for these two institutions often criticised for being too bureaucratic.
So with a civil war that has raged on for years remaining to displace millions, and a subsequent refugee crisis emerging out of it, what does the future hold for Syria? As unfortunate as it is, I find it hard to see a solution to this any time soon.
Think I’ve missed something? Drop a comment below!
Pertinent Problems 
Syria has been a mess for quite some time. There are those in Congress and elsewhere who would have the U S jump in with both feet. Unfortunately, from the beginning, we had no idea who the US should ally with among the Syrian rebels. Recently it came out that the weapons we gave to moderate forces had ended up in the jihadists hands. I think the Obama Administration felt burned with Libya. And I agree the post-Qaddafi Libya has turned into a mess. As we know from all the refugees from Libya.
My feeling is that at least the Russians are trying to stabilize the situation in Syria. The old saw that says, The enemy of your enemy is your friend, makes a lot of sense. The problem with Syria is that Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting there by proxy. From the beginning the Saudis have urged the US to go into Syria whole hog. We should do as much as we can to help Jordan and the Kurds and the Iraqis. As soon as ISIS is run out of Syria, they will be throwing everything they have into Norther Iraq. We should make them feel very unwelcome there. In other words, let Russia take care of Syria and the US and Iran take care of Northern Iraq. Also we need to focus on Lebanon so that the ISIS virus does not break out there. In addition, Israel needs to come to an accord with the Palestinians so that the West Bank and Gaza is a buffer zone. But ultimately as long as Saudi Arabia and Iran make mischief, we will continue to see Syrias all over the Middle East. Until the Europeans decide they’ve had enough and take action, then they will continue to have to deal with massive populations of refugees.
My suggestion, as far as the refugees, is to urge Putin to carve out territory in Syria where Syrians will feel safe. To not allow Assad and his gang to bomb or gas those in that zone. This could be a win-win for the Syrians and for Putin. If he did that, his international prestige would go up.
Finally, there are a lot of people who don’t want to deal with Putin. Unfortunately Putin ain’t going any place. This means that the United States has to learn how to deal with Putin the way we did with Brezhnev and the other Soviet leaders. Henry Kissinger called this real politk. The best we can do is manage events. We sure can’t fix everything. To think otherwise is to say if wishes were horses. Well, wishes aren’t horses.
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Nicely put, though I think we both know that’s not happening anytime soon. The thing is there are no soft solutions to this issue, and there isn’t enough left in Europe or the US to do anything tough anymore. The job of world’s cop is almost up for grabs and no one seems in a position to take up the offer.
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And even if the US is trying to, it’s not doing it really very well
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It’s not trying to. For one, it’s tired, for another Syria is not oil rich like Kuwait or Saudi Arabia or Iraq.
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I’ve learnt a fair bit from this comment and I agree with you wholeheartedly. It would be nice to see Putin and Obama come to some agreement.
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I’ve learnt a fair bit from this comment and I agree with you wholeheartedly. It would be nice to see Putin and Obama come to some agreement.
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I love the article.
Before you know it, Europe will be accepting Syria’s entire population. Likewise, lets hope an agreement is finalised soon.
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Great commentary; I am as befuddled as many are. What do we do, how do we do it, and when do we do it? As a citizen of the U.S., I have to admit I condemned our entry into Syria, in any manner. No one in our government could really say who the good guy’s were, versus the bad.
There is no easy answer, but as we enter into the winter season in Europe it is imperative that all of humanity needs to provide housing, food and warmth for the refugees. I can’t even fathom the monetary effect this is having upon all nations involved.
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