THE ASSAD’S ERA AND THE RISE OF CONFLICT.

The Assad family’s five decade grip on Syria has come to an end. Bashar al-Assad became president after the death of his father Hafez in 2000. His leadership faced international criticism for violently suppressing a 2011 uprising, which triggered a civil war causing over 500,000 deaths and massive displacement. 

Before 2011, economic struggles and a severe drought from 2006 to 2010 forced thousands of farmers to move to cities worsening poverty and inequality. Inspired by the Arab Spring movement, Syrians began peaceful protests in March 2011. People were asking for democratic changes, an end to corruption, and a better leadership. The government in response, arrested, tortured, and killed protesters, which worsen the situation and the protests grew into a full civil war by the late 2011.

Disappointed soldiers who left Assad's army formed the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and changed peaceful protests to armed fighting. This created different groups, like Islamist and Kurdish groups, each with their own goals. This division made the conflict more complicated, turning it into a bigger war. 

As the war escalated, foreign powers became involved, each supporting different sides for their own interests. Russia backed Assad with military resources, while Iran sent money, weapons, and fighters like Hezbollah. Turkey supported rebel groups and the US focused on defeating ISIS. These foreign interventions turned the conflict into a proxy war, making it more complex and prolonging the suffering.

During this chaos, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) took advantage of the instability to capture large areas in both Syria and Iraq. They declared a "caliphate" in 2014, naming Raqqa as their capital. Under their rule, ISIS committed horrific acts like mass killings, slavery, and terrorism, posing a serious threat to global security.

In response, an international coalition, led by the U.S. and working closely with the Kurdish-led SDF, defeated ISIS's caliphate by 2019. However, the group still exists as an underground threat.