Tensions Rising in the Middle East
The civil war in Syria has been a critical story for weeks, lately focused on the displacement of thousands of Syrians fleeing the war torn country. This week however has brought news of Russia entering the fold in a more hands-on manner in the debacle in Syria. The war on ISIS has spread outside of Syria and across the Middle East but the civil war in Syria still rages between the rebels and President Bashar Al-Assad. Russia now, has begun using air strikes in Syria which would seem like a positive to add such a large power to the coalition in the Middle East. However Russia does not share the same outlook as the United States does on Syria.
The United States wants to overthrow President Al-Assad and end the civil war, Russia also wants to end the war but they want to help President Al-Assad win the war and crush the rebellion. The United States was under the impression that Russia was going to be bombing ISIS targets in Syria to help destroy ISIS but instead Russia bombed Syrian rebels that the United States are backing against President Al-Assad. The two nations have agreed to try and stop the rise of ISIS together, but beyond that broad agreement there seems to be little shared ground on how to do so.
This is causing a new tension between Russia and the United States that has a feeling very reminiscent of the Cold War with the two great powers of the age supporting conflicting sides of a civil war. Obama has tried to emphasize a diplomatic approach for Russia and the United States to work together on helping the Syrian Crisis. Now, however, the scenario is heating up and it is becoming a concern that the next few weeks of diplomacy may impact a generation of foreign policy. Will the United States continue to push for diplomatic answers while Russia insists on being aggressive at every turn? This question does not only involve the future of the Middle East and its conflict but the entire world. The relations between the United States and Russia have been strained at best lately and with this new diplomatic stalemate the entire world should be on high alert.
Levi Rattliff
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/03/middleeast/syria-russia-airstrikes/index.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34432440
http://news.yahoo.com/russian-jets-mount-air-strikes-syria-095758940.html