Syria and Arabs in the 21st Century

Syria and Arabs in the 21st Century

Syria has been in the headlines a lot in the last 7 years; this past week Syria has come to the forefront again. Today is December 25, 2018. A big day for Christians worldwide, a weird economic and political time for the United States. And as perpetually, a tough time for Arabs to figure out who and where they are. Many Arab Christians, a small but significant minority in many current Arab nations, are fearful for their survival now and into the future.

President Donald Trump arbitrarily (that's my description) announced the removal of U.S. militarily troops from the country, summarily (my word again) declaring victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and As-Sham, ISIS, the 2014 caliphate arising from militant jihadi extremists of war torn Iraq and its neighbors.

Hmmmmm. The jury is out on that one.

The Arab lands have gone through much, much, much, upheaval and tumult over the last century. Map carving during and as a consequence of the epochs of World Wars I and II did their share of defining current borders, much of which were forced by Western minds and powers. Natives of those countries have struggled to find their places ever since.

The United States and other powers have had their impacts on the regions, both the Middle East and Arab Africa all of their modern existence. The US has been the planetary superpower for generations. With that power comes accountability and responsibility, something that the US presidents have done since Thomas Jefferson fighting the Barbary pirates, to Roosevelt sending troops to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, to the more recent escapades in Iraq and the Gulf. 

Not to forget about the goings on of the Suez Canal in the 1950s, the creation and battles of Israel,  the Marine disaster in Lebanon in 1983...

And now Syria.

Russia became a game changer when they went to the military aid of a losing Bashar al-Assad regime in 2015; Kurds and Turks and their endless conflict complicate the picture in northern Syria. Iran and its Iraqi proxies further complicate Syria.

So, do Russia and Iran now claim greater Syria for their own victorious claims?

That is one real fear. 

We understand that we, the US and its allies, do not want to waste valuable lives and money on lost causes. But is this how we see the divided Syria now?

Won? Safe? Nothing is secure where terrorists, and foreign armed adversaries roam.

Where we had plans to stamp out the worst of the militant jihadis dedicated to the destruction on the West and moderate Muslims, suddenly we are leaving.

The Arab world is already divided and fractured in ways that are both physical and emotional. 

Yemen is in shambles. Libya is divided, and largely lawless. 

Somalia, marginally Arab, has been 3 countries for almost 3 decades.

Palestine is not content; Israel's continued presence in occupied territory is a constant threat to the safety of all.

Extremists abound. On the other side of Iran, Afghanistan has its extremist issues...

They are not Arabs. But they suffer from the same symptoms of the Arab world:

Define a border, a government, a way of life, and try to prosper.

It's not happening today.  

The United States has priorities which affect how it deals in its policies with the whole world and the nations that are Arab, focusing on this specific region.

1. To protect its citizens.
2. To allow free trade and commerce.
3. To enforce laws and rules that allow the proper compliance with these priorities.

Part of the concern in protecting US citizens is so much instability in lands across the world that there is too much demand for foreigners to come to our country as refugees. There is also the freedom to travel and live across the world. 

Syria has become a no-go zone, as has Yemen and Libya. Other parts of the Arab world are far from hospitable. Saudi Arabia has proven tough to deal with due to issues of free speech and freedom of harsh rules and rulings.

The United States needs to improve its conditions in all aspects, but this is easier said than done.

Leaving Syria to the others that are there? Not sure that is the right course...

We were not leaving many injured or killed behind of our troops.

No easy answers.