The realpolitik, religion and proxy conflicts of West Asia are a policy challenge India must navigate deftly.
THE RECAPTURE OF ALEPPO by the Assad government in Syria has catapulted the Syrian civil war into every living room in India and elsewhere. The humanitarian horror on TV screens is, however, only the tip of the iceberg of a complex conflict that has deep roots and presents unique dangers to Indian interests, given our geographic proximity and selective dependencies with the region. Unlike many other civil wars with a limited number of factions, Syria is characterised by a mind-numbing array of actors and contests at many levels. Unscrambling their taxonomy is vital if we are to understand their geopolitics, and what it could all mean for India.
In fact, Syria is neither an isolated theatre nor a single war. Rather, it is part of a continuous, interlinked spatial terrain of conflict stretching from the Mediterranean coast all the way up to the Iranian border. Within this space, multiple fierce conflicts have been raging since the ‘Arab Spring’ revolutions in 2011 and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Alongside the conflicts in the Syria-Iraq region, there is also a separate but related conflict underway in Yemen.
First, the actors. Four levels, in increasing scales of power and geography, can be identified. Numerous armed non-state actors form the first and lowest level. These include the extremist Sunni Ahrar al-Sham, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (till recently, Al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate) and Jaish al-Islam among many others, the moderate Sunni Free Syrian Army, radical Shia militias such as the Sadrist Kataib al-Imam Ali, the Alawite Shabiha, smaller factions of armed Assyrian Christians and Turkomans, and somewhat separately, the Kurdish nationalist PKK, confined to southern Turkey. These militias are small relative to the other actors, often territorially interspersed in byzantine ways, and are typically allied with one or more of the larger players.
This story is from the January 16, 2017 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 16, 2017 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Check On Sale Of Insurance
Complaints about insurance mis-selling come up mostly when a claim is rejected or the policyholder doesn't get what he thinks he bought the policy for
How To Make Better Financial Decisions
Let logic, not emotion, dictate your wealth choices. Understand your emotions first, then temper them with facts, and you will arrive at better financial decisions
WHEN DO YOU GET AN INCOME TAX REFUND?
An assessee becomes entitled to an income tax refund when the tax they have paid exceeds what they are liable to pay in a financial year
STANDING UP AND TRANSFORMING LIVES
THE LAUNCH EVENT OF THE MAHINDRA RISE INITIATIVE, ORGANISED BY THE INDIA TODAY GROUP AND MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA, HONOURED WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS WHO ARE LEADING THE CHARGE FOR A BETTER INDIA
THE SENSE OF ARRIVAL
Samantha Ruth Prabhu's journey in the film industry has been about finding success by overcoming fear
IN THE SAFE ZONE
AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES ARE INCREASINGLY FOCUSSED ON BETTER AND MORE ADVANCED SAFETY FEATURES IN THEIR CARS. HEIGHTENED CUSTOMER AWARENESS HAS GIVEN THIS AN ADDED IMPETUS
TWIN STRIKE
WE GET A LEG OVER APRILIA'S MADE-IN-INDIA RS 457 AT THE GRUELLING KARI MOTOR SPEEDWAY
INDIAN SAFETY RATINGS FOR CARS
THE BHARAT NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM RATES THEM FOR BOTH ADULT AND CHILD OCCUPANT PROTECTION
THE MEDIUM, NOT THE MESSAGE
We live in an age where there is an economy built on distraction and a complete corruption of attention.
HAIL TO THE KING - THE HYUNDAI CRETA GETS MAJOR UPDATES, LOOKS SET TO CONTINUE AS SEGMENT LEADER
Just under four years after the arrival of the second generation Creta, Hyundai has given its bestseller a major overhaul with a significant redesign of the exterior and interior, more features, enhanced safety and a new turbo petrol powertrain.